What I find fascinating about this film is that it is not so much "entertaining" or even "inspiring" as simply "moving." It stirred something deep within me and left me pondering through the credits. It is a film that leaves you filled with emotion that is difficult to define but is nonetheless deeply satisfying. I can only imagine that the director's hope was that we, as the audience, would really feel something; that the film would stir our souls, perhaps just for the sake of doing so. It is so rare to have this kind of cinematic experience that it was like a breath of fresh air. It's a shame that the film didn't get the Oscar recognition that it deserved, but its quality shines on, regardless. If you enjoyed Glory or especially Braveheart, you'll probably love The Last of the Mohicans.
- Quality Storytelling: In terms of the directing, I found it to be a perfectly-paced narrative. While there was plenty of action and adventure, they served to advance the story, rather than supplant it.
- Top Tier Acting: Daniel Day-Lewis' acting is brilliant and convincing - this is just another testament to why he is largely considered to be the best actor of all time (apart from his 3 Oscars). Besides Day-Lewis, I was especially impressed with Russell Means and Wes Studi, who both played Native Americans with very little dialogue, but still manage to bring great depth of feeling to their roles.
- Unique Camerawork: A final highlight for me, and why I think you may enjoy this film, is the stellar cinematography; the film often employs extended (7-8 second) shots that we rarely see these days - it seems like we usually see quickly inter-cut montages in current film.
- Graphically Violent, if Not Edited: In its unedited form, this is definitely an adult film, almost exclusively due to graphic violence. Once edited (through a service such as VidAngel), I would recommend adhering to a PG-13 standard, as the events, themes and action sequences are still quite intense. I wouldn't say that the edited version's violence is any worse than The Hobbit or The Lord of the Rings but because all participants are human, rather than orcs or CGI Oliphaunts, it can be more frightening.
How to Watch It?
If this film hadn't come out 27 years ago (1992) and movie theaters showed edited films, I would definitely recommend seeing it on the big screen. As it is no longer in theaters, I highly recommend renting or buying an edited version. If the VidAngel lawsuit ever gets sorted out, that might be a good option for acquiring an edited version of this film.
