The Last of The Mohicans

[Deleted]

One of the parts that always gives me the chills is the part where Cora, Alice, Duncan and Hawkeye are brought before the counsel by Magua. Hawkeye and Magua are each making their cases before the chief and since they're not speaking English, Cora is simply looking on, out of the loop. The chilling part to me is when the chief sentences Cora to be burned alive -- she literally can't comprehend what has just been said, and for a moment, she's continuing to just look on calmly not realizing she's just been sentenced to an agonizing death.

When Alice, rather than go with Magua, lets herself fall over the edge of the cliff, I've always wondered what was supposed to be going through Magua's head. I always thought that he gave an indifferent little shrug, like he was thinking, "Eh, whatever. She was just a dirty white woman." But I've heard others say that he was trying to coax her away from the cliff just before she jumped. I did see the part where he seemed to be coaxing her, but I assumed it was to kill her, since he was holding a knife. I doubt that the director was trying to imbue Magua with some last minute redeeming quality by implying that he was concerned for Alice.

[MrsCatHead]

I am very annoying when watching this movie with others. I freely admit it. I hum along to the music, I speak the dialogue, I gasp and clap my hands and squeal, "I love this part!" about every ten minutes...

My niece and I used to muse about what all went down with Uncas/Alice. Like when he kinda pulls her back when behind the waterfall....guh! he's gorgeous, his forearms!...lost my train of thought...of yeah, her hair is braided and my niece always leans in and whispers, "Uncas braided that little strand of hair for her."

[Karen]

bonsai said:

One of the parts that always gives me the chills is the part where Cora, Alice, Duncan and Hawkeye are brought before the counsel by Magua. Hawkeye and Magua are each making their cases before the chief and since they're not speaking English, Cora is simply looking on, out of the loop. The chilling part to me is when the chief sentences Cora to be burned alive -- she literally can't comprehend what has just been said, and for a moment, she's continuing to just look on calmly not realizing she's just been sentenced to an agonizing death.

Another great scene. Magua is the only one who can understand everything that's going on and the rest are ignorant to one degree or another, like when Duncan, speaking French, offers to take Cora's place himself instead of translating Hawkeye's request - giving them a chance to be together.

When Alice, rather than go with Magua, lets herself fall over the edge of the cliff, I've always wondered what was supposed to be going through Magua's head. I always thought that he gave an indifferent little shrug, like he was thinking, "Eh, whatever. She was just a dirty white woman." But I've heard others say that he was trying to coax her away from the cliff just before she jumped. I did see the part where he seemed to be coaxing her, but I assumed it was to kill her, since he was holding a knife. I doubt that the director was trying to imbue Magua with some last minute redeeming quality by implying that he was concerned for Alice.

I don't think he was concerned, but for a moment Alice existed to him as something more than just Munro's daughter. Her unexpected display of willpower robbed him of victory (he should have been the one to kill her, there on the mountain or some time later), and I took the shrug as him being unwilling to acknowledge that with her suicide she'd taken some of his power into her own hands, belittling what happened in order to feel that he hadn't really lost.

mrscathead said:

My niece and I used to muse about what all went down with Uncas/Alice. Like when he kinda pulls her back when behind the waterfall....guh! he's gorgeous, his forearms!...lost my train of thought...of yeah, her hair is braided and my niece always leans in and whispers, "Uncas braided that little strand of hair for her."

Yay! This has been my piece of fannish speculation for ages. Alice is in a state of shock, is she going to busy herself with designing a new hairstyle? No, it was Uncas's decision to go for that matching his-and-hers set of braids - it was dark when Magua arrived, so he had time to do it.

[Deleted]

KarenK -- Thanks for the excellent interpretation of "inside Magua's head." I think you're right.

And now I want to see the movie again -- This time so that I can stare at Alice's braid and drool, "Uncas did that... Uncas had his hands in my... uh, her hair..."

[Deleted]

I was so in lust with Uncas too. I heard they never filmed the kissing/love scenes because Jodhi May's mother didn't allow it (she was underage at the time). I think a lot of her scenes were cut out as well- I'd love to see them.

I saw the director's cut and I think the original is better. Some of the music changed and the speech at the end is longer.

ETA: Magua lowered his knife and beckoned for her to come off the edge at the end. I don't think they were trying to redeem him or say that he wouldn't kill her eventually, but I think he saw her eyes and how lost and messed up she was and was (somewhat) touched at that moment. /end fanwank

[Coffeecakes]

I heard that they filmed a "puppy love scene" that was Eric Schweig's(Uncas) words, so that would imply that there was at least a kiss. Or maybe it's just wishful thinking on my part.

My niece and I used to muse about what all went down with Uncas/Alice. Like when he kinda pulls her back when behind the waterfall....guh! he's gorgeous, his forearms!...lost my train of thought...of yeah, her hair is braided and my niece always leans in and whispers, "Uncas braided that little strand of hair for her."

This I never noticed. But come to think of it, didn't she have her hair already braided when they were already in the canoes going to the waterfalls? Maybe they had another little scene?

What I have noticed is that I could swear that when they get off the canoes when the arrive at the fort, Uncas lifts Alice out of the canoe(yes, I am a fangirl when it comes to them, I notice things). Also there is one little glance they didn't take out of the movie. When they arrived at the fort and Alice is hugging her dad, when he turns to Uncas, Hawkeye and their father, Uncas is staring at her and she at him and then quickly looks at Alice's dad (it looks like he doesn't want him to catch the little glance). I always laugh at that part, because it's an obvious "oh shit! he almost caught me" kind of look on his face.

I also always wanted to know what happened after the whole graveyard thing where he put his hand over her mouth.

[Karen]

coffeecakes said:

I heard that they filmed a "puppy love scene" that was Eric Schweig's(Uncas) words, so that would imply that there was at least a kiss. Or maybe it's just wishful thinking on my part.

I found the interview:

MP: Alice, played by Jodhi May, was obviously your love interest. There was really very little dialogue between the two of you, but, you both presented a very strong relationship on film despite the lack of dialogue. Was that difficult to achieve?

ES: Well, no. We had a love scene that was cut out.

MP: That was the next question. Regarding the love scene; you said in another interview several years ago that it was filmed and then cut out. What was originally scripted for that scene was pretty graphic. So, they did film something and obviously you were there.

ES: Oh yeah.

MP: What WAS filmed? Was it just a kiss? Like the kiss between Hawkeye and Cora? Or was it a sex scene?

ES: Uhmm....... No, it wasn't a sex scene. Nothing like that . It wasn't too heavy. It was like puppy love basically, this love scene they cut out.

It was smart to switch to something less graphic, that probably wouldn't have been very believable.

This I never noticed. But come to think of it, didn't she have her hair already braided when they were already in the canoes going to the waterfalls? Maybe they had another little scene?

Here's Alice during the escape and her final scene. I couldn't find a good pic but I do remember noticing that when Magua arrives under the waterfall she has the braid, but not before. This movie inspired fangirlish attention to detail a few years ago - that winter I watched it several times.

What I have noticed is that I could swear that when they get off the canoes when the arrive at the fort, Uncas lifts Alice out of the canoe(yes, I am a fangirl when it comes to them, I notice things). Also there is one little glance they didn't take out of the movie. When they arrived at the fort and Alice is hugging her dad, when he turns to Uncas, Hawkeye and their father, Uncas is staring at her and she at him and then quickly looks at Alice's dad (it looks like he doesn't want him to catch the little glance). I always laugh at that part, because it's an obvious "oh shit! he almost caught me" kind of look on his face.

I think I remember the canoe thing but not the fort glance. I have to rewatch this movie again some time soon. And I've been meaning to buy the soundtrack for ages, the score was just about perfect.

[Coffeecakes]

The score was great. I'll either cough up the money for it, or simply download the whole thing.

[MrsCatHead]

Yah! More fangirls! Hee!

I wonder if any of you have seen Jodhi May in "Sister, My Sister?"

My favorite line of all is Cora's "Duncan, you are a man of a few admirable qualities but taken on the whole, I was wrong to have thought so highly of you." (taken from memory so may not be accurate)

Oh and I love the little catch in DDL's throat when he says, "They are not strangers. <insert catch in throat> And they stay as they lay." Arrrrrr! I get a little tear in my eye. /fangirl

[hal9000]

"Stay alive. I will find you."

I laugh when I hear that line. It's something in the way Dnaiel Day-Lewis says it that yanks me out of the scene.