The Last of the Mohicans | Daniel Day-Lewis, Madeleine Stowe

The Last of the Mohicans | Daniel Day-Lewis, Madeleine Stowe | This is the movie I am taking to a deserted island...

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The Last of the Mo...

	The Last of the Mohicans Daniel Day-Lewis, Madeleine Stowe 20th Century Fox, 1996 average customer review:based on 494 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

Wildly romantic, daringly exciting, Michael Mann's film of James Fenimore Cooper's novel created a new babe magnet out of Daniel Day-Lewis, he of the heaving pecs and flowing mane. As Hawkeye, he plays an American settler raised by the Mohicans who is forced to serve as a guide for British adventurism in upstate New York. But the British have been outflanked by the French (and their Indian allies); then British honor is betrayed when a band of renegades assaults them during their retreat. Mann captures the viciousness of this era's hand-to-hand combat in startling battle scenes. But he also invests the film with heartfelt romance, as the feelings swell between Day-Lewis and Madeleine Stowe. The ending is a stunner, a long, nearly wordless sequence of battle and loss. Strong performances all around, particularly by Russell Means as Chingachgook and Wes Studi as the evil Magua. --Marshall Fine

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Simply Beautiful.

This is one of my all time favorite movies. There is practically nothing wrong with this movie. Michale Mann is an expert at his craft, and this is one of the early examples of this expertise.

The writing is superb. This is not that unexpected as it is based off of a quality book. The dialog is believable, and the love story seems real, something many movies have trouble with.

The acting is probably one of the high points. Daniel Day-Lewis is an actors actor. The man is a craftsman with very few equals. He is exciting and believable in the action scenes and captivating in the dramatic ones. Everyone else in the movie also perform to a demanding standard, and its hard to find any performances not to love.

The thing that I think the movie has going for it the most is its' look. This film is nothing short of beautiful. Much of it is shot in the Smokey Mountains, and when they are in the background, they almost steal the show. The night battles have a crisp feel to them, to the point you can almost feel the weather. This is still one of the prettiest films I have seen.

The only real complaint I would have about this movie is there are some pacing issues. There are sections of the movie that drag a bit. Not much, so this isn't a major issue.

All in all, I would recommend any one to go see this movie. It is a classic, and rightfully so.

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This is the movie I am taking to a deserted island...

We all know that retarded question: what movie/book/poem/appliance would you take with you if confined to a solitary exile for life?... Well, if I ever have to answer that question, this as true as it gets... This movie comes with me - hands down and no competition (well, provided that the deserted island is equipped with DVD/VCR player and enough reliable electricity to run it - oh, hell - forget that: I would pedal a stationary bike to generate electricity...).
This movie is as perfect as perfect gets. The script, the actors, the breathtaking scenery and the music that brings it all together. Yes, I read the book. It probably sucked, but I could not care less - I was 12 and forever infected with the romanticism of the last frontier (that was before "Star Trek", mind you...). When the movie came out, I was much older, somewhat wiser and more discriminating, and no less a romantic fool. I fell head first, and it was not till I watched it for the tenth time or so, before I started to get pass the overwhelming gut feeling and into the details that make this movie a masterpiece. OK, there is Daniel Day - Lewis as Hawkeye (very different from Cooper's asexual scout hero...) - visually enticing, to be sure and a competent actor - no more, no less. Than, there are others: Wes Studi as savage and cruel, yet compelling Maqua. Eric Schweig as Uncas - casted as stereotype, managed to overcome it and more: packed an entire romantic story of love and ultimate sacrifice into few stolen glances... Opposite him, Johdi May as Alice - timid British girl overwhelmed and bewildered by the carnal reality of the Frontier - facing the cruel odds, she grows up in matter of days if not hours. The final scene over the cliffs is a masterpiece: Alice moves away from her captor, horrified and shocked, she glances away into unimaginable abyss, and when she looks back, her face is transformed in a matter of seconds - from uncontrollable fear to serenity of understanding and acceptance... The final moment, when she looks away, almost like a girl shying away from lover's glance is so breathtaking when one realizes it's the world she shies away from, in such a soft and sweet, yet final gesture...
And of course - Madeleine Stowe as Cora. One might not consider her role such an outstanding accomplishment (as it is, to be sure...) - if not for the remainder of her movie career so far. Madeleine Stove managed to portray characters who border on timid and forgettable - characters who try to be pretty, seductive, memorable, and who never quite manage it... She seems always that bland girl on the brink of attractiveness - by intention or accident, she never seems to find the groove that would make her shine. Until she became Cora - and she shines indeed! Fragile and demure, yet strong and irresistibly beautiful she is positively radiant!
All of that - and then there is the music score by Trevo Jones and Randy Edelman - absolutely genius.
Yes, yes - if I have to pedal a stationary bike on that deserted island - please, let it power the DVD player that plays "The Last of the Mohicans"...

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A Woodland Journey

"The Last of the Mohicans" is a film which combines fine cinematography, good acting, an excellent musical score, and very well filmed battle scenes. Both the modern film and the nineteenth century novel were set in the French and Indian War and have some of the same characters. However, anyone who has read the book will quickly realize that the film is very different. That said, the movie is actually very good and an excellent tale of adventure, love, courage, and brutality. There are some historic errors (the massacre in the film looks more extensive than what actually happened and Col. Monroe actually survived the real massacre). As far as I remember, this film has relatively little cursing and no nudity. It is a very violent film, especially in its last quarter. However, the violence is realistic and actually less than some of the things which actually happened on the frontier (see some of Allan W. Eckart's books). The natural scenery (filmed in North Carolina) is beautiful and makes an ironic though scenic backdrop to the chase scenes as well as battles that occur in the film. Particullary memorable scenes include the bombardment of a British fort (Fort William Henry), a large massacre of retreating British soldiers, a canoe chase, and the final pursuit along rocky cliffs. I should mention that some of Hawkeye's shots seem a little far fetched considering rifles of the time, but that doesn't take away from the film. Overall, I enjoyed it considerably.

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Epic Saga

The Last of the Mohicans is epic in scope, music, cinematography, action and running... lots and lots of running... sometimes it's exhausting to watch Hawkeye, Uncas and Chingachook run so much, but, regardless of that, the film is glorious in all the visuals. And Daniel Day Lewis has never/will never be as gorgeous as in this film; it's one of those epic romances, too: "I will find you... do whatever you must to survive... I will find you" says Hawkeye to his lady love behind a cascade of water. Wonderful film - thoughtful, sad ending.

Hauntingly beautiful and with a great soundtrack... (and much better then the novel)

It distorted somewhat (for the better) the original novel (which is a "classic" but quite difficult to read due to the contrived prose).
The exteriors are one of the best ever in a production of adventure&action films and the cast is PERFECT.

It is a savage land which makes for a sad and cruel "natural" story, after all it is untamed territory and the characters live dangerously.

The soundtrack is a must and contribute to the atmosphere like a close fitting glove.

One of my favorite period films. The action sequences are well directed and the use of weapons seems REAL.

Highly recommended as a very good film.

ADB

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