Film Review of ‘The last of the Mohicans’ (1992)
This is a wonderful film that tells the story of a gradual, difficult and bloody birth of a new American society against the backdrop of the war for colonies between England and France. In that war, a very important role was played by the local communities: the white settlers that put down their roots and indigenous people – the Indians. Moreover, different Indian tribes were fighting on the opposite sides: the Hurons – for the French, and the Mohicans with the Mohawks - for the British.
What were the terms of service the New York colonial militia sought from General Webb? What ended up happening to those terms while the militia was at Fort William Henry?
As shown in the film, the friend of Chingachgook and his sons Jack was gathering people's militia in New York to send reinforcements to Fort William Henry. But people feared that while men will fight the French militias and their allies will attack their houses and families. Jack went to Albany to General Webb for negotiations about permission for people to return to their homes in case of such attacks. Jack warned that militia would not be sent to Fort William Henry if they are not allowed to return home in case of attacks. Firstly, commanders stated that deserters will be hanged or will go to trial. But General Webb having got tired of such negotiations said the troops are allowed to return and defend their homes if needed.
Of course, the general deceived Jack and colonial troops. As it was shown further in the film – Jack's house was burned down, and his wife and children were killed (movie2kto.io). Even when Chingachgook with his sons, Major Duncan and two sisters reached Fort William Henry and informed commanders there about the houses of militia that were attacked by the Indians allied with the French, that rushed to the South at the border areas attacking farms and villages of Mohawk tribes, the commanders refused to let the people of colonial militia come back home and defend their families.
In this film, there are no ideological barriers. The Hollywood likes to divide the world into good and evil, and in this case, Mann is still wrong, in defining as a villain not that guy. The leader of the Hurons Magua turned to be such a monolithic and defiantly beautiful figure that all the heroic attempts of the others seem to be ridiculous. The ‘ideological’ villain who is fighting for the glory of his people – what could be better? Well, yes, there are signs that make him similar to the invaders, but, on the other hand, it is his strategy – there is a need to survive in the cruel world of survival for him and his people. He acts by ‘the white men’ methods, cruelly and basely dealing with his enemies. Magua is moved only by hate and revenge. Old and respected leader of the Hurons Sachem, but even he has undermined his credibility in the eyes of some Hurons, said that the heart of Magua is spoiled with the cruelty, greed and the lust for power, when he brings two kidnapped daughters and Maj. Duncan Heyward to the Hurons village (movie2kto.io). But Magua himself is not guilty for becoming such a person, the world and circumstances has made him a man like this, it is all the impact of foreign troops eager to conquer more land and treasures, troops, which are driven by the lust for power. As Maj. Duncan said at the beginning of the film, he thought that the policy of Britain is ‘to make England from the whole world’ (movie2kto.io).
What was, in your view, the biggest theme in the movie? Why?
The white people fight with the white people for the land that once belonged to the indigenous peoples of North America. Indian tribes choose their allies; some will adjoin the Britons, and other – the French. They are not those children of pure forests and prairies, what they were before the arrival of the white man. They do not ask for forgiveness from their gods for having killed a living creature, even this is for food. Some of them have themselves become the bloodthirsty animals, defying the covenants of their tribes. Therefore, it is symbolic that the film begins with the age-old hunting scene. Where there is only you and the beast. Only spirits may judge whether you are worthy of prey today. So are living Chingachgook and his two sons, Uncas, born Mohican, and Hawkeye, Natty Bumpo, the white man in origin, but with the soul of the indigenous inhabitants of the continent. They take as much as they can carry. Living by honor, according to the law of ancestors, and for this they are respected by everyone: the settlers and the relatives who still have retained their true dignity. And when these three hunters see that someone has ‘dug up the hatchet’, even for a moment in their minds there is no thought to pass by. These are they to whom must be grateful the daughters of a British officer, which were fated to fall into the very epicenter of hostilities.
Many of the Indians became ‘friends’ with the ‘fire water’, other become ‘infected’ with an incurable disease of Europeans – greed, and others even began to serve to ‘the white men’. The very title of the film symbolizes this idea. Its meaning is not in the fact that after losing his son, Chingachgook became the last representative of his tribe. Indeed, Mohicans lived and after the events described, dissolved in other tribes, much and much later. Chingachgook is the last of the true Mohicans who was living according to the laws of his tribe and did not become a subject to harmful influence of ‘the white men’.
The biggest theme of the film, in my opinion, is that wars always bear a lot of deaths, innocent deaths. With the conquest of land are disappearing whole nations with their customs, languages, and cultural and moral values. In war, everyone should uphold the values of their people and avoid the pernicious influence of others, conquest aspirations that seek to more than they actually need.
Works Cited
" Watch The Last of the Mohicans (1992) Online." Online video clip. movie2kto. movie2kto, 2016. Web. 9 Jul. 2016. < http://www.movie2kto.io/watch-movies/The_Last_of_the_Mohicans__1992/6232 >.
