In the world of Michael Mann, no successful justice is wholly righteous, no bad deed is without a thrill, and whether physical, historical, social or existential, everything boils down to an act of violence. Some may argue that if you’ve seen one of Mann’s often bleak, typically brooding and always beautiful meditations, you’ve seen them all — the buffet of bokeh cinematography, the ominous electronic soundscapes and, more recently, washed-out digital cinematography that seems captured on a refurbished BlackBerry someone then dropped on the ground. But no modern director feels as attuned to crime’s contradictions, the perils of punitive pursuits and the roiling emotions running through both. And few action filmmakers so invigoratingly depict the deliberate tension and swift snap of violence. To the naysayers this month, we say … C’mon, Mann.

The Last of the Mohicans (1992) is one of my all-time favorite films, for reasons that I hope to do justice in this review, but I’ll try to discuss it dispassionately. The film is co-written and directed by Michael Mann. Mann is a filmmaker of whom I admit I’m not much of a fan; with the exceptions of The Jericho Mile (1979, starring Peter Strauss) and Ali (2001, starring Will Smith), I don’t like Mann’s other work. For the few out there who haven’t seen it, it is an American pseudo-historical epic drama, set in 1757 during the French and Indian War, which was the North American theater of the Seven Years’ War, during which France and Great Britain fought over control of North America.

Based on James Fenimore Cooper’s 1826 novel The Last of the Mohicans: A Narrative of 1757. The novel is a rather boring read that, like Mann’s film, takes liberties with historical facts. Both the novel and various film and TV adaptations contain some historical truths: both the French and the British armies used Native American as scouts, guides, and allies; outnumbered by the British, the French were more dependent upon Native American aid than were the British; the Algonquians (Mohican) and Iroquois (Mohawk) were traditional competitors and enemies and those traditions determined which side of the War the various tribes supported. Cooper based his novel, The Last of the Mohicans, on the Mohican tribe, but his depiction of them includes aspects of the Mohegan cultural, including Mohegan names, like Uncas. At the time of Cooper’s writing, the Mohegan were a separate Algonquian tribe associated with eastern Connecticut. Cooper set his novel in and around Lake George, New York, in the Hudson Valley, which was historically Mohican land.

In the novel, British soldiers and Colonel Munro’s two daughters, Alice and Cora, are traveling to Fort William Henry, where Munro is the commander. Guarding the travelers are frontiersman Nathaniel “Natty” Bumppo (aka Hawkeye in the 1992 film), British officer Major Duncan Heyward, three Native Americans: Magua (a Mohawk), Chingachgook, and his son Uncas (both Mohicans). These characters represent a microcosm of budding American culture at the time: three Native Americans from differing cultures, a bunch of French and British soldier/colonists, including the Munro sisters and Major Heyward (all British), and Natty Bumppo ~ child of white parents, he grew up among Native Americans and was educated by Moravian Christians. Bumppo is a fearless warrior skilled in pretty much all weaponry, especially the long rifle. In Cooper’s novels, Bumppo is usually traveling around with his Mohican foster brother, Chingachgook (thus, Uncas is Bumppo’s nephew, unlike the films where Uncas and Hawkeye are the biological and foster sons, respectively, of Chingachgook).

For those unfamiliar with Bumppo, he is the main character in a series of novels by Cooper, collectively called the Leatherstocking Tales. In order of publication, and with a notation of the years they cover, the Leatherstocking Tales are:

• The Pioneers: The Sources of the Susquehanna; A Descriptive Tale (published in 1823, set in 1793).
• Mohicans (published in 1826, set in 1757).
• The Prairie: A Tale (published in 1827, set in 1804).
• The Pathfinder: The Inland Sea (published in 1840, set in 1758-59).
• The Deerslayer: The First War Path (published in 1841, set from 1740 to 1755).

The narrative settings don’t follow in the same order as the dates of publication, which is confusing. Adding to the confusion, the character Natty Bumppo had a lot of nicknames. Before The Deerslayer timeline, he was known as Straight-Tongue, The Pigeon, and the Lap-Ear. After obtaining his first rifle (in The Deerslayer), he gained the nickname, Deerslayer. He is also known as Hawkeye and La Longue Carabine in The Last of the Mohicans, as Pathfinder in The Pathfinder, or The Inland Sea, as Leatherstocking in The Pioneers, and as the trapper in The Prairie.

I read all those books when I was a kid — between grade school and high school — and I can tell you that they are what we used to call “boys books” because there’s not much in ’em to interest girls (of any era). They were clearly written by a man who had no interest in girls ever reading them.

Bumppo has been in several adaptions of The Last of the Mohicans: he was portrayed by Harry Lorraine in the 1920 film version, by Harry Carey in the 1932 film serial version, by Randolph Scott in the 1936 film version, by Kenneth Ives in the 1971 BBC serial, by Steve Forrest in the 1977 TV movie, and by Daniel Day-Lewis in the 1992 film version. This review focuses on Michael Mann’s1992 film, with a bit of background info on George B. Seitz’s 1936 film because it was more influential on the 1992 film than was the original novel. For example, the films both share “invented” romances between the two Munro sisters and the two heroes, Hawkeye and Uncas, that aren’t in the original novel ~ thank goodness for those made-up romances, because without ’em, both films would just be two more standard-issue Hollywood bromance war movies. In the 1992 film, Natty Bumppo’s name is changed to Nathaniel Poe (with the nickname Hawkeye), and, as in the 1936 film, Hawkeye is the adopted son of Chingachgook, and he and Uncas are brothers.

For those interested in the 1936 film, along with Randolph Scott, it also starred Binnie Barnes (Alice Munro), Heather Angel (Cora Munro), Henry Wilcoxon (Major Duncan Heyward), Bruce Cabot (Magua), Robert Barrat (Chingachgook), and Phillip Reed (Uncas). Mann’s 1992’s The Last of the Mohicans stars Daniel Day-Lewis (Hawkeye), Wes Studi (Magua), Madeleine Stowe (Cora Munro), Jodhi May (Alice Munro), Russell Means (Chingachgook),  Eric Schweig (Uncas), and Steven Waddington (Mayor Duncan Heyward). If you watch both films, note that the names of the Munro sisters are switched in the 1992 film from what they are in the 1936 film; I honestly don’t remember which sister was named what in the original novel.

Released on September 25, 1991, Mann’s The Last of the Mohicans was met with mostly positive reviews and commercial success during its box-office run. Critics praised Dante Spinotti’s cinematography and the musical score (more on that in a bit). It won the Academy Award for Best Sound (Chris Jenkins, Doug Hemphill, Mark Smith, Simon Kaye), which is the only Oscar ever won by a film directed by Mann. Roger Ebert called it “quite an improvement on Cooper’s all but unreadable book, and a worthy successor to the Randolph Scott version.” Desson Howe of The Washington Post called the film a “glam-opera” and “the MTV version of gothic romance” — and those are not inaccurate descriptions! Rita Kempley, also of the Post, said the film “sets new standards when it comes to pent-up passion” and commended the “spectacular scenery.” The Rotten Tomatoes summary calls it a “breathless romantic adventure that plays loose with history and comes out with a richer action movie for it.” Excuse me … what?! Rotten Tomatoes doesn’t think the actual historical brutality of the French and Indian War was “rich” enough for an action film? OK, whatever: they should’ve stopped with “plays loose with history.”

Historical accuracy or lack thereof notwithstanding, I do love this film. One of the reasons that I love this film is that it is so beautifully filmed. From start to finish, it is gorgeous. I’ve never seen it on the big screen, but I imagine its beauty is enhanced when viewed in that scale. Another reason I love it is the incredible soundtrack, which fits the film perfectly. I listened to the soundtrack whilst writing this review. It features music by Trevor Jones and Randy Edelman. The heartachingly thrumming main theme of the film is taken from the tune “The Gael” by Scottish singer-songwriter Dougie MacLean. Man, it is so effective! Then there’s the incredibly haunting song, “I Will Find You,” by Clannad. I well up with tears just thinking about that song.

A few notes on the cast: it is all but perfect. Jodhi May (Alice Munro), Russell Means (Chingachgook), Eric Schweig (Uncas), and Steven Waddington (Heyward) are excellent. Like the scenery and the score, their characters merge together seamlessly and believably throughout the film. The klunker in the casting is Madeleine Stowe (Cora Munro). I’m not a fan of hers in anything; she’s a Ruinator in my book. I always wonder how she ever got any parts. God knows how Stowe got this one; she’s absolutely awful as Cora, especially opposite Day-Lewis’ Hawkeye. Stowe exudes nothing that allows one to believe that anyone, let alone oh-so-hunky Hawkeye, would be attracted to her. I ought to mention that, as written in the film, Cora’s romantic (read: “sexual”) behavior is not really historically accurate, but who cares ~ we need some sexy, right? Unfortunately, Madeleine Stowe just isn’t sexy. It’s impossible to believe that Hawkeye would direct his gloriously dark brooding lustful eyes and his gloriously brooding pent-up sexual energy that emanates from his lithe muscular body towards . . . her. In those scenes, I’m always trying to look past Stowe to see upon whom he’s really set his sexual oops I mean romantic sights.

Ask pretty much anyone my age, male or female, and they’ll probably agree with me that Day-Lewis, with his aquiline features, his tall figure clad in buckskin, his burning eyes, and all that flowing black hair, is simply breathtakingly beautiful to watch in this film. I’m not saying Day-Lewis’ acting is great in every scene, but he gets the job done and done really well in some scenes! I confess that it is because of how lovely-to-look-at Day-Lewis is in this film that forevermore I’ve watched him in anything.

Then there’s Wes Studi: I’ll also watch him in anything, for a slightly different reason. When my kids were little and the film would come on TV, of course I “had to” watch it because I loved it, even though I knew my kids were rather terrified of Magua. We called him MaguaBadIndian, spoken as it’s written there — all one word. I still whisper MaguaBadIndian to myself when Studi comes onscreen in anything, but I whisper it with joy and affection. He was so damn good as that scary character that forevermore I’ve loved watching him. Studi is perfectly cast as the menacing yet masculinely lethal Magua; when he’s onscreen, you can’t take your eyes off of him. Studi’s portrayal is chilling, he’s unbelievably believable as this psychotic revenge-fueled madman. Studi’s expressionless expressions work their magic, especially in the closeup camera work in scenes where the camera goes from his face to the face of a Munro sister or other character. Magua may be expressionless, but Studi’s eyes just burn through the screen. Then there are the scenes where Magua’s in hand-to-hand combat ~ there’s a fixed physical intensity in him that makes you believe (fear) he cannot be beaten . . . ever. The terror wrought by Studi’s Magua stays with you long after the film ends.

The movie itself begins in 1757 during the French and Indian War. British Army Major Duncan Heyward arrives in Albany, New York, where he is assigned to serve under Colonel Edmund Munro. Munro is the commander of Fort William Henry in the Adirondack Mountains. Heyward’s first job is to escort some soldiers and Munro’s two daughters, fiery Cora and gentle Alice, to their father. He seems to have known the Munro family for a while, because before they leave Albany, Heyward asks Cora to marry him (she does not give him an answer, and it seems that’s pretty much been her response to his romantic shenanigans for quite some time). A quite Mohawk named Magua has been selected as their guide.

Now, the audience can tell pretty early on that Magua is actually a ruthless psycho nutbag. But our poor party of Brits doesn’t have a clue. It is soon obvious to us, the audience, that Magua is also not even a Mohawk ~ he’s actually a Huron determined to lead our heroes into an ambush (the Huron are allied with the French). Magua is working against the British in general, with the specific personal goal of vengeance against Colonel Munro, whom Magua blames for the deaths of his own children.

Seeing the ambush occur from the forest where they are hunting, Chingachgook, his gentle son Uncas, and his white adopted son, Hawkeye, decide to intervene. We understand their actions are not really politically motivated; it’s more that they have a moral duty to help the British party because they can see it has been tricked into an ambush. The three men kill the attacking Hurons (except Magua, who escapes) and agree to escort the survivors, including the Munro sisters and Major Heyward (who harbors an unrequited love for Cora), onward to Fort William Henry. As the journey progresses, so do the romances between Cora and Hawkeye — with lots of steamy glances exchanged — and Uncas and Alice. Uncas is a gentle soul and Alice is a shy young woman; their romance progresses in much more subtle moments.

They arrive at the fort to find it besieged by the French and their Huron allies, but our heroic band sneaks in. Colonel Munro is surprised to see them, certain the fort will fall. Indeed, all of the Europeans in this story clearly fear that white women will be captured and enslaved by the Huron, a fate worse than death. Meanwhile, Heyward, seeing a relationship growing between Hawkeye and Cora, becomes more and more jealous of Hawkeye, especially after Cora finally tells Heyward she will not marry him. In one memorable scene, Hawkeye and Cora’s romance progresses (both fully clothed, but it still feels like softcore porn).

A desperate Colonel Munro refuses to honor his prior agreement with the group of militiamen serving under him that they could leave the fort to protect their own homesteads from the French and the Huron. The ever-fair-minded Hawkeye helps the militiamen sneak away to protect their families and is then arrested for sedition and sentenced to hang. He’s imprisoned when the French and Huron launch their final attacks on the fort. Without any British Army reinforcements, Munro is forced to surrender and accept French General Montcalm’s offer: the British soldiers may leave the fort honorably with their arms, and the civilians (male and female) may go with them. Because Hawkeye is technically a civilian, he is spared the hangman’s noose and is released with the rest of the fort’s inhabitants.

Fair warning: from this moment on, I can’t stay unemotional while watching the movie nor can I stop from revealing the remainder of the film’s narrative. Every scene is choreographed to perfection and, as always, the musical score builds with each moment, adding a crescendo of emotion to the rest of the film.

Magua is furious because Montcalm’s deal with the British robs him of his chance to kill Munro. Once Munro, his soldiers, and the civilians leave the fort, Magua and his Huron warriors attack them, and a massacre ensues. Magua kills Munro, cutting out his still-beating heart. Hawkeye, Uncas, and Chingachgook fight their way out, taking with them Cora, Alice, Heyward, and a few others. They make it to a cave behind a waterfall, but they know Magua and his Hurons are rapidly approaching. There’s no time. They can already hear the Huron fighting with British stragglers. Hawkeye, Uncas, and Chingachgook believe the women and Heyward have a better chance of surviving without them because Magua’s warriors far outnumber them: if they stay, there will be a battle to the death for all; if they go, they believe Magua will take the Munro sisters alive as captives and keep Heyward alive to sell to another tribe or ransom to the British. Everyone knows the Munro sisters’ ultimate fate with Magua — the fate that’s worse than death.

In a most dramatic and passionate cinematic moment, at the edge of the thundering waterfall, Hawkeye shouts to Cora, “You stay alive! If they don’t kill you, they’ll take you north, up to Huron lands. You submit, do you hear?! You’re strong! You survive! You stay alive no matter what occurs! I will find you … no matter how long it takes, no matter how far — I will find you!” It is simultaneously a promise and an entreaty for her not to kill herself (rather than “submit”). It is also a speech that proves Hawkeye’s love for her is more progressive than the time period’s cultural norms (remember that “fate worse than death” stuff?). Corny as it may seem, it is actually a thrilling moment. Hawkeye, Uncas, and Chingachgook jump into the waterfall and disappear; if they survive the fall, their plan is to come after Magua and rescue Heyward and the Munro sisters. Magua and his Hurons appear in the cave; Heyward tries to fight them off, but he and the sisters are quickly captured.

The next scenes are scary, emotional, and well-filmed from every perspective. And there’s a lot of exhaustion-inspiring, theme song-enhanced, desperate running by Hawkeye, Uncas, and Chingachgook — racing against time over far distances, mostly uphill.

Magua takes his three prisoners to a Huron settlement, making demands of the sachem (the tribe’s paramount chief), speechifying eloquently about himself in third person. He tells the crowd what a great warrior he is, how he deserves to be treated with respect. He demands the Munro sisters be granted to him as wives to bear his children, to replace the children he’s lost. Suddenly, an unarmed Hawkeye walks into the settlement to plead with the sachem for the lives of the Munro sisters and Heyward, who acts as Hawkeye’s interpreter. The sachem rules that Heyward is to be returned to the British, Alice is to be given to Magua for the wrongs done to him by her father, and Cora must be burned alive in sacrifice. Magua, angry at the sachem’s decision, drags Alice away. As Cora is dragged to a pyre, the sachem states Hawkeye may leave in peace for his bravery. Amid the chaos (everyone is shouting or crying), Hawkeye shouts instructions to Heyward to tell the sachem that he, Hawkeye, is willing to take Cora’s place. Heyward, accepting at last that Cora and Hawkeye belong together, purposefully mistranslates and offers his own life for Cora’s. The sachem nods in acquiescence.

Understanding what Heyward has done, Hawkeye and Cora have no choice but to flee the village as Heyward is tied to the pyre and its fires lit. The couple make it well into the forest to where Chingachgook and Uncas are waiting; they give Hawkeye his long rifle. We see through Hawkeye’s viewpoint as he takes slow and careful aim across the distance —  through Hawkeye’s eyes, we see Heyward burning alive, screaming silently (because of the distance). This is the shot of Hawkeye’s life: we know it, Cora knows it, Chingachgook, Uncas, and Hawkeye know it. Try not to weep when Hawkeye hits his mark, mercifully shooting Heyward right between the eyes.

Chingachgook, Uncas, Hawkeye, and Cora then race away in pursuit of Magua’s party of Hurons; they must rescue Alice. In perhaps the most devastating sequence (again enhanced by the haunting score), Uncas races ahead, up the steepest mountain, and catches up to Magua and Alice. As Alice watches, he and Magua fight brutally. There is a part of their fight that is so sorrowful, when Magua has mortally wounded Uncas — and Alice and Uncas know it — but Uncas keeps trying. Magua delivers the fatal blow and kicks Uncas’ lifeless body off the mountain. Cora, Hawkeye, and Chingachgook see Uncas’ body fall past them. I dare you not to be full-on crying by then. (I’m crying just remembering that moment.)

Magua turns to Alice and peremptorily gestures for her to come with him, but Alice chooses to be with Uncas: it is such a poignant scene. Standing at the edge of the mountaintop, Alice looks over her shoulder down to where Uncas’ body lies, then she looks back directly at Magua (with an expression I cannot even describe), and slowly just leans back and falls away to her death. Magua looks a little taken aback by her choice, but then he just turns away; he really doesn’t care.

Hawkeye and Chingachgook catch up to Magua’s Hurons and together kill most of them. Hawkeye then holds off the rest, knowing that it is for Chingachgook to avenge his son Uncas. Everyone, including Chingachgook and Magua, understands this is a hand-to-hand duel to the death. The first time I saw this movie, I was so scared for the outcome I couldn’t breathe. By this time in the film, you really do feel like Magua cannot be beaten and yet Chingachgook must win. After a brutal fight, Chingachgook kills Magua. Rarely is a cinematic “bad guy’s” death so satisfying yet so bittersweet because of course it comes too late for Heyward, Uncas, and Alice.

In the final scene of the film (and I dare you not to well up with tears), Hawkeye, Cora, and Chingachgook stand together atop the beautiful mountain facing a sunset horizon. Chingachgook releases his son’s ashes into the winds, praying to the Great Spirit to receive the spirit of his son, Uncas. In his p

A desperate Colonel Munro refuses to honor his prior agreement with the militiamen that they could leave the fort to protect their own homesteads from the French and the Huron. The ever-fair-minded Hawkeye helps the militiamen sneak away to protect their families, and then is arrested for sedition and sentenced to hang. He’s imprisoned when the French and Huron launch their final attacks on the fort. Without any British Army reinforcements, Munro is forced to surrender and accept French General Montcalm’s offer: the British soldiers may leave the fort honorably with their arms, and the civilians (male and female) may go with them. Because Hawkeye is technically a civilian, he is spared the hangman’s noose and is released with the rest of the fort’s inhabitants.

Fair warning, from this moment on, I can’t stay unemotional. Every scene is choreographed to perfection, and ~ as always ~ the musical score builds with each moment, adding a crescendo of emotion to the rest of the film.

Magua is furious because Montcalm’s deal with the British robs him of his chance to kill Munro. Once Munro, his soldiers, and the civilians leave the fort, Magua and his Huron warriors attack them, and a massacre ensues. Magua kills Munro, cutting out his still-beating heart. Hawkeye, Uncas, and Chingachgook fight their way out, taking Cora, Alice, Heyward, and a few others. They make it to a cave behind a waterfall, but they know that Magua and his Hurons are going to catch up with them quickly ~ there’s no time; they can already hear Magua’s Hurions fighting with the stragglers from their group. The three men believe the women and Heyward have a better chance of surviving without them, because Magua’s warriors far outnumber them and if they stay, there will be a battle to the death for all; if they go, they believe Magua take the Munro sisters alive as captives and will keep Heyward alive to sell to another tribe or ransom to the British. Hawkeye, Uncas, and Chingachgook know the Munro sisters’ fate with Magua: that fate that’s worse than death.

In a most dramatic and passionate cinematic moment, at the edge of the thundering waterfall, Hawkeye shouts to Cora, “You stay alive! If they don’t kill you, they’ll take you north, up to Huron lands. You submit, do you hear?! You’re strong! You survive! You stay alive no matter what occurs! I will find you . . . no matter how long it takes, no matter how far ~ I will find you!” It is a promise, it is an entreaty for her not to kill herself (rather than “submit”), it is a speech that proves his love for her is more progressive than the time period’s cultural norms (remember that “fate worse than death” stuff). Corny as it may seem, it is actually a thrilling moment. Hawkeye, Uncas, and Chingachgook jump into the waterfall and disappear; if they survive the fall, their plan is to come after Magua and rescue Heyward and the Munro sisters. Magua and his Hurons appear in the cave; Heyward tries to fight them off, but he and the sisters are quickly captured.

The next scenes are scary, emotional, and well-filmed from every perspective. And there’s a lot of exhaustion-inspiring, theme song enhanced, desperate running by Hawkeye, Uncas, and Chingachgook ~ they are racing against time over far distances, mostly uphill.

Magua takes his three prisoners to a Huron settlement, making demands of the sachem (the tribe’s paramount chief), speechifying eloquently about himself in third person. He tells the crowd what a great warrior he is, how he deserves to be treated with respect; he demands the Munro sisters be granted to him as wives to bear his children, to replace the children he’s lost. Suddenly, an unarmed Hawkeye walks into the settlement, to plead with sachem for the lives of the Munro sisters and Heyward, who acts as Hawkeye’s interpreter. The sachem rules that Heyward is to be returned to the British, Alice is to be given to Magua for the wrongs done to him by her father, and Cora must be burned alive in sacrifice. Magua, angry at the sachem’s decision, drags Alice away. As Cora is dragged to a pyre, the sachem states that Hawkeye may leave in peace for his bravery. Amidst the chaos (everyone is shouting and/or crying), Hawkeye shouts instructions to Heyward to tell the sachem that he, Hawkeye, is willing to take Cora’s place. Heyward, accepting at last that Cora and Hawkeye belong together, purposefully mistranslates and offers his own life for Cora’s. The sachem nods in acquiescence. Hawkeye and Cora have no choice but to flee the village as Heyward is tied to the pyre and its fires are lit. The couple make it well into the forest to where Chingachgook and Uncas are waiting; they give Hawkeye his long rifle. We see through Hawkeye’s viewpoint as he takes slow and careful aim across the distance: we see Heyward burning alive, screaming silently (because of the distance).

This is the shot of Hawkeye’s life: we know it, Cora knows it, Chingachgook, Uncas, and Hawkeye know it. Try not to weep when Hawkeye hits his mark, mercifully shooting Heyward right between the eyes.

Chingachgook, Uncas, Hawkeye, and Cora then race away in pursuit of Magua’s party of Hurons; they must rescue Alice. In perhaps the most devasting sequence of scenes (again enhanced by the haunting score), Uncas races ahead, up the steepest mountain, and catches up to Magua and Alice. As Alice watches, he and Magua fight brutally. There is a part of their fight that is so sorrowful, when Magua has mortally wounded Uncas and Alice and Uncas know it ~ but Uncas keeps trying. Magua delivers the fatal blow and kicks Uncas’ lifeless body off the mountain. Cora, Hawkeye, and Chingachgook see Uncas’ body fall past them. I dare you not to be full-on crying by then (I’m crying just remembering that moment).

Magua turns to Alice and peremptorily gestures for her to come with him, but Alice chooses to be with Uncas: such a poignant scene. Standing at the edge of the mountaintop, Alice looks over her shoulder down to where Uncas’ body lies, then she looks back directly at Magua (with an expression I cannot even describe), and slowly just leans back and falls away to her death. Magua looks a little taken aback by her choice, but then he just turns away; he really doesn’t care.

Hawkeye and Chingachgook catch up to Magua’s Hurons, and together they kill most of them. Hawkeye then holds off the rest, knowing that it is for Chingachgook to avenge Uncas. Everyone, including Chingachgook and Magua, understands this is a hand-to-hand duel to the death. The first time I saw this movie, I was so scared for the outcome I couldn’t breathe ~ by this time in the film, you really do feel like Magua cannot be beaten and yet Chingachgook must win. After a brutal fight, Chingachgook kills Magua. Rarely is a cinematic “bad guy’s” death so satisfying yet so bittersweet, because of course it comes too late for Heyward, Uncas, and Alice.

In the final scene of the film (and I dare you not to well up with tears), Hawkeye, Cora, and Chingachgook stand together atop the beautiful mountain facing a sunset horizon. Chingachgook releases his son’s ashes into the winds, praying to the Great Spirit to receive the spirit of his son, Uncas. In his prayer, Chingachgook identifies himself as the last of his kind, “the last of the Mohicans.”

Whew, what a great movie!

I just love it.

I hope you do, too.