I easily get excited about this film and I can't really always be sure why. I think it must be because at heart this film is really just an adventure story - the kind little boys like - and the ever-amazing Daniel Day-Lewis as Hawkeye is overly heroic and passionate. Michael Mann's main reason for adapting and filming this story comes from his own experience watching the 1932 version as a boy. In truth, however, this adaptation of James Fenimore Cooper's eponymous novel, often seen as the first American novel, is a tribute to an old way of life, in tune of nature, that is being destroyed by the evils of the European world, with no winners.
The film is set against the backdrop of the conflict for North America raging between British and French forces, aided by a colonial militia and native Indian tribes. In the midst of this is a English man raised as a Mohican, who, along with his adopted father and brother, pursues his own agenda and refuses to become involved. Inevitably they are pulled into the action, siding with the British after the brothers fall for two sisters, daughter of the British commander, Colonel Munro. The film continues as action film and love story in equal parts, with the Mohican's attempting to guard the girls against the vengeful Huron, led by the ambitious Maguar.
This is a world very much in a state of transition. These Indian's are armed with guns and their world has been dramatically enlarged by these outsiders and their mass trade. The film presents the Hurons led by Maguar as the bad guys, and by proxy the French, but the British are also shown as immensely arrogant, refusing to accept that anyone could live in British occupied territory without being aligned to the British. They also betray their own subjects by refusing to allow the voluntary militia leave to attend to their protect their homes on the frontier that have come under threat. The Mohicans are the only men who are sympathetically portrayed, their selfless heroism and passion for both the land and the Munro women setting them apart from the single-minded European armies and the Huron.
The film itself comes across as classic - often the framing is reminiscent of early silent films or classic painting. The superb soundtrack employs elements of traditional music and is incredibly atmospheric, often accompanying silent sequences for great dramatic effect. There are moments almost of melodrama, but within the context of the film these moments simply become exciting. There are several memorable set-pieces: the ambush in a field; the hideout behind the waterfall; the spectacular ending told almost in realtime building up tension to a dramatic finale. I have to confess that this finale is one of my favourite cinematic sequences ever, the perfect combination of action, music, suspense and drama, with a series of excellent shots taken place in a stunning location, all without dialogue. I won't try to explain what happens as it also gives away the ending but I strongly urge anyone to see this film purely for this scene (although I can't guarantee you'll be as excited by it as me).
The message within the film is quite clearly embedded within the action. The three Mohicans are the embodiment of old America, closely allied to the natural world; they apologise to a deer after they kill it, and travel around with the seasons; whilst Maguar and his Huron represent the corrupted America becoming obsessed with European ideals of capturing more land than any one man can possibly need, or bleeding the land dry to fulfill the requirements of a thriving trade industry. The colonists are typically ignorant of the traditions of the land they have come to occupy and suitably arrogant regarding the natives. Only the Munro girls come to respect that they can not understand and predict the actions of these men with their roots in a very different culture. Regardless of the outcome of the film, we are aware that this world is ultimately coming to an end, overcome by the invading powers. This is obvious in the fact that even Hawkeye's prowess on the battlefield largely comes from his ability to load his gun as he runs - certainly not the traditional weapon of choice. Obviously the tribes had always found conflict over territory but with the introduction of guns these small fights easily escalate and eventually we feel they will destroy one another and it won't only be the Mohicans coming to an end.
In my opinion, director Michael Mann is perhaps the greatest auteur working in Hollywood today. With films such as 'Manhunter' and 'Heat' he demonstrated his ability to deliver top class crime thrillers, whilst 'The Insider' tackles legal politics and 'Ali' verges on blockbuster territory. Even if the recent 'Miami Vice' film was disappointing, his previous film, 'Collateral', was an excelent example of digital cinematography. Definitely worth investigation, his work as a whole and 'The Last of the Mohicans' in particular, is enthralling and dramatic...although I can't help wondering what it would be like if Terrence M,alick had directed this.
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