Directed by:
Michael MannCinematography:
Dante SpinottiCast:
Daniel Day-Lewis, Madeleine Stowe, Jodhi May, Russell Means, Wes Studi, Eric Schweig, Steven Waddington, Maurice Roëves, Patrice Chéreau, Edward Blatchford (more)VOD (4)
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In mid-18th century America, woodsman Hawkeye (Daniel Day-Lewis) lives amongst British colonists in New York state, but shares the cultural values of his adopted Mohican father, Chingachgook (Russell Means). At the height of the French-Indian war, Hawkeye is asked to lead two British sisters, Cora and Alice (Madeleine Stowe and Jodhi May), through dangerous territory to their father's fort. With the French-allied Hurons on their trail, one of whom has a personal vendetta against the daughters, Hawkeye and his companion Uncas still find time for romance with their charges, much to the chagrin of the accompanying Major Duncan Heyward (Steven Waddington), who has set his cap at Cora. (Warner Bros. Home Entertainment)
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Reviews (12)
So that's where that music comes from! The Last of the Mohicans doesn't deny its age-old premise, especially in the romantic storyline. Almost every scene sweats pathos until it flows off the screen, and if by chance someone doesn't feel that way, the soundtrack pushes it in your face every five minutes until it's just funny. But once again you can rely on Mann, his perfectionism making some scenes breathtaking spectacle, further aided by the knowledge that this is the kind of "honest filmmaking (TM)" that involves hundreds of extras in real sets and everyone knows what to do (unlike Braveheart, where if you look beyond the foreground in the battles, there are some gentlemen jokingly wielding their swords and looking like boys playing knights). The convoy ambush scene is incredible. The Hurons running out of the woods on either side of the road, the initial confusion among the soldiers, then the first gunshots enveloping the entire clearing in white smoke, all in one slow rising shot where it's obvious that even the biggest newbie of a stuntman has been individually briefed on what he's supposed to be doing in the scene. Rarrr!
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The film as a whole creates a great whole, which works mainly based on elaborate shots that are beautifully connected to the action on the screen, the performances of the actors, and above all, the music. It is absolutely incredible. An amazing combination of different motifs. I knew that the soundtrack was good, I had already heard it, but when you put it into individual scenes, everything suddenly takes on a completely new meaning. Randy Edelman and Trevor Jones did an absolutely great job, and after a long time, I appreciated the beautiful musical accompaniment more in many scenes, which occasionally draws attention to itself, but I didn't feel that it was to the detriment of the film, but on the contrary. Thanks to the slow-motion shots and magnificent scenes, "The Last of the Mohicans" gains in intensity and attains a completely new level when watched. A beautiful combination of all the artistic crafts that contribute to the film. More: http://www.filmovy-denik.cz/2013/09/posledni-mohykan-1992-85.html
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I saw Villeneuve's Dune yesterday and the majestic shots left me cold and emotionally detached, so I put on The Last of the Mohicans after a long time and my heart suddenly rejoices – this is how you make a film that lets its amazing visuals tell the story of its heroes without forgetting the touching, almost Shakespearean tale. Thanks mainly to the iconic music and Mann's dynamic direction, it's a goosebump-inducing ride from the start. And the final half-hour is a blast that brings me to my knees every time. Magua is an incredible and thoroughbred motherfucker, you don't see many bad guys like that anymore. 90 %
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The Last of the Mohicans goes against established customs of adventure films, whether it concerns the development of the plot or its culmination. Of course, I won't reveal it, but when it comes to the character development and the story, it does not alternate, as is usually customary, between purely thrilling and action-packed sequences and slow ones. Instead, it carefully adds depth to its characters for almost an hour and a half, subtly sowing the seeds of omnipresent tension, only to unleash all the fate, romance, and action in a straightforward and brilliantly executed final section. This adaptation of James Fenimore Cooper is by no means perfect, but, in the end, Michael Mann might deserve some award because it is mainly thanks to him that most viewers feel like they just watched a flawless film. If there is something perfect in this movie, it is definitely the soundtrack, one of the best music compositions in history.
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After many years I enjoyed The Last of the Mohicans again, finally on Blu-ray and in the original version. And it is still an amazing film, what else can I say. Hawkeye, Chingachgook and Uncas are great heroes just as Magua is one of the best bad guys I've seen in a film. Mann's direction cuddles with the breathtaking scenery, he manages to build tension before the action and then draw you in perfectly, the romantic subplot doesn't get in the way at all because it simply belongs to such adventure stories. And then, of course, there's the riveting finale, which, thanks to Jones and Edelman's music, makes you feel like everything is at stake. As I’ve already said, amazing film. Probably not essential to the history of cinema, but amazing nonetheless.
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