"The Last Of The Mohicans"

Title: "The Last Of The Mohicans"
Director: Michael Mann
Producer: Michael Mann and Hunt Lowry
Editing: Dov Hoenig and Arthur Schmidt
Composer: Randy Edelman, Trevor Jones, and Daniel Lanois
Starring:
- Daniel Day-Lewis as Hawkeye/Nathaniel Poe
- Madelline Stowe as Cora Munro
- Russel Means as Chingachgook
- Eric Schweig as Uncas

Plot and Critical Review: In 1757 during the French and Indian War, the British and French are battling for control of North America. Though they are bound by law to join the militia to aid the British, many settlers are reluctant to leave their frontier homes and families defenseless against Huron Indians allied with the French.

Chingachgook, his son Uncas, and Hawkeye, his adopted white son, visit the Cameron household. Jack Winthrop joins them and tells Hawkeye that he is gathering volunteers for the British army. The next morning, Jack and a group of others go to Albany, New York, to obtain terms from General Webb, who agrees to grant them leave if their homes are attacked. Satisfied, the volunteers join the British forces at Fort William Henry, sixty miles north of Albany.

Cora Munro and her sister Alice have received word from their father, Colonel Edmund Munro, the commander of the British garrison at the fort, to meet him there. A native guide named Magua and a detachment of British soldiers commanded by Major Duncan Heyward escort the women on the trail. However, they are ambushed by Hurons led by Magua himself. All of the soldiers except Major Heyward are quickly killed. He, Cora and Alice are rescued by Hawkeye and his companions, who have been tracking the war band. Magua prepares to shoot Cora, but Hawkeye distracts him. Magua and the surviving Hurons scatter into the forest. The rescuers reluctantly agree to escort the survivors to Fort William Henry. Along the way, they discover that the Cameron homestead has been razed and everyone killed, though nothing has been stolen, a sure sign of a war party.

When they arrive at Fort William Henry, they find it under siege by the French. They manage to sneak inside. When Munro scolds his daughters for joining him, they realize that Magua has deceived them for unknown reasons. Munro tells Heyward that the fort can only hold out for three more days. Their only hope is to get a messenger through to General Webb at nearby Fort Edward for reinforcements.

Hawkeye tells the colonel and the colonials about the attack on the Camerons and the colonials demand that he release them to defend their homes, as General Webb agreed. Munro refuses, so Hawkeye helps Jack and his friends desert. Hawkeye, who stays behind to be with Cora, is arrested for sedition and sentenced to hang.

Several days pass. As the fort is on the verge of falling, the French commander, General Montcalm offers Munro surrender terms. The garrison and their families are offered safe passage to Albany, on condition they return to England and no longer fight in the war. Munro reluctantly accepts, after Montcalm shows him an intercepted message that Webb has refused to send aid.

As the British march away, they are ambushed by a much larger force of Hurons led by Magua. Before Magua personally cuts out Munro's heart, he tells him he will kill the colonel's daughters so that his family will be extinguished. Earlier, it is revealed that Magua’s village had been destroyed years ago by British soldiers led by Munro, resulting in the death of his children and his wife marrying another man when she thought Magua was dead. Magua himself was made a slave.

Hawkeye, Cora, Alice, Uncas, Chingachgook, Heyward and two other soldiers escape and hide in a cave behind a waterfall, but Magua and his men are close behind. With their gunpowder wet, Hawkeye and his two companions jump into the falls, knowing their presence would precipitate a hopeless fight. Heyward and the two women are captured while the remaining soldiers are killed.

The prisoners are taken to a Huron village, with Hawkeye, Uncas and Chingachgook in pursuit. Magua is bargaining with the sachem when they are interrupted by the arrival of an unarmed Hawkeye running the gauntlet of hostile warriors. With Heyward translating, Hawkeye convinces the chief that Magua is acting for himself, rather than the Hurons' best interests and traditions. The chief agrees and renders his judgment: Cora is to be burned alive to atone for Magua's dead children; Magua is given Alice to be his wife so that both bloodlines can continue. Heyward is to be returned to the British in the hope of avoiding reprisals. Hawkeye is given safe passage in recognition of his bravery. Desperate, he pleads to take Cora’s place. Heyward, out of love for Cora and newfound respect for Hawkeye, deliberately mistranslates, offering himself instead. When the chief accepts, Magua curses him and leaves with Alice and his men.

Uncas immediately follows the war band to rescue Alice, while Chingachgook waits for Hawkeye. As Heyward is being burned at the stake, Hawkeye stops at a safe distance and shoots Heyward, ending his suffering. They then set off in pursuit of Magua.

Uncas catches up with Magua's band alone. He kills several men before engaging Magua in single combat. Magua kills Uncas, dropping his body off a cliff. Alice throws herself off the cliff after him. A devastated Hawkeye, Chingachgook and Cora witness their deaths from a distance. Finally catching up, the two men slay several warriors. As Hawkeye holds the rest at bay, Chingachgook duels Magua and avenges his son.

In the final scene, Chingachgook and Hawkeye engage in a spiritual ritual to send Uncas' spirit to his ancestors. With the death of Uncas, his last blood relative, Chingachgook names himself 'the Last of the Mohicans'.

My Rating: 7.5/10

The "Reel Revelation": "Great Love - Great Gifts"

Perhaps you're familiar with some of these sayings: "You're a great cook!" "You're a great kisser!" "You're a great person!" "You're a great liar!" No doubt you've probably also heard the expression "You're a great lover!", but it was probably in reference to something "else", right? What if a person says "You're a great lover!" and was specifically referring to the way you love the people around you, the way you respect your friends, family, and even those who are strangers? How would you feel? In the Gospel of Mark a young man of great wealth came to Jesus, called him "good teacher," then asked him a question. This is not so bad, right? Jesus was a good teacher! The young man asked a good question too! Before answering the question here's what Jesus said: "Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone." (Mark 10:17-18) Even though a person might posses a certain skill that would qualify them as being a "great cook", for example, Jesus sets the standard on what "great love" is.

Shortly before Jesus' betrayal he spoke to his disciples about the love they should have for one another. He spoke these words: "This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends." (John 15:12-13 NASB) While his words seem a tall order Jesus himself displayed this "greater" love when he willingly gave himself up to be crucified for our sake. For Christians this is the end-all expression of the highest and most righteous love; to give up our lives for someone else. At first one might ask "Why should I, Jesus died for everyone, why should I die to save someone else?!" Good question. While our own death cannot achieve salvation for another person, we are able to "lay down" our lives for others in more common-place ways than you'd think.

If you're familiar with "The Last Of The Mohicans" you'll no doubt remember that dramatic scene when Heyward "mistranslates" and takes Hawkeye's place on the pyre to save Cora's life. Because of Heyward's sacrifice both Cora and Hawkeye survive and live together in happiness. This is a by-the-book example of what Jesus suggests "greater love" should look like. Heyward's sacrifice is for no merit of his own but is done out of the love he has for Cora and the respect he has for Hawkeye. It is extreme, however, and a daunting example if this is the only way we can achieve "greater love." Jesus does make reference to the literal sacrifice of one's life for another's, that much is true. In the ancient world this was not terribly uncommon. But we may also consider that Jesus is encouraging his disciples (and us) to make a change of heart; to love others in such a way that we lay down our own good for the sake of those around us. This is the nature of true love and is the nature of true Christian community; a family in which people serve each other before themselves.

When was the last time you served the interests of another person before your own? Think, now. Immediate answers might include instances like opening the door for a stranger at a restaurant or buying someone coffee. Those are wonderful acts of kindness and we need far more of them in this troubled world. They also indicate that you're well on the path to displaying the "greater love" of God. Well done. While Jesus doesn't distinguish between small acts of kindness and big acts of kindness I encourage you to condition your heart in preparation to do something difficult for those around you, something that will demand a sacrifice on your part for the sake of others. It's easy to "lay down your life" in ways that are convenient and don't demand much time or energy, and God will honor and bless those actions. But will you be ready when someone comes along and needs your help in a significant way?

Jesus calls us to readiness, to prepare our hearts to do whatever is necessary for our brothers and sisters and for those whose names we do not yet know. Prepare yourself well.

See you Monday - E.T.