7.9 | / 10 |
Users | 3.7 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.7 |
In war-torn Colonial America, in the midst of a bloody battle between British, the French and Native American allies, Cora Munro, the aristocratic daughter of a British Colonel and her party are captured by a group of Huron warriors. Fortunately, a group of three Mohican trappers, including Hawkeye, a rugged frontiersman and the adopted son of the Mohicans comes to their rescue. A passionate romance soon blossoms between Cora and Hawkeye, but many forces test their love as they continue to journey through the Frontier.
Starring: Daniel Day-Lewis, Madeleine Stowe, Russell Means, Eric Schweig, Jodhi MayEpic | 100% |
History | 96% |
War | 92% |
Drama | 84% |
Melodrama | 54% |
Romance | 15% |
Adventure | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.40:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
English: Dolby Digital 2.0 (224 kbps)
English SDH, French, Spanish
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
BD-Live
D-Box
Region A (locked)
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 3.5 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Michael Mann’s The Last of the Mohicans is the kind of big Hollywood historical romance-action-epic that only comes around once or twice a decade—basically, the sort of film for which the adjective sweeping was invented. Think of it as Danielle Steele-meets-Braveheart- meets-the Tea Party movement, a film that carries us off on a torrid adventure of unbridled female passions, manly valor, and the pursuit of libertarian ideals. But don’t let that description put you off it. (It would definitely send me running if I didn’t know any better.) Mann may slather his film in bigger-than-life emotions—the positively aching score does most of the talking—but he’s adept at turning these feelings into the storybook stuff of American frontier legend. And lest the men-folk grow weary of the mushy stuff, the frequent guns-a’blazin’ and tomahawks-a’hackin’ action scenes—if that’s all you’re after—certainly don’t disappoint. This is a film with something for everyone—chaotic battles, period piece romance, stand-up- to-The-Man political revolt—and while I don’t think The Last of the Mohicans is necessarily groundbreaking cinema, it’s good for satisfying an escapist urge.
The last Mohican is...yes, a white guy. Kind of like Tom Cruise as the last samurai.
Don't be distressed by The Last of the Mohicans' god-awful Blu-ray cover art, which makes Daniel Day Lewis look like a CGI reject from some
late-1990s video game cut-scene. (I know, I know, it's a painting, not a photograph of him, but it still looks terrible.) The film itself looks fairly strong
on
Blu-ray, with a 1080p/AVC-encoded transfer—framed closely to its original 2.39:1 aspect ratio—that sits on a dual-layer disc and runs at an average
bitrate of
38 MBPS. To get the immediate worries out of the way first, the film's inherent grain structure is intact and there's no evidence of any overt digital
tweaking—including DNR, edge enhancement, or drastic color modifications. To put it simply, to my eyes, this is a faithful reproduction. Sharpness is
not
quite as refined as some other big budget catalog titles from the early '90s, but this is still a satisfying high definition presentation that provides
clarified
detail in the actors' faces and a noticeable bump in texture resolution, from the gold epaulets of the British officers' uniforms to the tight weft of Cora's
straw hat. Just don't expect breathtaking clarity.
Color is rich and balanced, as well, especially in the daylight scenes, with lush green grass and foliage, vivid red coats, and warm skintones. Darker
interiors and nighttime forest scenes, however, have a tendency to look murky, with sometimes severely oppressive shadows. The image, overall,
looks somewhat dim. This is at least partially
intentional, but it does put a strain on the eyes. (If your screen is prone to glare, I'd definitely recommend watching at night in a mostly darkened
room.) I didn't spot any compression-related distractions, but during the scene when Hawkeye goes to the Huron camp, there are some mild color
fluctuations, and at 1:35:25, you'll notice a strange, split-second jitter, where Daniel Day Lewis' head remains still, but all of the Native American
actors
behind him shift suddenly in unison. This doesn't look like an encode issue, but rather an example of poor editing, where two takes were spliced
together
awkwardly, resulting in a less-than-fluid jump in movement. (Are there any readers out there who can confirm whether or not this occurs in other
versions of the film?) Aside from this one scene, though, I didn't see anything out of the ordinary. Could the film look better? Probably. Moderately.
Still,
I think most fans will be pleased by The Last of the Mohicans' Blu-ray debut.
The Last of the Mohicans arrives on Blu-ray with Fox's usual DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround presentation, which reproduces the film's soundtrack with clarity and dynamic expressiveness. When the movie was released theatrically in 1992, many critics praised its bombastic sound design and its sweeping, emotional score by Randy Edelman and Trevor Jones (with additional material by Daniel Lanois and Clannad). While the music seems severely dated now—it can get seriously cloying—there's no denying that it sounds fantastic here, with extremely deep, chest-throbbing cellos, pounding drums, and swelling orchestral arrangements. Likewise, the many battle scenes fill the soundstage with activity; loud gunshots rip and explode directionally, cannons blast with thundering LFE engagement, and horses gallop off through the rears. During less intense scenes, you'll occasionally be immersed in ambience, like crickets, the rush of waterfalls, and the wind in the leaves. However, there is quite a volume disparity between the loud and soft sequences, so you might want to have your remote handy to adjust on the fly if necessary. I found the battle scenes to be a little too boisterous— and slightly brash in the high end—so I'd tamp down the volume, but I'd have to boost it back up whenever characters started talking with their indoor voices again. This, of course, is largely a matter of personal preference. Optional English SDH, Spanish, and French subtitles are available in large, easy- to-read white lettering.
Commentary with Director Michael Mann
Mann delivers a subdued but insightful commentary track that's jam-packed with pertinent information—the historical background of the story, details of
the shooting process, production stories, etc. Things get quiet at times, but overall, this is a worthwhile listen.
Making of The Last of the Mohicans (1080i, 42:42)
For this director's definitive cut, 20th Century Fox has actually put together an extensive production documentary that features on-set footage and new
interviews with Michael Mann, Daniel Day-Lewis, Madeleine Stowe, Native American historian Oren Lyons, and others. Broken into three parts, the
documentary covers nearly every aspect of the production, from Mann's initial interest in the story—he vividly remembers seeing the 1936 film
adaptation—to the casting, the difficulties scouting locations, the film's themes, and Daniel Day-Lewis' intensive training regime. Fans of the film will
most likely want to upgrade from the DVD for this new feature alone.
Theatrical Trailers (SD, 3:18)
Includes the teaser trailer and the original theatrical trailer.
This 114-minute Blu-ray iteration of The Last of the Mohicans is being billed as the "Director's Definitive Cut," but as far as I can tell, it's not too different from the "Expanded Edition" that was released on DVD. I'm sure there are a numerous minor changes that hardcore fans will be able to spot, but there's nothing here that drastically alters the shape or tone of the film. (Although, fans will be glad to hear that the previously excised "Someday, I think you and I are going to have a serious disagreement" quip that Hawkeye delivers to Duncan has been restored. It's the closest Daniel Day-Lewis gets to a one-liner.) The film gets a solid, if not quite perfect Blu-ray presentation, with a faithful A/V presentation, an informative commentary by Mann, and an extensive, all-new making-of documentary that runs just shy of 45 minutes. Recommended!
Director's Definitive Cut
1992
Director's Definitive Cut | Awards O-Ring Slipcover
1992
Comic Con Exclusive
1992
Fox Icons
1992
Director's Cut
1993
2008
70th Anniversary Edition
1939
2005-2006
1970
Extended Director's Cut
2003
1995
2011
2010
45th Anniversary Edition
1965
1960
1999
2-Disc Special Edition
2006
2006
1963
65th Anniversary Limited Edition
1957
2005
60th Anniversary Limited Edition
1962
1970
1961