The Last Tomahawk (1965) Poster

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5/10
European rendition based on James Fenimore Cooper's famous novel and of course filmed in Almeria
ma-cortes1 April 2011
This is a co-production Spanish-Italian-German with a varied cast formed by actors of diverse countries . The classic James Fenimore Cooper's novel is brought to screen is this Western adventure and in Spaghetti style . The picture takes several liberties and is partially inspired on the known novel . There happens Indian wars between Hurons , Mohawk , settlers and army , while the tribes allied fight to each side . The story is about a dying tribe called the Mohicans in which only two are left , Uncas (Daniel Martin) and Chingachgook as well as one adopted white man named Hawkeye (Anthony Steffen) . But the father Chingachgook is killed by the Magua's hoodlums . On their way they intercept Indians led by Magua attacking a small regiment in command of captain Bill Hayward (Joachim Fuchsberger) including the two daughters (Karin Dor as Cora and Marie-France as Alice) of Colonel Munroe (Carl Lange) on their way to a fort . The three men lead the survivors to the fort while love stories take place but the War continues . Meantime , the fort is besieged by the Indians allied a group of bandits who want to take a hidden gold . Later on , there takes place an impressive explosion that buries partially the fort . Later that , at the end occurs a violent fighting between Unkas and Magua by saving the life of Cora .

This is an exciting film , plenty action , thrills , fights , love and breathtaking outdoors from Almeria . Acceptable action sequences with rousing attacks and spectacularly realistic battles . Charismatic performance for all casting . The notorious Spaghetti actor , Anthony Steffen is good as Hawkeye . Anthony Steffen may be a name best remembered by Spaghetti Western aficionados, but in his day, from the mid-'60s to the early '70s, Steffen was one of the most popular actors of the genre — at the time cheap B movies, now revered cult classics. The handsome, Italian-born — actually at the Brazilian embassy in Rome — Antonio Luiz de Teffè von Hoonholtz began working in films as a studio messenger for Vittorio De Sica . From there, Steffen began acting in sword-and-sandal epics, later moving onto the Western genre , where he found his niche . Unlike fellow Spaghetti star Clint Eastwood, however, Steffen never became a top international box-office attraction . Special mention for Karin Dor , director's wife , she is wonderful and Daniel Martin as honorable Unkas and Ricardo Rodriguez as Magua as an appropriately villainous in a powerful performance . Look for secondary actors usual of Spaghetti Western as Frank Braña , Rafael Hernandez and Chris Huerta , among others . Colorful cinematography by Francisco Marin reflecting splendidly the sunny exteriors from the haunted city of Cuenca and Almeria where in the 60s and 70s were shot hundreds of Spaghetti Westerns . The motion picture was regularly directed by Harald Reinl who directed in similar style various episodes of ¨Winnitou and Surehand¨ based on Karl May novels . Other versions about this classic story ¨The last Mohican¨ are the followings : 1922 , mute adaptation by Maurice Tourneur and Clarence Brown with Wallace Beery as Magua ; the classic 1936 by George B Seitz with Randolph Scott as Hawkeye ; 1985 TV movie by James L Conway with Steve Forrest and Ned Romero . Of course , the best rendition was directed by Michael Mann (1992) with Daniel Day Lewis , Madeleine Stowe , Jodhi May and Wes Studi as Maua .
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4/10
Generic and mostly forgettable western with focus on the Indian side
Horst_In_Translation13 October 2017
Warning: Spoilers
"Der letzte Mohikaner" or "The Last of the Mohicans" and in Germany also known as "Holzauge sei wachsam" is a West German 85-minute movie from 1965, so this one already had its 50th anniversary. Harald Reinl is of course known to many still here in Germany, among other stuff also for his Winnetou films, and this is one of his rare westerns not based on a work by Karl May. But you will find familiar names in the cast, such as Blacky Fuchsberger and Karin Dor. Add to that some more semi-famous Germans and Southern Europeans and you have the cast for this film here. I personally am not a fan of the Winnetou films and I think this one here is clearly heading into a similar direction contents- and quality-wise. I love myself a good western film at times, but this one here is genuinely mediocre from start to finish and the more dramatic moments like the fight at the very end also have a tendency to feel for the sake of it and never really inspired. The casting is tolerable, the actors aren't bad, but also not good enough to elevate the standard material. If there is any reason to see this one, it is certainly not the story, but probably the nature and cinematography. But why deal with the plot and not just go for a nature documentary. Or an actually intense film from the genre like Leone's works for example. Or the Mann/DDL version, certainly the most known. Or maybe even the old black-and-white take on the subject. All these may be better choices. This one here gets a thumbs-down from me. It's definitely not a failure, but there is absolutely nothing memorable in here. Skip it unless you (for whatever reason) like Reinl's approach to westerns. Chances are high you have seen other stuff from him already if you consider giving this one a go as it is really forgotten now and also not too easy to find. I cannot say I am sad about that.
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