The Last of the Mohicans (1992) Reaction & Review! FIRST TIME WATCHING!!

[@ppjkb8]

You expected Daniel-day Lewis to kill Magua. But watching his dad do it is so incredibly powerful. Great actor.

[@Foksuh]

The wrath of a father is what I call it and that scene always hits me hard.

[@paulhewes7333]

The dismantling of Magua by Chingachgook was one of the most satisfying fights in movie history. It was a total out classing by a superior warrior.

[@QuayNemSorr]

Not even a fight. Magua was the dead the second he killed Uncas. He just didn't know it. Chingachgook was simply performing the execution.

[@matta5498]

I was so glad they didn't make it a prolonged fight.

[@wichhouse]

Couldn't agree more. Also, the swelling music and utter lack of dialogue makes it so dramatic. Contrast that to long, drawn out final fights in movies with cheesy one-liners and dying breathe scenes. It's not even close what style I prefer.

[@cherrypi_b]

Regarding Alice, she was a very different personality compared to her sister. Shy, protected and much younger, and not outspoken like Cora. If you thought you have lost your sister in the fire, and your dad was killed, your future is being a slave - and even your tender and blossoming love to a guy comes to such a brutal end - then there is no hope left. And it is also an act of defiance here, look how confused Magua looks. He offers her his hand - and she chose the other way. She doesn't comply. I understand completely why she jumped.

[@tracyfrazier7440]

But she is weak and stupid. She assumes the things you mention, but cannot consider that the other two Mohicans might try to rescue her? Where there is life there is hope.

[@nealsterling8151]

@@tracyfrazier7440 Not when you are in such a situation.

[@wedgeantilles4712]

Cherry Pi: True, but seeing Uncas die is what pushed her over the edge (no pun intended).

[@eXcommunicate1979]

That she jumped was poetic and true to her character. I just wish they didn't insert that shot of her flailing as she fell. Should have just shown her slip over the edge, then Magua's (non-)reaction shot, then the shot of her and Uncas at the bottom.

[@brittyn]

I saw this in the 90s, my history teacher showed it to his class every year (I think 8th grade). I have a distinct memory of being in 7th grade and the older kids on the bus talking about seeing it on the ride home, and being absolutely heartbroken over the scene where Alice jumps off the cliff (even crying on the bus). I couldn’t believe it had such an emotional impact until I saw it myself. I cry just hearing that score! It’s in my top 10 favorite movies of all time. It was filmed in the Blue Ridge Mountains in North Carolina but recently they closed the trail at Chimney Rock Park where that infamous final fight scene takes place. I always wanted to go there! P.S. if you’ve seen Heat, you’ve seen Magua before. Wes Studi was in that. He’s a great, underrated actor!

[@eddiecollison]

And Wes Studi was also in Dances With Wolves as the leader of the Pawnee who scalped poor Timmons.

[@gregall2178]

The Gael always puts a lump in my throat ;-)

[@machtnichtsseimann]

Plus, check out Studi and Christian Bale in "Hostiles".

[@brittyn]

@@machtnichtsseimann I’ve seen that. I was just referencing Heat because Shan saw it already but said he didn’t recognize any others in the cast.

[@machtnichtsseimann]

@@brittyn - Cool. I was making another solid suggestion since no one else brought it up.

[@karlmoles6530]

This is one of my top 10 favorite films of all time. Very much looking forward to this reaction. The last 20 minutes of this film is as great as anything I have ever seen.

[@stefanforrer2573]

i think duncan in the end was "inspired" by nathaniel's courage, by the way he walked into the enemy camp, alone and unarmed, to negotiate, basically giving up his life to save the one he loves and so duncan chose the same route

[@luvlgs1]

he was a British soldier trained in loyalty, presumably ready to die for his country. he was kind of a jerk of course, but ended his life with a noble act. god help us that we have that same chance and react the same way.

[@themistoklestheodosopoulos6253]

@@luvlgs1 I always said the same thing. To me his death was not about him redeeming himself. It was about him being true to himself and us as the audience realizing he wasn't just the man we saw. All that British officer stuff that made us hate him throughout the movie is precisely what made us love him at the end. He followed a code of honor and while it may not have been perfect he showed he was really about it.

[@destinysdaughter3424]

I also think Duncan sacrificed himself because he realized there was no way he could possibly save Cora and get both of them out of there alive. Only Hawkeye could do that. So, in a sense, Duncan was finally admitting his limitations in this theater of war.

[@iggtastic]

@destinysdaughter3424 Agreed. I also think that he was ashamed of himself for lying to Cora's father about what they all saw at the settlers' farm. After all, he didn't lie for any noble end, just out of pettiness that Cora had chosen Hawkeye instead of him. He wasn't a bad guy, but he did a bad thing for selfish reasons and I'm sure that was eating at him. He probably felt that, in some way, everything that happened was his fault, and therefore this was his just punishment and perhaps his redemption too.

[@jimj9040]

Here’s a more realistic viewpoint: Duncan didn’t actually think his proposed sacrifice would be seriously considered. The decision had already been made so his words were just to impress Cora and piggyback on Nathaniel’s sacrificial plea to make it seem like his own idea. He wouldn’t be able to live with himself knowing that Cora would be mourning Hawkeye and his sacrifice for her. He had only one option in his mind in this grand dick measuring contest and he took it. He was at the mercy of his own ego and hormones, had no individual impetus for heroism, and died because he wasn’t really very smart.

[@phousefilms]

That final battle with that theme was so fucking awesome. Chingachgook absolutely demolishes Magua, and we usually would expect the main character, Nathaniel, to defeat him, but its just epic that its not. :)

[@destinysdaughter3424]

Yes, Mann seems to keep playing with our expectations throughout the movie. Like the silent love affair between Uncas and Alice that we only get glimmers of but eventually realize was THE major love story in the movie. The insufferable, cowardly jerk Duncan who becomes the self-sacrificing hero. And the last scene, when Chingachgook declares himself the "last Mohican," and you get a different sense of who the main character was all along.

[@Braincleaner]

i love the charge of Hawkeye and Chingachgook. They are like elite special forces guys, always moving forward cutting through their enemy. and the final fight between magua and chingachgook is great, no drawn out brawling just 2 guys who are really, really good at killing and any split second lapse or opening means its over....

[@torikazuki8701]

That's another thing this film was masterful about- How quick and brutal real violence is. Though there is a lot I appreciate about many modern 'Superhero' films, the punishment even supposedly normal humans endure is off the charts. For example, in the 1st 2012 'Avengers' film, when The Hulk first appears and swats Black Widow- She was hit by a backhand hard enough to crush steel like paper. All the bones of her upper body would be smashed. If she lived, it would be a miracle. We have become inured to such violence and it is dangerous to be so.

[@krbkrbkrbkrbkrb]

I think Alice jumped because she saw the one person who had been protecting her die and she was left surrounded by hostiles. She didn't know that the others were still on the way to try rescuing her and she didn't want to live as a "wife" to Magua.

[@nattyboh2944]

Absolutely. I can’t blame her….I likely would have done the same thing. Could you imagine being forced into such a life?

[@t0dd000]

Hopelessness. She took the only route she felt available to her.

[@ericabertagnoli5469]

I think Uncas dying was the final straw. She had been through so much and now this guy she like dies trying to save you. She was over all of it. And at this point she’s does know her dad is dead when Nathan says the “children of the dead colonel Monroe”. She also probably thinks Cora was dead in the fire because she leaves camp before she sees Duncun sacrifice himself so she was just done. Saddest scene ever when they look at each other before Uncas dies.

[@destinysdaughter3424]

The romantic in me wants to say it had to do with her love for Uncas. She'd follow him anywhere. Kind of like a Romeo and Juliet. But the realist in me says she was horrified and traumatized by Magua's absolute cruelty. It's like she's being kidnapped by a serial killer who will do who knows what to her before killing her. With burning at the stake a high possibility. It's the equivalent of jumping out of a moving car to get away from being raped, slowly tortured to death, and killed anyway.

[@iggtastic]

She was always the more quiet, more submissive daughter. Cora's flame was always brighter, her temper hotter. Whereas Cora was used to standing up for herself, jumping was Alice's first act of defiance in her entire life. Frankly, it was also her only option at that point if she didn't want to live the rest of her life as a slave.

[@jamezmcc]

Yes Collateral is definitely worth watching. One of Tom Cruise's best performances.

[@Hibbs4Prez]

Wasn't Jamie Foxx nominated for that movie?

[@schnubbel76]

@@Hibbs4Prez Not sure if he was, but he would deserve it

[@promnightdumpsterbaby9553]

Hes cold as ice in that one. And very believable as a gun fighter. He shoots the same way I was taught lol rapid double tap and one coup de grace. Always want to make sure they don't get back up,no matter how sure you may be they won't.

[@krisbrown6692]

Collateral and Magnolia are the only Tom Cruise performances I can watch over and over.

[@Foksuh]

One of the few times he disappears into the role

[@brittyn]

I’m constantly impressed by how much knowledge of general history about the world you know. It’s not very common in younger people anymore, especially where I live (US).

[@Nastyn1nja808]

It is a bit disheartening to see a lack of ,what I consider, general knowledge in the reaction Genereation

[@yaimavol]

Hell, today's high school grads don't know why we have a North and South Korea

[@paulhewes7333]

Terrific all around movie. The score was done by two separate composers due to creative differences. Daniel Day-Lewis refused to do certain scenes of running and loading a musket then firing until he could do it without needing a stuntman. The scenery, the acting (Lewis and Wes Studi in particular), the effects were all top notch and hold up even today.

[@brianplyter2225]

The primitive treker, author, and technical adviser on the film is named Mark Baker. He is the one who taught Daniel Day Lewis . Mark Baker has a small part in the film as a militiaman that yells to Lewis as they reach the fort. A large number of F and I reenactors were technical advisors on the film.

[@annalieff-saxby568]

Wes Studi's ability to convey the strongest emotions with a stone face is beyond praise.

[@ebaker1968]

Michael Mann wanted to bring as much realism as he could into the film....hence the low lighting. But my favorite is that for the attack on the fort scenes, he got some basketballs, painted them black, and fired them out of the cannons so the audience could actually see projectiles. That's just cool....and smart!

[@Nastyn1nja808]

Lol too cool haha

[@chimpinaneckbrace]

The thing that’s impressive about Michael Mann’s films is he’s just as good at emotional character development as he is with epic action scenes.

[@ConstellationLion]

One of the best music themes, up there with Lord of the Rings and Alexander (Vangelis).

[@andrewmaplethorpe1125]

My favourite film of all time…. Love everything about it…. The cinematography, the acting, the chemistry between the actors, the music…. Love all of it.

[@sirlisterofsmeg333]

I suspect if someone were to run Daniel Day-Lewis's DNA through a sequencer, they'd find some chameleon in it.

[@cleekmaker00]

The sequencer would grind to a halt and issue a GPF.

[@NibenonErurainon]

Alice’s story is very much about how not everyone can psychologically survive in the frontier, even if physical survival is possible. She’s come from a simple, even easy lifestyle as an officer’s daughter to witnessing unforgiving brutality, and no escape in sight. Cora has a stronger will, but Alice slowly falls apart throughout the narrative until she finally can’t take it. Uncas’ death was the last straw. And yes, that twist is definitely the emotional climax of the movie. I showed it to my fiancé this summer (AND we hiked on Chimney Rock, where the climax was filmed) and she was surprised and saddened, too.

[@vanyadolly]

Even through they don't have much screentime, I always felt like Alice and Uncas' unrealized romance kind of stole the show. What a tragedy.

[@Blue8spiral]

Totally agree!

[@stevenspringer1599]

a car chase with canoes! - this is the perfect time to segue into another excellent western of a different flavor - Robert Redford's mountain man film "Jeremiah Johnson" 1972. It is a film I wish reactors would discover.

[@cherrypi_b]

A great film!

[@opalviking]

This was filmed just outside of Asheville, NC. The “top of the waterfall” scene is on a public trail in a state park. It’s even more beautiful in person!

[@redsands1001]

Went to a wedding at a chapel on top of a big hill overlooking the region. Listened to the last of the Mohican soundtrack driving to and from the wedding

[@dressmup1]

and the beginning scenes inside the brick stable complex were filmed at the Biltmore Estate

[@brittyn]

Sadly that area of the park is closed now.

[@opalviking]

@@brittyn well that’s upsetting. It’s been a few years since I hiked that direction.

[@brittyn]

@@opalviking yep, I read about it on some message boards about the movie a few months ago. Saw this too. kzbin.info/www/bejne/aInKiYOir6iUpKM

[@thehalfeatendoughnut1798]

It absolutely blows my mind that this gorgeously filmed movie wasn't even nominated for a best cinematography Oscar.

[@crystaliclake]

Yeah I wonder why? It did win for sound though .

[@nowheretorun2857]

One of the most recognized movie theme song ever. I also had a huge crunch for the younger sister when this movie came out.

[@rovhalt6650]

crunch?

[@Angela-bm3lp]

@@rovhalt6650 I'm sure they mean crush. She's really great in The Witcher as Queen Calanthe.

[@johnfriday5169]

Jodhi May, that moment when she looks into the camera before she jumps. Absolutely beautiful.

[@sexysadie2901]

Jodhi May is a great actress.

[@QuayNemSorr]

That soundless ending only driven by music is amazing. Must have seen it dozens of times.

[@Razzy1312]

The final 15 minutes of this film are some of the finest minutes in film history.

[@cherrypi_b]

For more Day-Lewis watch In the Name of the Father and My Left Foot, two of my favourites with him. But I also won't get tired to recommend good scifi - you have to watch Arrival and Children of Men! Or have you already seen them?

[@jentoby73]

Since you like Daniel Day Lewis, I recommend My Left Foot. Such a good movie, and Daniel Day Lewis's performance was amazing.

[@allenschneider8579]

DDL is amazing in that movie and so is Brenda Fricker, who won the supporting actress oscar for her performance as his mother.

[@Huntress59]

Left Foot was his first Oscar, There will be Blood is his second Oscar and Lincoln is his third Oscar

[@danielallen3454]

The Keep and Manhunter. Two other Michael Mann films I recommend. Manhunter was actually the first film adaptation of Hannibal Lecter. It was the first book, before Silence of the Lambs.

[@oaf-77]

The keep is one of the most ethereal horror movies ever made. A personal favorite.

[@Antropologopt]

Was also going to refer those two films. Both my favourites!

[@smithfan22]

I would like to add Thief as well

[@rayf2127]

Not seen this?? Wow, you know I forget to recommend since I assume everyone has seen but this would absolutely be at the top of the list if I was recommending movies. Nothing like this movie even 3 decades later. Omg 3 decades...

[@jeffreymyers5144]

You should check out In the Name of the Father starring Daniel Day Lewis. Such an incredible and powerful movie.

[@johnfriday5169]

I've always regretted not having a proper sound system to fully appreciate the score.

[@klasyk1532]

The 1st movie i saw Daniel Day Lewis in....little did I know I was watching the beginning of a Great, if not The Greatest acting career EVER!!

[@PaulOdontknow]

Dante Spinotti also worked with Michael Mann on Manhunter, Heat, The Insider and Public Enemies. He was also the DP for Curtis Hanson on L.A. Confidential and Wonder Boys

[@favanniva]

I absolutely loved your reaction! You always know the historical concept and because of that you understand the story, and you can always appreciate the cinematography and the music. This movie is pure treasure. No CGI, no artificial sets... Everything is real. It is always a pleasure to watch your reactions :) If you could do Collateral and The Last samurai that would be awesome. You have the intelligence to understand those stories.

[@richardkoch5941]

Working at a Subway in a mall in Tulsa, Oklahoma, I remember seeing Wes Studi (Magua) in the food court. This was right after Dances With Wolves so he wasn't really known at the time. He didn't look as barbaric without the mohawk.

[@hanng1242]

1. The music is, as the kids say nowadays, iconic. After this film, many films used the main theme in trailers. "Legends of the Fall" comes to mind. 2. This film was kind of shot on location. The story takes place in New York, but the film was shot in West Virginia. 3. You may recognize Wes Studi (Magua) as the actor who played the main villain Pawnee in "Dances with Wolves." If you want to see him star in a film where he is *not* the bad guy, check out "Geronimo: An American Legend." 4. The novel by James Fenimore Cooper is a real chore to read. Cooper lived during the first half of the 19th Century, and has become part of the American literary canon because of the settings of his novels (colonial America). His prose, however, leaves quite a bit to be desired. I have tried to read the novel a couple of times, but I could never get into it (see also, Victor Hugo who seems to have been paid by the word for Les Miserables). 5. One of the things I love about this film is that it includes a few scenes that show the reasons for the American Revolution. The French and Indian War was a major conflict for the Colonies, and among other things, it was the war in which George Washington got military experience. However, for the British, it was a sort of second front to the main European theatre as part of the Seven Years War. After the war ended, the British and the colonials interpreted their respective roles in the war quite differently. The colonists believed that they were crucial in helping preserve the British Empire in America, whereas the British saw themselves as doing the colonials a favor by protecting them against the French and their Indian allies. Thus, when the British imposed new taxes on the colonies to help defray the costs of the war, they saw it as simply payment for services rendered, but the colonials saw it as the British taking the colonies for granted and taking advantage of them, piling insult upon injury by increasing taxes even after the colonists helped maintain the British presence in America with their blood.

[@annalieff-saxby568]

Gosh, I so agree with you about Fennimore Cooper and Victor Hugo! A penance to read, both of them. And it's not because they're "difficult" - I'll happily read Chaucer, Fielding or Shakespeare - it's because they're so *bad* .

[@jillfromatlanta427]

No not shot in West Virginia. It was shot in the mountains around Asheville, North Carolina.

[@ronmaximilian6953]

George Washington did not just get experience in the war. He arguably started it with the disastrous campaign to build Fort Necessity at what is now Pittsburgh. Washington's inability to stop his native allies from killing a French officer turned what would have been a skirmish into War on the American frontier and a one of the reasons that the French and British to go to war. This failed campaign was also the reason why the British did not accept Washington submission of paper to join the British Army. And of course as you noted the cost of the war and the taxes used to pay for it became major reasons for the American Revolution. If this were fiction, no one would believe it.

[@bobmessier5215]

The theme song for this movie was written by Scottish folk music legend, Dougie MacLean and sold for this film. Another brilliant film with a memorable score that was taken from this period in American history is "The Black Robe" and features the French traders, Hurons and Algonquin tribes. Highly recommended.

[@t0dd000]

Wes Studi is incredible in this. He made Magua one of the greatest villains in film history, IMHO.

[@christophercombs3501]

This movie was filmed in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina, not far from the home of my in-laws. The scene where they walked under the tree that had fallen over the trail...I've hiked there (Though that tree is long gone now). The bridge scene is on the grounds of the Vanderbilt Estate in Asheville, NC.

[@Asticek]

they had a lot of fun ... there is a documentary about making the movie and special effects coordinator said the director wanted the cannons and mortars to feel real for the audience so they actually shot blackened basketball balls

[@ogrehaslayers605]

This is one of my FAVORITE movies of all time. I remember my younger brother and i went to see this like 3 times in the theater, when it first came out. Seeing this on a giant screen, with a theater sound system was amazing!

[@ResidentPetrolhead]

Two other Michael Mann recommendations: THIEF (1981), his feature debut, containing what James Caan (correctly) considers his own best performance. MANHUNTER (1986), adapted from the Thomas Harris novel RED DRAGON and the first appearance of the Hannibal Lecter character. Both are among Mann's finest work, and I cannot recommend them highly enough.

[@sirlisterofsmeg333]

I can't speak for Thief but Manhunter is very good IMHO.

[@tolkienismaster]

Thief would be great.

[@pablom-f8762]

Blackhat wasn't a doodo either. Chris Hemsworth as a hacker turned out to be pretty decent.

[@juanitajones6900]

The movie and the novel are set during the Seven Years War aka the French and Indian War. This war was a global conflict between Britain and France for North America, the Caribbean and India between 1754 and 1763. The two countries also fought in Europe. This particular story is set in upstate New York 1757. Both sides had Native American allies.

[@smokeyverton7981]

Please consider THE GHOST AND THE DARKNESS (1997) with Val Kilmer. True story about two killer lions. Thank you

[@sirlisterofsmeg333]

Oh hell yes!

[@stirgy4312]

Oh yeah. I saw that back in the day. It was really good! Thanks for reminding me

[@paulhewes7333]

Another great epic with a terrific, iconic score.

[@independenceltd.]

Classic movie with a classic soundtrack

[@Mitsu2040]

The moment that song plays in that final confrontation!! My heart!!!

[@hanshaler9933]

One of my all-time favourites... Saw that in a sneak preview at my local cinema and was just blown away.

[@BigGator5]

I wonder if the book could be adapted in today's politically correct Hollywood. 🤔 Fun Fact: Wes Studi mentioned in a 1996 interview that he and several of the other Native American actors in the film spoke their lines in their own native languages. Thus, in many instances, such as the scene in the Huron village where Magua argues with the Huron Sachem, Studi speaks his native Cherokee, which is mostly unintelligible to Mike Phillips, a native Mohawk speaker. As well, supposed Mohican dialog between Chingachgook and his son Uncas, features Lakota Sioux Russell Means speaking unintelligibly with Northern Inuit Eric Schweig.

[@sexysadie2901]

The book is boring as hell, and the relationships between the characters are different from the movie.

[@BigGator5]

Sexy Sadie ...Do you often randomly, completely disconnected, to the comment you're replying to?

[@ronmaximilian6953]

I would have thought there would be some intelligibility between Cherokee and Mohawk given that they are both Iroquoian languages. as was Huron.

[@joerhea9340]

His best performance ever is in My Left Foot

[@Rollotomassi099]

My Left Foot is probably Daniel Day Lewis's best role. You forget that you are watching an actor portraying a parapalegic. The movie is good but his performance is amazing. And yes he won Oscar for that role. Its a blessing and a shame that Daniel has only done a handfull of movies .. His dedication to his roles is second to none.

[@renacaseywilhelm]

one of the best movies of all time!! and one of the best scores ever composed!

[@scottdash]

It did win the Oscar for best sound.

[@lesliedaubert1411]

They really did build the fort on the island from the trees in the nearby forest for the movie. When they finished making the movie, they planted new trees in the forest.

[@markpawziuk1449]

I love all Mann films. The one you and the audience would probably be most interested in is MANHUNTER (1986) since it is the first Hannibal Lector film.

[@Pengi_SMILES]

when people ask you what your favourite film is its impossible to say, but if any film comes close to being my number one favourite it is this one. It has everything.

[@theriddler2277]

the last 10min of this movie is imo the single greatest movie experience ever made. i have never seen anything else to match it... and with not a word spoken until the prayer to the great spirit.

[@k-nutl6386]

" In the name of the father" is a very good Daniel d Lewis movie. The man is a Legend

[@renee7407]

Shan, this is my favorite movie of all time!!! Thank you for reacting to this.

[@luvlgs1]

"Manhunter" also directed by Michael Mann. it's a low key, high tension procedural, that features the debut of Dr Hannibal Lector.

[@brachiator1]

It was interesting to see how the settlers were proto Americans. They way they lived and spoke showed that they were no longer quite British even though they were still subjects of the Crown. And Nathaniel, raised by Native Americans, was a separate and unique individual.

[@jonathanmurphy3141]

Wes Studi, is in "Dances with Wolves" as a Pawnee, but he may not have been remembered. He is in another amazing drama by Michael Mann, "Heat" (1995) -as a detective in Los Angeles, during a complex web of robbery and capture. Wes Studi, has been in numerous films and TV, awarded an 'honorary Oscar' for his service to the film industry (2019). Saudi is a Veteran of the Vietnam War, Army Infantry (Volunteer!) -After, he became involved with activism amount the Native American tribes, including participating in the defense of Wounded Knee/Park Ridge in 1973 (look it up, if unaware). His role in Mystery Men (1999) as The Sphinx, is memorable, too.

[@ronmaximilian6953]

I'm sure that Wesley Studi and Russell Means remembered each other from Wounded Knee.

[@SantiAgo-eg5to]

My fav film of all time. Still, after all these years.

[@Kamackazi]

My Left Foot is above & beyond. Wes Studi was also the heavy in Dances With Wolves.

[@thejamppa]

When considering novel was written in 1820's before the last decimation of Indian tribes, yet you could feel the impending doom and sadness for future is kinda mindblowing. This film is nothing short of Master Piece. I think Wes Studi should have been given oscar with Daniel Day-Lewis.

[@notesandlettersbillcushing7741]

There is so much about this film to admire, not the least of which is that (I believe) this was the film Mann was born to make.

[@dcmitchell8008]

Alice just watched this horrible guy kill the man she loves and she chose death over spending the rest of her life being his mate or slave, or worse.

[@oaf-77]

This movie is one of the best movies, I watch it at least once a year. Another movie very similar is The Mission (1986)

[@ViridisAmbrosia]

I think it was all too much for Alice, all the violence. She's fragile and has been really sheltered in life, and the world doesn't feel safe, she doesn't have the strength to go on or to adapt to the horrors. She almost killed herself when they were at the falls but Uncas stopped her. So she decided to remain alive bc of him bc she felt he understands she is really struggling and she's afraid all the time and she otherwise feels invisible even to her sister and father. It's like Uncas is the only one who really sees her. A and U were also developing feelings for one another. Then after Uncas is killed brutally right in front of her, it's like her last lifeline is stripped away. Death is the only way she can be free from all the horror, the only thing that's happened this entire time in which she can have it on her terms. She also has no way of knowing this is almost all over, that if she just waits 30-60 minutes the others will prevail.

[@jeffprice4376]

Watching this film is like seeing a Rembrandt come to life.

[@brittyn]

Good comparison!

[@pedant3605]

This is a fantastic movie, but it is a movie. Several liberties were taken with history for the purpose of the story. If you are interested "The History Buff" recently made a video about the film. FYI the pronunciation of Kentucky (Ken-Tu-Kee) is ,I believe, the Native American pronunciation. Many of the states names originated from the Native American words for them. If you add a bit of flair to the modern English pronunciation the Native origin becomes apparent. I'm from Tennessee, and with a bit of flair the Native origin of the word stands out. Even the town I grew up in is clearly Native American in origin, though few local people recognize it. I believe the Native American method for naming places is similar to the Welsh method (or others perhaps, forgive my ignorance) i.e. It is essentially a collection of words describing landmarks, like a village near where two rivers meet. It is a shame we have Anglicized our Native history so much in America. Anyways I loved you reaction and keep up the good work.

[@JoshuaC0rbit]

That moment when you realize that Daniel Day-Lewis is in most of your favorite movies. The dude is an icon. Also I can't believe they let us watch this in school.

[@chernobyl68]

Michael Mann is an amazing director and producer, great at doing crime fiction (Heat, Thief, Miami Vice, Collateral, producer on The Kingdom)and dramatic nonfiction (Insider, Public Enemies). all HIGHLY recommended. I'm glad you got to watch the director's cut. Also recognize that the Magua Actor, Wes Studi, also played in Heat as one of Al Pacino's officers, Casals. Michael Mann is one of those directors who likes using the same actor in several movies. Wes Studi was also in Dances with Wolves and Wind River. I recommend checking out one of Michael Mann's earlier films, "Thief"

[@lawrenceschuman5354]

I've always loved this movie. Saw it in a theatre on it's original release. It was filmed in upstate New York, though it's supposed to be more inland. Mann gave great attention to details. The fabric in the British officer's coats was double dyed to get the right color. Wes Studi is a great villain. Russel Means was a political activist for Native American issues earlier in his life.

[@russellward4624]

Collateral is definitely one to watch. Looks great. Interesting story. Great performances by Tom Cruise and Jamie Foxx.

[@billbliss1518]

“A love story taking place during a war” -- perfect summation!

[@SCharlesDennicon]

Still one of the best climaxes in movie history. I still remember when I watched it with friends as we were kids. The excitement.

[@Alyzvettema]

it was shot on location in the blue ridge mountains ive been there its so beautiful

[@dawnburris6412]

I’m so glad you liked it! I live about thirty minutes away from where they filmed it in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. I LOVE THIS MOVIE!! I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen it! Great reaction! ❤️

[@Tonyblack261]

Wes Studi turns up in so many films, usually playing a Native American. He's awesome.

[@babyfry4775]

Saw this in the theaters. It was epic. I heard Daniel Day-Lewis carried the rifle around with him everywhere so he looked comfortable with it. He learned to load it and shoot it (while running) so as to be authentic. It’s beautifully done. You’re right the cinematography and lighting was stunning. I figured it was filmed in upper NY but found out it was filmed in the Carolinas. Loved the story. Just a very good movie. Great dialogue, story and direction. Good reaction Shan.

[@victorcachat7984]

My favorite period in American history. The fort battle and subsequent slaughter really happened.

[@zoeye7095]

When I was about 10 my grandparents took my mother and I to a place call Chimney Rock, North Carolina while on a trip around the south east during summer. The trail and mountains there are what is filmed at the end of the movie. When we got to the waterfall and walk by the cliff and realized that it was so awesome and added to the hike because I had already seen the movie. If you ever get the chance to go just don't walk up the steps, go the other way round the trail. We did and we met people just starting the trail, who were like near the top of the steps and realized they had the entire hike to go, they turned around and went back down.

[@dash4800]

Most of the events were true to reality, they just added main characters into real events. Also the history of the war was that the French had a very small presence in America at the time so many native tribes sided with them because they viewed them as less of a threat than the British who had lots of colonists already here. The native tribes who sided with the British largely did so because they were already enemies with the tribes that sided with the French. As much as it was a war of European powers it was equally a war between tribes.

[@lutzderlurch7877]

The French also traditionally were more apt and willing to deal, trade and interact with the indigenous people in a fruitful and respectful way. Not that they were in any way 'good', but they were noticeably less arsehole-ish than the Brits.

[@ToEuropa]

In my opinion, this is one of the most beautiful movies ever made - the cinematography, the acting and the music were all perfect. And the climactic scene on the promontory is one of my all-time favorite scenes. The director wanted realism, to the point where he had the actors portraying British soldiers trained by Dale Dye, ex-US military, who put them through boot camp and trained them according to the actual training used in the period (Dye also trained the actors in Saving Private Ryan and played an officer). The movie was centered in actual events in the French and Indian War - the battle of the fort and the massacre afterward did actually happen (in fact, the History Channel used scenes from this movie in a documentary about the events). Webb and Munroe were actual British leaders. Munroe did command the fort, but actually survived the massacre and died 3 months later in Albany. Montcalm was the actual French leader that took the fort, and he died later in the war at the Battle of Quebec. I have read the book by James Fenimore-Cooper and while I enjoyed it, I liked the movie better. Essentially, the movie concentrates on the main story of the book. Also, Fenimore-Cooper had no experience with Native Americans and tended to write them as childlike - for instance, in one occurrence of the two women being kidnapped by Native Americans (it happened twice in the book), Hawkeye (Nathaniel) kills a bear, and wearing its skin he enters the camp of the Native Americans to find the women. The Native Americans fall for the ruse, treat him as a spirit and give him the run of the camp for days. Fenimore-Cooper was better at portraying reality in his seagoing stories, as he actually served on a wooden sailing ship. Maybe he improved in later Nathaniel books, but I haven't read them - yet.

[@agentintellect1861]

Wes Studi is one of my favorite actors.

[@oaf-77]

He’s one of those actors who elevates everything he’s in, even clunkers like Deep Rising and Mystery Men were made better with his inclusion

[@richlisola1]

Wes Studi I believe also played a role in Dances With Wolves, as a Pawnee tribesman.

[@hellepost1439]

Playing a character identified as “Thoughest Pawnee”. This was only his sencond film, and when he finished shooting he returned to his regular job, selling jewelry at an Indian store in Reseda, California.

[@rabooey]

For a great Daniel Day Lewis movie/performance, you can't go wrong with Gangs of New York(2002).

[@indycarcomplainer2304]

This movie was filmed, primarily in the Blue Ridge Mountains of western North Carolina. Several locations in and around the Asheville area were used, including the Biltmore Estate, Lake James, DuPont State Forest and Chimney Rock Park.

[@barcrest666]

DDL is one of the best actors of all time - check out In the name of the father

[@markpekrul4393]

Saw this in the theater - great film. It's so interesting that Daniel Day Lewis, this quiet, almost shy English/Irish actor, has portrayed such larger than life iconic American characters - Nathanial, Bill the Butcher, Daniel Plainview, Abraham Lincoln...

[@MrVvulf]

The film was shot in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. The only major change that can't be recreated for the period is the absence of the American Chestnut trees, which at the time the movie is set would have made up 25% of the forest and formed natural cathedrals, since they grow 100' tall, and the first 50' have no limbs. The early 20th century blight claimed 99.9% of the chestnut trees in the entire country - approximately 4 billion trees.

[@fritzk3627]

🔥🔥🔥GREAT REACT!!!🔥🔥🔥 Shan, I’m so glad you are covering this amazing movie!!! We even used this music in our Military wedding, sabers and all.

[@MelaniePoparad]

I adore that you watched this movie. The score was such a highlight for me. The darkness was natural because electric lighting didn’t exist yet. So there was no ambient light

[@annalieff-saxby568]

"You stay alive! I *will* find you!" * Every woman in the audience melts *

[@Historian212]

It’s important to note that as much as the native tribes allied with the Europeans, there were also conflicts among some tribes without European involvement. In some ways, the Europeans took advantage of this. Also, the French held a lot of territory, mostly to the west of the British colonies, and of course to the north. Look up the Louisiana Purchase, which happened soon after independence, to get a sense of the size of the area claimed by the French. In this movie, Alice jumped partly because she would have feared sexual abuse as well as slavery - it may not have been a real threat, but a young British woman would probably have feared it. She also may have felt that she didn’t want to live without Uncas.

[@michaelgrubb2863]

Michael Mann's Manhunter is excellent. One of my favorites.

[@potterj09]

I love any movie where the old man still has his skill and experience. Never underestimate old age and treachery. It smokes youthful hubris.

[@sandyk.]

Still one of my all time favorite movies. Everything about it is brilliant. I saw it in the theater when it first came out and it was the first time I really realizeded how the cinematography and score elevate a movie.

[@Historian212]

The outdoor shots were not sets. They shot outside. Daniel Day-Lewis trained to run, shoot, and fight.

[@GoroScornshard]

Alice nearly killed herself under the waterfall too. I think she was simply traumatized by everything going on.

[@sexysadie2901]

I don't think she was trying to kill herself under the waterfall, she was in shock. But after Uncas' death and knowing about her fate with Mawa, she decided to quit.

[@MelaniePoparad]

Alice’s suicide was from trauma, love lost, watching her future love die and the prospect of being a (at best) sex slave to what they considered savages who would abuse her in revenge for her father’s actions.

[@brandonelkin3166]

Monroe wasn't being scalped he was having his heart cut out while he was ALIVE