The Last of the Mohicans/YMMV
The book
- Fair for Its Day: The book is highly controversial in the Native American community for popularizing the concept of "noble savages" who were loyal to the English and Americans versus "ignoble savages" who weren't (in the book, Magua was a drunk). On the other hand, it did popularize the romantic notion of Indians as culturally superior and better adapted to the natural environment. The 1992 film skirts this by showing Indians on an equal footing with whites at a time when they were just fighting to keep their land. That and hiring Russell Means to play Chingachgook made the film much more well-received in the Native community.
- I Am Not Shazam: The last of the Mohicans turns out to be Chingachgook.
The 1992 film starring Daniel Day-Lewis
- And the Fandom Rejoiced: Michael Mann's decision to hire Russell Means, real-life American Indian Movement leader from the 1960's second Battle of Wounded Knee, to play Chingachgook, certainly went over well with Native audiences.[1]
- Complete Monster: Magua. Right from the start he's out to kill Alice and Cora, massacres hundreds of British soldiers and American civilians on multiple occasions, oh, and also rips Colonel Munro's living heart out. He gets a small Pet the Dog moment at the end, but almost the entire body count of the movie is directly his doing.
- In fairness, he does have a legitimate reason for wanting revenge on Munro, who isn't exactly a saint himself.
- Crowning Music of Awesome: The score to this film is famous, but particularly memorable is the repetitive fiddle movement that plays for a good seven minutes during the climactic scene of the film.
- Ensemble Darkhorse: Uncas, despite having almost no lines (and being the title character of the book, so this comes full circle).
- Genius Bonus: Numerous small historical asides that go over the heads of most viewers.
- Tear Jerker - Several in the chase scene in the finale. Most notably Uncas dying as his father runs toward him from a distance, just too late, and Alice killing herself to keep from being forced to marry Magua, mere minutes before she would have been rescued.
- ↑ Who had been protesting the film's release. He hijacked the Mayflower and occupied Mount Rushmore in protest of US Government treatment of Indians.