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The last members of a dying Native American tribe, the Mohicans -- Uncas, his father Chingachgook, and his adopted half-white brother Hawkeye -- live in peace alongside British colonists. But when the daughters of a British colonel are kidnapped by a traitorous scout, Hawkeye and Uncas must rescue them in the crossfire of a gruesome military conflict of which they wanted no part: the French and Indian War.Written by
Jwelch5742
The red-brick bridge that's crossed over in the beginning of the movie is at Biltmore Estate Asheville, NC. See more »
Goofs
As the British are leaving Fort William Henry, two buses are visible in the background as the British General rides by. See more »
Quotes
[first lines]
Title Card:
1757 / The American colonies. / It is the 3rd year of the war between England and France for the possession of the continent. / Three men, the last of a vanishing people, are on the frontier west of the Hudson River.
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Alternate Versions
The Director's Definitive cut placed back mostly everything from the Theatrical release leaving some of the things from the Director's Expanded Edition still intact. This cut contains several new shots/scenes that were added/deleted:
While Jack says that he tries to find people that are willing to join the militia, it shows him in a frontal shot.
The following scene in which the soldiers tell the people to join the fight, it shows the major sitting on his horse. It leaves almost no time difference.
When the Mohawk's chief talks, the TC shows Jack from a side-wise shot.
Both cuts have a different beginning of the scene. The DDC begins with a different shot that is focused on Jack while he's talking. Duncan enters in the background and tells the soldier what to do. Then, there's the extension that can also be found in the old DC. Still, some words seem to be added at the end of some of the lines: Settler: "Any of the boys worth havin' can disappear in the forest.." Officer: "They will be found." Settler: "And where does that leave you then?" Officer: "Those men will be found, arrested--"
The general gossips more about the French. He stated: "Their Latinate voluptuousness combines with their Gallic laziness and the result is [they'd rather eat and make love with their faces than fight.]"
When Duncan and Cora sit at the table, there were two additional shots.
-The shot of the fight starts a bit earlier.
-The line "Find yourself a musket." was deleted.
A shot of Hawkeye looking angrily at Duncan and then starting to look more mild and almost mockingly was deleted. In the DDC, he's seen grinning only.
-When Hawkeye suggests to Duncan and the women to resume their trip, it shows Duncan and the women both being in the picture.
When Hawkeye tells Cora about his mother, the camera stays in one position in the TC, while the DDC shows Cora looking at Hawkeye.
The camera pans along the battlefield a bit earlier.
The side-wise shot of a gun being positioned is shorter.
In a scene where the French-Indian enemy in the trench. It's shorter.
Unimportant shot of the English fortress from the outside. An Indian gets in position and there is also a further shot.
Hawkeye is seen in a different perspective when one guy tells him that he didn't expect them to show up in the fortress.
While Hawkeye reports about the attacked village, it shows Col. Munro while the theatrical cut shows Hawkeye.
-The children's choir is shown in the front.
Montcalm's line: 'I will give you three oxen for a feast.' was deleted.
The line "We're at one. Join us. Hear what he has to tell us." was added.
As Cora tells Duncan that she's not very fond of him, it shows Duncan listening to her in a serious face.
Col. Munro's march is longer.
Magua turns his head before talking was shortened.
The line "Col. Munro would. But General Webb will not honor their agreement and send their soldiers away." was deleted.
The Huron Indian is seen earlier as he runs towards the British convoy and again a scene begins some frames earlier.
Cora's first line behind the waterfall was inserted. But she spoke half of her second line: "If the worst happens". The second half of her line: "and only one of us survives, something of the other does, too." was deleted.
The Clannad song 'I Will Find You' was reinserted but it is not the version from the Theatrical Cut or the soundtrack album. The song now plays over an extended sequence of shots and none of the lyrics are English. Previously in the Theatrical Cut the sequence was significantly shorter and the beginning of the song was sung in English.
A more distanced shot of the villagers going to the center of the village is seen earlier.
As the Huron chief is guided to his seat, this shot was shown completely.
At the position, where the scene with the villagers has a later shot where only some people go slowly to the center of the village.
As Hawkeye talks to the chief, it shows the chief and it happens again, but the other way around this time.
There is a change in position when the chief gives a speech.
This is turning out to be one of my most favourite romantic epics of all time. I know most people do not see this as romantic as it is a classic battle movie. As a matter of fact, seeing the trailer and the posters left me with the impression that this is indeed a war movie, what with the battle scenes and all; something along the lines of `Braveheart'. But upon seeing the movie, I was awed by the unexpected change in genre. The movie is a masterpiece, and all the actors and actresses certainly do amazing jobs. Daniel Day Lewis is simply amazing as Hawkeye. Though I usually try to read some of the more interesting books based on which movies are made, I haven't read the book in this case. But I sincerely doubt whether the book can be as good. Plus, I am told that the movie and the book have little in common.
Madeline Stowe is stunning as Cora Munro, and Jodhi May was certainly impressive as the frail dependent younger sister. Nathaniel, or Hawkeye', is the adopted son of Chingachgook, played by Russell Means, whose real and lone son Uncas contributes to the team's claim of being the last of the Mohican clan. The British recruitment of Militia from its colonies during a time of war against France brings about a certain unrest. And it is further deepened by the character of Magua, who is a Huron warrior bent on a personal vendetta against British Colonel Munro, and his family. Magua is bent on the utter destruction of Colonel Munro and his two daughters, hence wiping his seed from the earth'. Chingachgook and his two sons become entwined in between all this. To top that, Nathaniel falls in love with Cora and their love story takes the show from there. It is sensually and emotionally stimulating, and we as the audience feels engulfed in the mastery.
The love story I liked better was the one played in the background, an story that is absent, yet strongly felt throughout the movie. I am referring to the love story between Eric Schweig's character, Uncas and Alice Munro, played by Jodhi May. It is the subtleness and the overtone-nature of the love that builds in us a sense of involvement. To the best of my memory, they never spoke a word to each other, but the passion is strongly felt. And the climax really takes us to another level of appreciation.
Wes Studi is probably the fiercest villain I have seen on screen. His mere presence builds an acute level of intimidation. The character portrayal is flawless, and the casting done is excellent. I do not believe that anybody , anybody at all, could have replaced Wes in this movie. The fierceness, the anger, the viciousness, the the everything required to build up the character He has done all that. Probably his best performance yet.
The music is sort of unconventional. Usually, the pace of the music is in sync with the pace of the action on screen. But in this case, the same slow music floods the scenes whether the pace on-screen is fast or slow. If I had heard somebody else say that, I certainly would have thought that it would not be effective. But amazingly, this unconventional approach works. And how! The music is probably the most addictive feature about the movie. After the first time I saw it, the music lingered in my mind for a month. All my waking moments, my mind was echoing that brilliant piece of work. I am a very very huge fan of Hans Zimmer, but I doubt if even he could have done a better job.
I have seen the movie eight times to date. And I will definitely see it again. The climactic scene is so moving that I have lost count how many times I've seen that.
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The Last Of The Mohicans
This is turning out to be one of my most favourite romantic epics of all time. I know most people do not see this as romantic as it is a classic battle movie. As a matter of fact, seeing the trailer and the posters left me with the impression that this is indeed a war movie, what with the battle scenes and all; something along the lines of `Braveheart'. But upon seeing the movie, I was awed by the unexpected change in genre. The movie is a masterpiece, and all the actors and actresses certainly do amazing jobs. Daniel Day Lewis is simply amazing as Hawkeye. Though I usually try to read some of the more interesting books based on which movies are made, I haven't read the book in this case. But I sincerely doubt whether the book can be as good. Plus, I am told that the movie and the book have little in common.
Madeline Stowe is stunning as Cora Munro, and Jodhi May was certainly impressive as the frail dependent younger sister. Nathaniel, or Hawkeye', is the adopted son of Chingachgook, played by Russell Means, whose real and lone son Uncas contributes to the team's claim of being the last of the Mohican clan. The British recruitment of Militia from its colonies during a time of war against France brings about a certain unrest. And it is further deepened by the character of Magua, who is a Huron warrior bent on a personal vendetta against British Colonel Munro, and his family. Magua is bent on the utter destruction of Colonel Munro and his two daughters, hence wiping his seed from the earth'. Chingachgook and his two sons become entwined in between all this. To top that, Nathaniel falls in love with Cora and their love story takes the show from there. It is sensually and emotionally stimulating, and we as the audience feels engulfed in the mastery.
The love story I liked better was the one played in the background, an story that is absent, yet strongly felt throughout the movie. I am referring to the love story between Eric Schweig's character, Uncas and Alice Munro, played by Jodhi May. It is the subtleness and the overtone-nature of the love that builds in us a sense of involvement. To the best of my memory, they never spoke a word to each other, but the passion is strongly felt. And the climax really takes us to another level of appreciation.
Wes Studi is probably the fiercest villain I have seen on screen. His mere presence builds an acute level of intimidation. The character portrayal is flawless, and the casting done is excellent. I do not believe that anybody , anybody at all, could have replaced Wes in this movie. The fierceness, the anger, the viciousness, the the everything required to build up the character He has done all that. Probably his best performance yet.
The music is sort of unconventional. Usually, the pace of the music is in sync with the pace of the action on screen. But in this case, the same slow music floods the scenes whether the pace on-screen is fast or slow. If I had heard somebody else say that, I certainly would have thought that it would not be effective. But amazingly, this unconventional approach works. And how! The music is probably the most addictive feature about the movie. After the first time I saw it, the music lingered in my mind for a month. All my waking moments, my mind was echoing that brilliant piece of work. I am a very very huge fan of Hans Zimmer, but I doubt if even he could have done a better job.
I have seen the movie eight times to date. And I will definitely see it again. The climactic scene is so moving that I have lost count how many times I've seen that.