Epic War And Love

The Last of the Mohicans is an example of the kinds of films that my father would always recommend I watch.  However, when you are seven years old you do not really want to watch those kinds of films.  Now that I am older and have a better appreciation for cinema, I can honestly say that The Last of the Mohicans falls just short of being a masterpiece.

The Last of the Mohicans is the story of three men who protect a British Colonel's family during the French and Indian War.  Were it not for the occasional lip sync problems with the audio that take me completely out of the movie, I would consider this film to be a rare piece of perfect cinema.  This movie has such a great story that has great interpersonal conflict between the characters.  The love story between Hawkeye (Daniel Day-Lewis) and Cora Munro (Madeleine Stowe) feels genuine and flows well with the rest of the story.  This film is the embodiment of greatness.

Over the past fifteen years, I have become a huge fan of Daniel Day-Lewis.  He is, arguably, the greatest actor of all time, and he displays that greatness in the character of Hawkeye.  Hawkeye has an attitude and quick wit about him which Day-Lewis displays to perfection.  We also see him take part in brutal fight sequences which make you cheer for the actor and his character simultaneously.  One of the things I enjoy the most about his character is that he does not get distracted from his duties after falling for Cora.  In fact, it makes Hawkeye a better character because he does not fall into that typical cliche.

Michael Mann has recently become one of my favorite directors.  There is a certain rawness and a grittiness to his films that I enjoy, and he brings that same trademark to The Last of the Mohicans.  I particularly love the way he films action sequences because he uses wide shots that let you soak in the entire breadth of what is happening.  The wilderness is just as much as character in this film as any of the actors, and the shots of the landscape are incredible to look at.  The entire film is shot to near perfection, and has further cemented my admiration for Michael Mann.

The Last of the Mohicans is one of those films that should be on a "100 Movies To See Before You Die" list.  Even the music is flawless!  If you have not seen this movie, I highly recommend that you do as soon as possible.