The Last of the Mohicans (1992)

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Movie
German title The last of the Mohicans
Original title The Last of the Mohicans
Country of production United States
original language English
Publishing year 1992
length 108 minutes
Age rating FSK 16
Rod
Director Michael Mann
script Michael Mann
Christopher Crowe
production James G. Robinson
Hunt Lowry
Michael Mann
Ned Dowd
music Trevor Jones
Randy Edelman
Dougie MacLean
Clannad
camera Dante Spinotti
cut Dov Hoenig
Arthur Schmidt
occupation

The Last of the Mohicans is a film by Michael Mann and the last film adaptation of the novel The Last of the Mohicans by James Fenimore Cooper .

action

At the time of the French and Indian War, a battle broke out in the border region in 1757 between the Hurons, allied with the French, and British soldiers. The daughters of British Colonel Munro, Cora and Alice Munro, as well as Major Heyward von Falkenauge, a white man who grew up with the Indians, and the Mohicans Chingachgook and Uncas are saved. Heyward is in love with Cora and has asked for her hand several times in vain.

Hawkeye and his friends promise to take the Colonel's daughters to Fort William Henry , which is under siege by the French army. On the way they pass a ruined farm that belonged to a settler family who were friends with the three Mohicans. Hawkeye informs Heyward that he will not take part in the battle of the British as he is not a subject of the British crown.

Arriving at the fort, Hawkeye gets into a conflict with Colonel Munro, because he does not want to take note of the agreement that the settlers may return to their farms if they are attacked. After Hawkeye had influenced the farmers and Indians fighting on the side of the British to leave the fort, he was charged with high treason and should be hanged. Heyward, who saved Hawk's Eye, doesn't stand up for him. Cora Munro, who has fallen in love with Falconeye, tries unsuccessfully to persuade her father to release Falconeye. The British are shot at by the French at night and realize that their military situation is hopeless. Due to a lack of supplies and ammunition, they have to surrender and are allowed to leave the fort after a ceasefire agreement with the French.

Shortly afterwards, the British column is attacked by the Hurons, led by the Huron sub-chief Magua: the legendary Fort William Henry massacre begins. Magua wants to kill Munro and his daughters because he has indirectly lost his entire family through him. He manages to kill Munro. In the turmoil of battle, Falkenauge succeeds in rescuing the Colonel's two daughters and escapes. However, they are captured by the Hurons shortly afterwards. The Huron Sachem decides that Cora should die in compensation for Magua's loss and that Alice becomes Magua's new wife. Since Falkenauge does not speak French, he asks Major Heyward, who speaks French, to translate for him. Hawk Eye offers his life in exchange for Coras. Heyward translates, however, in such a way that he himself remains behind as an exchange. The sachem accepts the exchange. Hawkeye and Cora have left camp when Major Heyward is subjected to an agonizing death by fire. To relieve him from the torment, Hawkeye kills Major Heyward from a safe distance with a rifle shot in the head. Meanwhile, Uncas pursues Magua, who has left the Huron camp with his men and Alice.

During the fight against Magua, he kills Uncas. Alice, who was in love with him, now sees no way out and follows Uncas to death by throwing herself off a rock. Chingachgook avenges his son and kills Magua. He is now the last of the Mohicans.

Differences to the novel

  • In the novel, Alice Munroe and Major Heyward are a couple and survive in the end too.
  • In contrast to the film, Falkenauge and Cora Munroe are not a couple in the novel, but Cora and Uncas fall in love and both die in the end.
  • Unlike in the film, Magua does not keep Alice Munroe, but Cora Munro in his power.

reception

In addition to the detailed depiction of the landscapes and forests of the New England states (although it was shot exclusively in North Carolina , there a lot in Chimney Rock State Park ) and the soundscape , the performance of the main actor Daniel Day-Lewis was particularly praised.

Reviews

“The remake of the famous story contrasts the love story with the brutal violence triggered by the colonial powers, whereby the civilization-critical aspects of the original are implemented very consistently. A formally quite remarkable, well photographed and excellently played film. "

- Heyne Film Yearbook 1994

“Colonial war epic set in 1757 (...) which tries to de-romanticize the genre, but does little to correct the reactionary portrait of the American indigenous population. The director's attention belongs more to elaborate and tough battle panoramas than to the psychology of the characters. Amazingly humorless and hardly captivating. "

- Lexicon of international film

“Man tells the story in captivating pictures and with lots of action. The butchery of the Hurons turned out so brutal that RTL scalped the theatrical version so to speak (shortened it by approx. 17 minutes) in order to be able to broadcast the film in prime time. Regardless of this, the work is splendid to look at: Daniel Day-Lewis (won the Oscar for "My Left Foot" in 1989), who simply throws himself inimitably into the hero's breast, makes sure of that. Conclusion: widescreen cinema in a classy, ​​photographed C&A look "

- Cinema

Awards

The film won the Academy Award for Best Sound at the Academy Awards (Chris Jenkins, Doug Hemphill, Mark Smith, Simon Kaye).

The film also received the following awards:

He was also nominated for six other awards.

Further information

Daniel Day-Lewis lived in the wild for a few months before filming began in preparation for his role as a nature-loving trapper.

Michael Mann admitted that he had never read the original James Fenimore Cooper book before or during filming.

Falcon's Eye is actually called Nathaniel (Natty) Bumppo in the book , but is called Nathaniel Poe in the film because the American cinema audience feared too much laughter at the original name.

The lake Lake Lure in Asheville , North Carolina, which can be seen in many settings from the top and the Lake George (New York) to represent at the original location is the same where the dance-exercise scenes for Dirty Dancing were filmed.

Dennis Banks and Russell Means, both American Indian Movement activists , were entrusted with supporting roles in the film.

Trevor Jones used the instrumental piece "The Gael" by Dougie MacLean as the main theme of the soundtrack .

literature

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ [1]
  2. ↑ The last of the Mohicans. In: Lexicon of International Films . Film service , accessed March 2, 2017 .Template: LdiF / Maintenance / Access used 
  3. ↑ (editorial rating: 100%): http://www.cinema.de/kino/filmarchiv/film/der-letzt-mohikaner,1338985,ApplicationMovie.html (accessed August 8, 2009)