The last Mohican                                                 .

Director: Michael Mann
Release Date: 25 Sept, 1992
Actors: 
Daniel-Day Lewis (Hawkeye)
Madeleine Stove (Cora)
Russel Means (Chinchgook)
Eric Shweig (Uncas)
Jody May (Alice)
Wes Studi (Magua)

Exposition:
Opening scene shows a deer being tracked and killed. The hunters are obviously Indian. A shot of a beautiful wilderness untouched by human hands gives us an impression of being close to the nature. The eldest of Indian thanks the animal, and apologises. Clearly the Indians are very spiritual.

Plot summary:

The year is 1757 and the British are battling the French for the control of North-America. The French are helped by some Indians against the British. Many settlers are, against their will, forced by law to join the British army.
The last Mohican conflict is a bit complex. At first you can think the conflict is about who controls North America, but as the movie introduces more and more characters you notice that is many small problems between the people.
I would say that the main conflict is that Magua (read the character description) wants to revenge his tribe and family.
Another conflict that is focused on is that the settlers don’t want to join the British army; because they are afraid their homes will be attacked when they aren’t there. The British army therefore promises the men that they can go home if their village is under attack.

I don’t think Magua ever solves his conflict.

Characters:

Hawkeye, or Nathaniel, is a white male, grown up among a Indian tribe called Mohicans. He is the main character in the movie. His biological parents died when he was very young, so he doesn’t remember them. Hawkeye is one of the three last of the Mohican tribe, although he always knows in the back of his head that he really isn’t a real Mohican. The two others that are left are his adoptive father, Chingachgooh, and his brother, Chingachooks son, Uncas.
Hawkeye almost instantly falls in love with one of General Munros daughters, Cora. Hawkeye is portraitists as very smart. His skills in fighting and hunting are also good. He is quick in his decisions.

Chingachgook is an elder Indian and the Mohicans. He is very attached to Uncas and Hawkeye. ØChingachgook speaks mostly in his mother tongue only when necessary, and then almost all of the time to Uncas or Hawkeye.I believe that Chingachgook is secretly prepared to die, and let Uncas continue the Mohican bloodline, but when Uncas dies Chingachgook remains as the last Mohican and when he says goodbye to Uncas he also says goodbye to his tribe as well.

Cora is the older of the two daughters to the British Colonel Munro. She is less feminine then her younger sister; also she has isn’t that bounded by the strict feminine moral. When something bad is happening Cora always protects or comfort her younger, weaker sister Alice. Cora falls in love with Nathaniel. When Cora is caught by Magua and supposedly being burnt on the fire Nathaniel beg to the chief of the Mohawks to change places, but Duncan, who also loves Cora, is telling them to take him instead.

Uncas is the Mohican son of Chingachgook. Uncas is very quiet, but he let his actions speak for themselves. He is a very skilled fighter and hunter. In the movie they don’t focus that much about Uncas and Alice, but small scenes hint that something is going on between them. Uncas dies when he tries to save Alice from marrying Magua.

Alice is the younger of the two Munro daughters. In any situation Alice acts like a lady should act in that time. A miniature love story is showed between her and Uncas. And in the last scene she kills herself, because of Uncas death, and the fact that she doesn’t want to marry Magua.

Maguas family and tribe is no longer existent because of the British. His children were killed and his wife apparently left him. Magua therefore seeks revenge Øof Colonel Munro. The Indian tribe the Mohawks took him as a slave, and later he became their brother by blood. As time passes and Magua do manage to kill Colonel Munro and capture his two daughter he suddenly changes his mind, and kills the British major, Duncan, and force Alice to marry him, but when Magua kills Uncas, and Alice is about to kill herself, Magua shows Alice that he do not want to make her do things at her own will. At the end Chingachgook kills Magua in a man-to-man fight.

Duncan is Øa well-meaning but slightly foolish white man, he is all the opposite of Hawkeye. While Hawkeye moves effortlessly in the front of every battle, Duncan never feels secure. You can also notice that Hawkeye is a typical hero, where Duncan in the other side is shown as an almost bad guy, who lies for his own good. When Cora is about to be killed, Duncan shows what a hero he really are when he begs of switching places with Cora.