The Last of the Mohicans

Starring: Daniel Day-Lewis, Madeleine Stowe, Russell Means, Eric Schweig, Jodhi May, Pete Postlethwaite
Directed by: Michael Mann
Rating: R
Genre: Action, Adventure, Romance
1992

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: A member (Daniel Day-Lewis) of the Mohican tribe protects two daughters from harm during the French and Indian War.

Review:

Tim: It took me a very long time to finally see The Last of the Mohicans, but I was really excited to see it. This is a movie that was directed by Michael Mann, stars Daniel Day-Lewis and Madeleine Stowe, and is about the French and Indian War. I expected to really, really like this movie. While I admit Mann created a good movie here, it was not nearly as effective as it needed to be. This was a good movie, but it never realizes its full potential.

First off, I love setting this film during the French and Indian War. That was a very important time in our continent's history, and yet it is rarely seen on movie screens. I love that this film gave us a look at a complicated time in history, especially with this conflict between the French and the British, with America's various Indian tribes thrown in. That was fascinating to watch.

One of the main reasons I wanted to see this film was for the performance of Daniel Day-Lewis. He is certainly one of the best actors of all time, and I was interested to see his performance here. While I have no real criticisms of his performance, he did not deliver the caliber of acting I would have suspected. He faded into the film, rather than making it his own. I wish his performance had been more memorable. It was good, but far too forgettable. That hurt the movie, as it really needed a stronger turn by Day-Lewis (I doubt I expected to ever say that).

I also really like Madeleine Stowe, and I thought she gave a good supporting performance. She was strong and believable in the role, and worked well with Day-Lewis. Russell Means, Eric Schweig, and Jodhi May also added in good supporting performances (although none were especially excellent). I feel like some of the cast's limitations come from director Michael Mann- he had a strong cast, but no performances really stood out. I wonder if Mann's direction or the editing caused that.

The movie has some very good sequences, but it still felt a little long at 112 minutes. There were a few sequences throughout the film where the plot seemed to slow too much. I was interested in the story from start to finish, but I never felt very invested emotionally. The film's conclusion felt a little forced and rushed to me, so I did not especially care for how the movie ended.

Despite some obvious flaws, The Last of the Mohicans is still a good movie. It only won 1 Academy Award, and that was for Best Sound. I think this was a good effort, but it wasn't as powerful or memorable as I expected it to be. I did have an entertaining time watching it, but this is certainly not a movie I would be anxious to revisit. This is a good movie, but there's nothing here to give it any staying power. Over time, I will certainly forget more and more about this film. That's a shame, because this could have been an unforgettable classic.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: My Left Foot, Glory, The Patriot