By Lee Pfeiffer
Director Michael Mann did justice to James Fenimore Cooper's classic adventure The Last of the Mohicans through his superb 1992 film version. Mann, who specializes in contemporary crime dramas, seemed an odd choice to bring the definitive version of this story to the screen, but his passion was whetted when seeing the 1936 version as a child. That he succeeded magnificently is an understatement, yet the film has curiously never received the type of accolades it deserves. True, it was well-received by critics and was an unlikely box-office hit, but the movie was snubbed by the Oscars (it won in the only category for which it was nominated: sound.) The film should have been nominated for major awards and the fact that it was not even recognized for costume, makeup, production design or musical score is as puzzling as it is inexcusable. Fox has released the movie on Blu-ray and the transfer is simply terrific. The gorgeous cinematography of Dante Spinotti rivals Kubrick's Barry Lyndon in making every frame look like a work of art. Most impressive are the performances, with even the most minor role played to perfection. Daniel Day-Lewis, an unlikely action star, excels as the protagonist Hawkeye, a white man raised by Indians during the trying times of the French and Indian Wars. Lewis is superb, as are the supporting cast: Madeline Stowe, Wes Studi, Steven Waddington, Patrice Chereau (as a charming but deceitful Montcalm), Native American activist Russell Means and Maurice Roeves, particularly impressive as a stubborn commanding officer of a doomed British fort.
The film is set in upstate New York but was filmed in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. A new three-part making-of documentary features many of the main actors and production crew who detail the enormous task of bringing this genuine epic to the screen. Mann insisted on adherence to period detail and even had a full sized fort erected with the lumber that was cleared for filming purposes. Natural lighting was used as much as possible to replicate the look of the era. The result is a virtual walk back in time. The documentary also includes rare footage of Lewis going through military survival courses in order to enhance the authenticity of his performance. The love story is intriguing, but never slows the pace of the story and the battle sequences are magnificently staged. All of this is set to one of the great film scores of the era, courtesy of composers Trevor Jones and Randy Edelman. The Blu-ray also features a commentary track by Mann, who has incorporated sequences not seen in his original cut of the film. Some have complained that these somehow leave the movie unbalanced, but I didn't find this to be the case at all. The only criticism is a minor one: the original Fox press release said the Blu-ray would contain trailers for the film, but they don't appear to be on the finished product. In all, a great presentation of a truly great movie- one that would certainly never be brought to the screen today.
CLICK HERE TO ORDER FROM AMAZON