A Reel 25: THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS

“The frontier moves with the sun and pushes the Red Man of these wilderness forests in front of it until one day there will be nowhere left. Then our race will be no more, or be not us.”

This month marks the 25^th anniversary of Michael Mann’s THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS.

Mann’s 1992 film, which was met with universal praise and commercial success, was based on the 1826 novel of the same name by James Fenimore Cooper, which was set in 1757 during the French-Indian War and detailed the exploits of the daughters of a British general and their travels with Native Americans across the upper New York wilderness.

The novel was first adapted to a film in 1936 by George B. Seitz and was a modest success. Mann, who was directing his first film since his MANHUNTER in 1986, based his new version of the story more on the 1936 film than the novel.

The film was packed with iconic and nearly grand characters who were required to fight, run, and be a part of the wilderness. For the important role of Hawkeye, Mann cast Daniel Day-Lewis, who was coming off his first Oscar win for Best Actor for his performance in MY LEFT FOOT (1989). Lewis, ever the committed method actor, went deep into character research by going through rigorious weight training, and learned to live off the land and forest by hunting and fishing. He learned how to skin animals, carve a canoe, and carried a long rifle at all times, even when he wasn’t in front of the camera.

Lewis’ castmates would include Madeline Stowe, Russell Means, Eric Schweig, and Steven Waddington. Although the film took place in upstate New York, filming took place in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina, along with other locations across the state. The score was provided by Trevor Jones and Randy Edelman, with the main theme taken from the tune The Gael by Scottish songwriter Dougie MacLean.

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS opened at no. 1 at the box office in September of 1992, and would finish as the 17^th highest grossing film of the year. It would receive critical acclaim and would win one Oscar for Best Sound.

*

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS may fall under the description of historical drama, but it is a film which accomplishes a lot; it is an adventure and a romance, done with a touch of swashbuckling that was perhaps inspired by the 1936 film. Deeper than style, it boldly yet subtly tackles the thinking of the times, such as the arrogance of the old, domineering British Empire, the struggles of 17^th century women, and the plight of the vanishing Native Americans; all told with a hanging melancholy for the unexplored wilderness at the time…destined for obliteration. As a historical piece, it is a tight glimpse at early America during the Revolutionary War days, and the often overlooked happenings of the French-Indian War. With basic storytelling set in the backdrop of wilderness, war, and blood, Michael Mann taps into primal feelings in THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS, striking a fine balance between being epic and intimate. It is a unique departure for Mann who has spent most of his career doing cops-and-robbers movies, and it stands out as his most emotionally driven. And after 25 years, it’s themes on war, class distinction, and empty promises ring hard in today’s world.  For this Blogger, THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS is Michael Mann’s finest work.

“The whole world’s on fire, isn’t it?”