Film Review: The Last of the Mohicans

Director: Michael Mann

The 1992 historical epic, set during the French Indian War on the East coast of america, is a must see film that had past me by for all these years. The film is more based on the 1936 film than the novel of the same name, the screenplay was adapted by Mann and Christopher Crowe. The film became renowned for its stand out lead performance from Daniel Day Lewis and the ubiquitous soundtrack with the main song replayed during the movie being taken from "The Gael" by Dougie McLean.

Hawkeye (Daniel Day Lewis)

Set in 1757, The French and Indian War is well underway as the English and French battle over Carolina with the Mohicans taking sides to protect themselves. Hawkeye (Daniel Day Lewis) is the adopted son of Chingachgook (Russell Means) and his brother Uncas (Eric Schweig). They are fighting with the British in the war but are promised leave if they're villages are attacked. After the slaughter of their village whilst they are away, Colonel Edmund Munro (Maurice Roeves) say he does not have enough evidence of the attack as Major Duncan Heyward (Steven Waddington) lies about it. This leave the Mohicans with very little chance of escape to save their land and people.

Daniel Day Lewis is excellent in the lead role, as an actor he is always thoroughly prepared for a role and performs to the highest standards. The score, with the recurring theme, is excellent and the perfect accompaniment to the backdrop of the Blue Ridge Mountains in North Carolina. The setting is absolutely staggering and one of the best examples of stunning cinematography I've seen, give me this over CGI nonense anyday.

Major Duncan Heyward (Steven Waddington)

The plot is intriguing but plays a much bigger emphasis on the romantic storyline and the battles between the English and French than I thought it would, the displacement of the Mohawk people by the war and the violence against them was slightly pushed more into the periphery. This was certainly a disappointment for me but the storyline is a good one aside from that. Some of the lines have a cringe factor of cliché proportions but again I think that is just 20 years of aging catching up.

3/4 Beautiful classic but looks a bit dated