The Last of the Mohicans Information

The Last of the Mohicans is a 1992 historical epic film set in 1757 during the French and Indian War and produced by Morgan Creek Pictures. It was directed by Michael Mann and based on James Fenimore Cooper's novel of the same name and George B. Seitz's 1936 film adaptation, owing more to the latter than the novel. The film stars Daniel Day-Lewis, Madeleine Stowe, and Jodhi May, with Russell Means, Wes Studi, Eric Schweig, and Steven Waddington in supporting roles.

The soundtrack features music by Trevor Jones and Randy Edelman, and the song "I Will Find You" by Clannad. The main theme of the film is taken from the tune "The Gael" by Scottish singer-songwriter Dougie MacLean. Released on September 25, 1992, in the United States, The Last of the Mohicans was met with nearly-universal praise from critics as well as being commercially successful during its box-office run.

Plot

During the French and Indian War in 1757, Mohican Chingachgook (Russell Means) with his sons, Uncas (Eric Schweig) and adopted white Nathaniel Hawkeye (Daniel Day-Lewis), visit the Cameron frontier household. Friend Jack Winthrop (Edward Blatchford) tells them he is gathering militia for the British army. General Webb agrees to grant the militia leave if their homes are attacked, in return for their reinforcement of Colonel Edmund Munro (Maurice Roëves) at Fort William Henry. Newly arrived Major Duncan Heyward (Steven Waddington) and native Magua (Wes Studi) are tasked with escorting Munro's daughters, Cora (Madeleine Stowe) and Alice (Jodhi May), from Albany to their father at the fort. Duncan wishes to marry Cora, but she professes friendship only. Magua leads the group into an ambush by his Huron party. Hawkeye, Uncas and Chingachgook come across the attack as Magua escapes and save Duncan, Cora and Alice, deciding to escort them to the fort.

Along the way the Cameron home is found razed and its occupants murdered. The group arrive to find the fort under siege by the French, but sneak in. Munro is surprised at his daughters' arrival; he had warned them to stay away, but Magua schemed to reunite the family. The fort can only hold for three more days, so a messenger is sent to General Webb for help. To Duncan's chagrin, Cora and Hawkeye are drawn to each other, so he resentfully denies that the razing of the Cameron homestead took place. Munro therefore refuses to let Jack and the militia leave to defend their homes. Hawkeye secretly helps them escape anyway, but is arrested for sedition and sentenced to hang despite Cora's pleas. The French General Montcalm (Patrice Chéreau) generously offers all in the fort safe passage to Albany if they surrender and vow to never fight again. Munro reluctantly accepts after Montcalm shows Webb's intercepted message, showing that no aid is forthcoming.

Magua berates Montcalm for making peace, revealing that his village was destroyed and his children killed by Munro's troops, assisted by the Mohawk; though he regained his freedom under Mohawk captivity, his wife remarried believing he was dead. Montcalm, though intending to honor the terms, would not mind if Magua were to deal with the British. The retreating British soldiers and their families are ambushed by Magua's men. Magua cuts out Munro's heart from his body, but not before promising to kill Munro's daughters to extinguish his line. Hawkeye, Cora, Alice, Uncas, Chingachgook, Duncan and a few others flee in canoes across Lake George and down a river to a cave behind a waterfall, but Magua and his men are soon upon them. For their safety, Hawkeye urges Cora and her sister to submit if captured and promises he will find them later, then leaps with his father and brother down the waterfall. Magua takes Duncan and the two sisters to a Huron village.

Magua negotiates his captives' fate with the sachem when they are interrupted by the arrival of an unarmed Hawkeye. With Duncan translating in French, Hawkeye convinces the chief that Magua is acting for his own interests like the colonial powers, rather than for the good of the tribe. The chief decides that Cora is to be burned alive to atone for Magua's children, gives Alice to replace Magua's wife so that both bloodlines can continue and orders Duncan's return to the British to placate them. Hawkeye is released in recognition of his bravery, but pleads to take Cora's place. Duncan deliberately mistranslates, sacrificing himself instead so Hawkeye and Cora can escape, whilst Magua curses the sachem and departs with Alice and his men. From a safe distance, Hawkeye mercifully shoots Duncan as he is burned alive.

Uncas, who had cared for Alice throughout, races ahead to intercept Magua's band, killing several warriors before engaging Magua. Magua kills him, then drops his body off the cliff. Rather than join Magua, Alice follows Uncas by jumping to her death. Seeing this, an enraged Hawkeye and Chingachgook set upon the Hurons and slay several. Chingachgook kills Magua, avenging his son. After a ritual for Uncas with Cora and Hawkeye, Chingachgook announces that he is the last of the Mohicans.

Cast

• Daniel Day-Lewis as Hawkeye/Nathaniel Poe
• Madeleine Stowe as Cora Munro
• Russell Means as Chingachgook
• Eric Schweig as Uncas
• Jodhi May as Alice Munro
• Steven Waddington as Maj. Duncan Heyward
• Wes Studi as Magua
• Maurice Roëves as Col. Edmund Munro
• Patrice Chéreau as Gen. Louis-Joseph de Montcalm
• Edward Blatchford as Jack Winthrop
• Tracey Ellis as Alexandra Cameron
• Terry Kinney as John Cameron
• Sebastian Roché as Martin
• Justin M. Rice as James Cameron
• Dennis Banks as Ongewasgone
• Pete Postlethwaite as Capt. Beams
• Colm Meaney as Maj. Ambrose
• Mac Andrews as Gen. Daniel Webb
• Benton Jennings as Scottish Officer
• Jared Harris as British Lieutenant

Soundtrack

See The Last of the Mohicans (soundtrack) for more information

Props

Much care was taken with recreating accurate costumes and props. American Bladesmith Society Master Bladesmith Daniel Winkler made the tomahawks used in the film and knifemaker Randall King made the knives. [Wayne Watson is the maker of Hawkeye's "Killdeer" rifle used in the film.

Locations

Despite the film taking place in upstate New York, according to the film credits, it was filmed mostly in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. Locations used include Lake James, Chimney Rock Park and The Biltmore Estate. Some of the waterfalls that were used in the movie include Hooker Falls, Triple Falls, Bridal Veil Falls, and High Falls located in the DuPont State Forest. Another of these falls was Linville Falls, in the mountains of North Carolina.

Reception and honors

The Last of the Mohicans opened to general acclaim, with critics praising the film for its cinematography and music. Critic Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times called the film "...quite an improvement on Cooper's all but unreadable book, and a worthy successor to the Randolph Scott version," going on to say that "The Last of the Mohicans is not as authentic and uncompromised as it claims to be "? more of a matinee fantasy than it wants to admit "? but it is probably more entertaining as a result."

Desson Howe of The Washington Post classified the film as "glam-opera" and "the MTV version of gothic romance". Rita Kempley of the Post recognized the "heavy drama," writing that the film "sets new standards when it comes to pent-up passion", but commented positively on the "spectacular scenery".

The Last of the Mohicans is certified "Fresh" at the film site Rotten Tomatoes, with a positive rating of 97% (34 reviews out of 35 counted fresh).

The film won the Academy Award for Best Sound (Chris Jenkins, Doug Hemphill, Mark Smith, Simon Kaye).

American Film Institute recognition:

• AFI's 100 Years...100 Heroes and Villains:
  • Hawkeye - Nominated Hero

Box office

The film opened in the United States on September 25, 1992, in 1,856 theaters. It was the number 1 movie on its opening weekend. By the end of its first weekend The Last of the Mohicans had generated $10,976,661, and by the end of its domestic run the film had made $75,505,856. It was ranked as the 17th highest-grossing film of 1992 in the United States.

Differences from novel

Many of the scenes from the 1992 movie did not follow the book; in particular, some characters who survive the events of the novel die in the film, and vice versa. For example, Colonel Munro is killed in the film by Magua during the evacuation of Fort William Henry. In the novel, he lives to help search for his daughters. In the film, Chingachgook kills Magua; in the novel it is the reverse. Cora is the surviving daughter in the novel instead of Alice.

The cinematic versions of The Last of the Mohicans usually delete Cooper's extensive sections about the Indians. The films create romantic relationships between the principal characters, which do not occur in the novel or are minimal. The roles of some characters are reversed or altered, as are the events.

See also

• Siege of Fort William Henry