The Last of the Mohicans: Difference between revisions

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Cooper's novel was one of the first great American novels, and was widely read during his time. It remains a commonly-taught book in America Literature courses and a staple of early American frontier mythology.

 

 

For more on the novel ''The Last of the Mohicans'' and other books in [[The Series]], see '''''[[The Leatherstocking Tales]].'''''

 

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* [[Abandoned By the Cavalry]]: General Webb's reinforcements.

* [[Actor Allusion]]: The '''actual''' sovereign chief of the Five Nations played Ongewasgone, the Iroquois leader.

* [[Ass in Ambassador]] / [[Acceptable Targets]] / [[Aristocrats Are Evil]]: General Marquis de Montcalm is a French general, [[Diplomatic Impunity|diplomat]], [[Wicked Cultured|scholar]] and [[Aristocrats Are Evil|aristocrat]]. ''How'' do we know he's a bad guy, aside from that? He ''wins every battle'' against [[Designated Hero|the British]].

* [[Badass Boast]]: Magua, and how.

* [[Badass Grandpa]]: Chingachgook, while not old by modern standards, is treated as such by the other characters. {{spoiler|When Magua, who up until then had been an unstoppable killing machine, finally fought Chingachgook he didn't stand a chance.}}

* [[Beat Still My Heart]]: Magua does this to {{spoiler|Col. Munro}}.

* [[Big No]]: silent.

* [[Bilingual Dialogue]]: Native characters slide in and out of [[Shown Their Work|multiple languages]], including the dead languages of Huron and Mohican, which are subtitled. [[Big Bad|Magua]], being a Huron enslaved by the Mohawk who became a French war captain turned [[The Mole|British scout]], seems to speak more languages than any other character; in the final parlay, he alone understands the whole conversation ([[The Dog Bites Back|he is not pleased]]). <ref>It's both subtitled and translated on-screen by Heyward, who speaks French -- except for the Huron part, which only Magua understands.</ref> Then there's this:

'''Magua:''' Magua ''said,'' [[Tactful Translation|"I understand English... very well."]] }}

* [[Bittersweet Ending]]: {{spoiler|okay, [[Downer Ending]], who are we kidding.}}

* [[Braids, Beads, and Buckskins]]: Surprisingly realistic; the Native tribesmen wear homespun like their colonist neighbors, and both they and the colonist wear leather breeches and authentic hairstyles for the most part.

* [[British Stuffiness]]: Heyward! With that "priggy nose of his" as one reviewer delicately put it.

** The screenplay for the 1936 film is actually credited as an alternate version. Also Hawkeye's real name, which was Anglicized from [[Embarrassing First Name|Natty Bumppo]] to Nathaniel Poe.

* [[Cave Behind the Falls]]: The scene was shot in a [[Real Life]] cave behind a waterfall. [[Doing It for the Art|The dialogue had to be overdubbed]] and the cameramen had to be really, really careful.

* [[Charles Atlas Superpower]]: The Mohicans, primarily [[What Kind of Lame Power Is Heart, Anyway?|endurance running]] among [[Scarily Competent Tracker|other]] [[Improbable Aiming Skills|things]].

* [[Chekhov's Gun]]: Quite literally -- the pistol that Cora picks up from a dead officer near the beginning of the film most likely ''saves her life'' when she later uses it to fend off an attacker during an Indian ambush.

* [[Chiaroscuro]]: Particularly the fort scenes. The outdoor scenes are shot to look like a Thomas Cole painting (see above).

* [[Clothing Damage]]: Uncas uses it to his advantage to make [[Tim Taylor Technology|silk bullet casings]] and [[Boring but Practical|bandaging wounds]].

* [[Climbing Climax]]: Not quite the original [[Literal Cliff Hanger|clifftop]] [[Disney Villain Death|ending]], but close.

* [[Colonel Badass]]: Col. Munro.

** Interestingly, Director Mann who is known for his neon urban color schemes, says this is the only film he ever did that had no artificial color wash. He wanted to capture the American woods without artificial lighting because he said they are rarely seen that way in media. Of course, this results in some [[Chiaroscuro|pretty dark scenes]].

* [[Come with Me If You Want to Live]]:

'''Hawkeye:''' We're movin' outta here, fast. Unless you all's'd rather wait for the next Huron war party to come along. }}

* [[Cower Power]]: Alice.

* [[Curb Stomp Battle]]: Chingachgook versus Magua.

** ''Every battle'' is a curb stomp battle. The British are on the receiving end of these, while Chingachgook, Hawkeye, and Uncas are on the giving end. {{spoiler|Uncas ultimately is on the receiving end of these from Magua}}.

* [[Dark Reprise]]: The cheerful dance music they play during the night at the fort is somberly reprised for the tragic climax of the film.

* [[Daylight Horror]]: the massacre.

* [[Deadpan Snarker]]: When Cora and Heyward ask the Mohicans how they plan to get to Kan-tuck-ee Territory, Hawkeye's reaction is priceless.

'''Hawkeye''': Well, first we face north, then, ''real'' subtle-like, turn left. }}

** Hawkeye's response to someone joshing him:

'''Hawkeye:''' It does. And no offense, but it's a better lookin' reason than you, Jack Winthrop! }}

* [[Decoy Protagonist]]: Hawkeye, to a certain extent, since he is not in fact the title character.

* [[Defictionalization]]: Several locations in the Eastern US, such as Chimney Rock where it was filmed,<ref>(somewhat inaccurate to the legend which is set in the Adirondacks, but hey, [[Popcultural Osmosis|you know]])</ref> are popularly known as "Uncas Leap". This goes back to the 1800s when the story was first written, since the character of Uncas was based on a [[Historical Fiction|legendary Indian chief]].

* [[Dies Wide Open]]: {{spoiler|Magua.}}

* [[The Dog Bites Back]]: Sachem's (non-) response to Magua's parting words. He nods to the heroes and says [[Bilingual Bonus|something untranslated]].

* [[Doomed Hometown]]: {{spoiler|Cameron's frontier settlement}}.

* [[Dual-Wielding]]: Absurd in the context of the film's setting.

* [[The Empire]]: The British Empire, of course.

'''Heyward:''' ''(later)'' British policies make the world England, sir. }}

* [[Enemy Mine]]: [[The Alliance|the settlers]] and [[Noble Savage|Iroquois]]' reason for signing up to fight together against the French.

* [[Evil Brit]]: The film's sympathies are with the colonists and natives, in contrast to the book where the "good" Indians are allied to the crown.

* [[Evil Gloating]] / [[Just Between You and Me]]

* [[Executive Meddling]]: Fox made Mann reduce the film's length from 3 to 2 hours.

* [[Fake Nationality]]: Wes Studi, a Cherokee, plays a Huron masquerading as a Mohawk; white extras in facepaint were cast alongside Native extras for crowd scenes. Russell Means is Sioux, Daniel Day-Lewis is English and Madeleine Stowe (Cora) is American.

* [[Foe-Tossing Charge]]: Chingachgook at the end of the film.

** Hawkeye also does this during the Huron ambush, running toward the unnamed Indian who is assaulting Cora. He pushes aside at least one guy.

** Not to mention one of the more (in)famous book covers shows [[Ten Little Indians|a line of Indian warriors walking into oblivion]].

* [[Friendly Target]]: {{spoiler|Cameron and his whole family}}.

* [[From a Certain Point of View]]: Col. Munro. <small>"British promises ''are'' honored... and I will ''not'' release the militia unless I have more than this man's word that the settlements are being attacked."</small>

* [[The General's Daughter|The ]]<s>[[The General's Daughter|General's ]]</s>[[The General's Daughter|Colonel's Daughter]]: ''Two,'' Cora and Alice.

* [[Ghibli Hills]]: '''America.''' An undeveloped, unbroken forest teeming with wildlife and adventure. Specifically, Upstate New York / The Great Smoky Mountains.

* [[Herald]]: Messages are delivered by courier, which leads to a [[Crowning Moment of Awesome|sharpshooting sequence]] as the courier attempts to break through the lines.

* [[Heroic Sacrifice]]: When Magua demands revenge on Munro by burning his daughter Cora alive, Hawkeye offers himself instead. But {{spoiler|Heyward deliberately mistranslates, offering ''himself''}}. The others are released, and {{spoiler|Heyward}} is burned alive.

* [[He Who Fights Monsters]]: In Hawkeye's Kirk Summation, he asks Magua if he would use the ways of the ''Yengees'' and the''Francais'' against other Indians. Magua says yes.

* [[Hollywood History]]: The 'Company' of the 60th regiment (Really an understrength platoon) that accompany Major Heyward and the Monroe daugthers who are massacred in order to show that Standard 18th century military tactics will not work in North America. Fair enough this early in the war for a standard British unit who are ambushed. But the 60th (The Royal Americans) were a unit raised in America and trained to specifically fight under these conditions and use them to their advantage.

* [[Honor Before Reason]]: Ongewasgone, the Iroquois leader, commits to stay behind and fight on instead of [[The Mutiny|break out]] of the beleaguered fort with the colonists.

'''Ongewasgone:''' And so few of us to fight. '''[[Last Stand|But we have given our word]] [[Harsher in Hindsight|to the English fathers]].''' }}

* [[Hurl It Into the Sun]]: <small>''A warrior goes to you now, swift and straight as an arrow shot into the Sun.''</small>

* [[I Call It Vera]]: Hawkeye's beloved Long Rifle, [[Exactly What It Says on the Tin|Killdeer]]. Not only that, an inversion: he's nicknamed after his rifle.

* [[Impaled with Extreme Prejudice]]: {{spoiler|The final swing by Chingachgook goes right through Magua's belly and out of his back.}}

* [[Improbable Aiming Skills]]: Straight from the book, in which Hawkeye is a frontier William Tell. Notably, Hawkeye and the Mohicans use 18th century rifles to snipe moving targets 200 yards away.

** In the [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7tiKM4fxY1U&feature=related climax], check out some of the outrageously improbably shots taken. Hawkeye even manages to ''[[Dual-Wielding|fire two LONG RIFLES and kill two Natives at once]]''. At least they acknowledged that they could only take one shot - No [[Bottomless Magazines]] - and simply picked up their foes' unfired weapons.

** Famed Method Actor Daniel Day-Lewis apparently learned how to reload an 18th-century musket ''on the run'', although this troper can't picture how such a thing is possible. He also spent the entire film living in a tent and wearing leather skins which he made himself, which led him into a [[Cincinnatus|career as a cobbler in Italy]] for the remainder of the decade.

* [[Inevitable Waterfall]] - two of them.

* [[Injun Country]]: Totally averted.

** Ironically, the Sachem is an anachronism because at this time, the Hurons du Lacs were Jesuits, assimilated and pacifist, and they nearly got wiped out by the British as a result. (He was well aware of this and mentioned it in his speech.) <small>'''Tamanund:''' Magua's ways are not those of the Huron.</small>

* [[Just a Stupid Accent]]: The film has a very complex [[Translation Convention]]. In the case of General Montcalm, however, since he is a diplomat and speaks [[Bilingual Dialogue|English anyhow]], this boils down to him keeping a [[Acceptable Targets|villainous French accent]] throughout.

* [[Melodrama]]: [[Heroic Sacrifice]]! [[Fan Service|Heaving bosoms]]! [[Braids, Beads, and Buckskins|Long, flowing hair]]!

* [[Missing Episode]] / [[Keep Circulating the Tapes]]: The original Theatrical Cut, which includes an entirely different sound mix, additional scenes between Uncas and Alice, different takes in action scenes and different dialogue, and a song by ([[Enya]]'s ''alma mater'') Clanaad during the [[I Will Find You|lead-up]] to the climax, is [[Keep Circulating the Tapes|not available on DVD]] in the US, due to [[Creator Backlash]]. A Widescreen/THX VHS deluxe edition from 1997, and a Region 2 British DVD are the only editions available to the public. The director's cut in turn adds an action scene at the fort and different last lines to Chingachgook which is more cynical about the death of the frontier, and now there is a third, [[Limited Special Directors Ultimate Edition|Ultimate Cut]] on Blu-ray, causing much confusion between different versions.

* [[Mercy Kill]]: Hawkeye shoots {{spoiler|Heyward}} when the latter is {{spoiler|being burned alive and screaming in agony}}. See: [[Heroic Sacrifice]] above.

* [[Mobile Menace]] - Magua.

* [[Old Master]]: Chingachgook.

* [[Only Known by Their Nickname]]: Hawkeye.

* [[Pet the Dog]]: When {{spoiler|Alice stands at the cliff edge, ready to kill herself}}, Magua lowers his knife and offers her his hand. For a brief moment, it appears like he might genuinely care.

* [[Proud Warrior Race Guy]]

* [[Punch Clock Villain]]: Magua's Huron warriors.

* [[Put Them All Out of My Misery]] / [[Alas, Poor Villain]]

* [[Race Lift]]: Cora, surprisingly enough. Results in the [[Unfortunate Implications]] of pairing Cora with the [[Decoy Protagonist|white guy]] instead of Uncas. Narrowly avoided in that Uncas and Chingachgook's portrayal and the other Indians are sufficiently [[Badass]] to overshadow Daniel Day-Lewis's acting, which is a neat trick.

** The film also offers Alice and Uncas as a [[Star-Crossed Lovers|secondary couple]], although it's ''really'' subtle unless you're watching the Theatrical Cut and even then it's somewhat subdued. But it definitely comes to the fore in the last scene.

* [[Ragtag Bunch of Misfits]]: The colonists and frontiersmen.

'''Cora:''' They do ''not'' live their lives by your leave! They scratch it out of the wilderness with their own two hands, burying their children along the way! }}

* [[Reasonable Authority Figure]]: Colonel Munro, [[Only Sane Man|compared to]] the [[Evil Brit|other Brits]]. He refuses to honor the colonists' agreement, but he does so for [[From a Certain Point of View|legitimate military worries]] of losing his fort. Had his superior officers honored their commitment, he wouldn't have needed the militia. Needless to say, the colonists blame Munro for British duplicity.

* [[Scenery Porn]]: The Blue Ridge Mountains.

* [[She Cleans Up Nicely]]: inverted as the heroes become fashionably dirtied-up through the course of the story.

'''Alice:''' I cannot wait to see the bath. }}

* [[Shirtless Scene]]: The 1992 film. Hawkeye's shirt magically disappears while hunting.

* [[Shown Their Work]]: One of the first installments in the trend towards super-detailed historical reenactment. The director built a full-scale model of Fort William Henry and blasted it to smithereens, authentic reproduction muskets were made, leather items were all tanned on-set; a linguist was hired to reconstruct a dead Huron dialect for subtitled scenes.

* [[Star-Crossed Lovers]] - Uncas and Alice in the film, [[Crowning Moment of Heartwarming|practically with no dialogue]]. Poignantly so. He loved General Munro's daughter Cora, who was a [[Tragic Mulatto]], in the book -- one of the first interracial romances in American fiction.

* [[Stern Chase]]

* [[Third Person Person]] - Magua speaks of himself in the third person. Just like that, in fact.

* [[Tranquil Fury]]: Chingachgook shows little emotion when dispatching {{spoiler|Magua for killing his son}}, and doesn't crack a tear til after his final speech.

* [[Translation Convention]]: Used and subverted. When characters who speak a French are alone, it's spoken in English (oddly, General Montcalm speaks English anyhow with [[Just a Stupid Accent|Just An Accent]]); but Native characters slide in and out of four different languages, which are subtitled for the viewer as [[Bilingual Dialogue]], so all three tropes are used.

* [[Trouble Entendre]] - Magua's and Montcalm's [[Unspoken Plan Guarantee]].

'''Montcalm:''' [[Worthy Opponent|Col. Munro would]]. But [[General Failure|General Webb]] will '''''not''''' honor the agreement and send the troops away. I fear that having let them go -- [[Suspiciously Specific Denial|which I must]] -- I shall only fight ''the same men again'' when I drive towards Albany. ''(the two exchange a knowing glance)'' }}

* [[True Companions]] - the Mohicans, plus Cora, Alice and Heyward (sort of).

 

{{reflist}}

[[Category:Historical Fiction Literature]]

[[Category:Films of the 1920s]]

[[Category:Print Long Runners]]

[[Category:Epic Movie]]

[[Category:Films of the 1990s]]

[[Category:School Study Media]]

[[Category:Literature]]

[[Category:The Little Rascals]]