The Last of the Mohicans

Rating:
Summary: Not the experience it could have been...
Review: An excellent film with outstanding print quality but the whole experience of watching it was spoilt for me by a very poor musical score and sub titles that are simply text on a black screen.
Atmosphere is so important when watching a silent film -- you have to be totally immersed in all the aspects that constitute the whole. Having a totally inappropriate and monotonous synth score and sub titles that have no charm whatsoever,kept jarring me back to the present and as a result I could not appreciate the film as it deserved to be. A solo piano would have been preferable if a cost was a consideration and there is no excuse for not using, or at least reproducing, the original titles.

Rating:
Summary: Hard to believe this was made so long agol
Review: I have to honestly say that I did not even know there was a silent version of this film. I actually ordered it because I like the story and thought it would be interesting to see a silent version. Viewing this version was- breathtaking to say the least. The video transfer of this film is remarkably good which helps but more importantly the story itself and the acting I found incredibly interesting. Unlike the Dnaiel Day-Lewis version, which is excellent in its own right- this version has Hawkeye as a Minor Character. It focuses on the affection between Uncus (one of the 2 last of the Mohicans) and the General's Dauhter Cora (played by Madeline Stowe in the modern version). It must have been somewhat unsettling back in 1920 to even hint at a relationship between a Native American man and a Caucasian woman. This movie only hints at this relationship but I found it to be very believable and a refreshing point of view tastefully done. Another major plus of this movie was the actress who played Cora. If you view this movie it will be difficult to not think about this woman. I've seldom seen an actress or an actor emote so much simply by facial expression. Wallace Beery portrays Magua, the "bad" guy, menacingly well and, early in the film, you can see a very young Boris Karloff as an Indian raider. If you enjoy the story of Last of the Mohicans and if you have had the pleasure of seeing any silent film masterpiece you will thoroughly enjoy this DVD.

Rating:
Summary: Hard to believe this was made so long agol
Review: I have to honestly say that I did not even know there was a silent version of this film. I actually ordered it because I like the story and thought it would be interesting to see a silent version. Viewing this version was- breathtaking to say the least. The video transfer of this film is remarkably good which helps but more importantly the story itself and the acting I found incredibly interesting. Unlike the Dnaiel Day-Lewis version, which is excellent in its own right- this version has Hawkeye as a Minor Character. It focuses on the affection between Uncus (one of the 2 last of the Mohicans) and the General's Dauhter Cora (played by Madeline Stowe in the modern version). It must have been somewhat unsettling back in 1920 to even hint at a relationship between a Native American man and a Caucasian woman. This movie only hints at this relationship but I found it to be very believable and a refreshing point of view tastefully done. Another major plus of this movie was the actress who played Cora. If you view this movie it will be difficult to not think about this woman. I've seldom seen an actress or an actor emote so much simply by facial expression. Wallace Beery portrays Magua, the "bad" guy, menacingly well and, early in the film, you can see a very young Boris Karloff as an Indian raider. If you enjoy the story of Last of the Mohicans and if you have had the pleasure of seeing any silent film masterpiece you will thoroughly enjoy this DVD.

Rating:
Summary: The Best of the Mohicans
Review: Last of the Mohicans is a very fine silent adaptation of James Fenimore Cooper's Classic novel. The film distils a long novel into its fairly short running time, but remains faithful to the essence of Cooper's story. The main change is that the role of Hawkeye is relegated to one of secondary importance. The emphasis of the film is on the romance between Uncas and Cora Munro and the scheming of the evil Magua to have Cora for himself.

The performances in the film are naturalistic and full of feeling. Wallace Beery as Magua makes a fine villain, while Barbara Bedford is a stunning Cora, brave, beautiful and feisty. But what makes this film work so well is the use of location, the glorious scenery and the thrilling action. Some of this action is surprisingly violent, especially an attack by drunken Hurons on a group of refugees. This attack includes a shocking scene of an infant torn from her mother's arms and thrown skyward to its death. Although the Hurons are shown in a poor light, the film on the whole, as is the case with Cooper's novel, is sympathetic towards the Native American characters. Uncas is portrayed as a far superior man to Cora's original British suitor. Her being attracted to Uncas is shown to be natural and indeed commonplace. This must have seemed a daring approach for a film made in 1920, a time when interracial romance was considered taboo.

This is a very well produced DVD. The print quality is first class with almost no apparent damage. The colour-tinted images are sharp and clear and some of the scenes are dazzling in their beauty. The film is accompanied by a score which fits in well with the action and adds to the mood of the whole viewing experience.

Rating:
Summary: A masterpiece.
Review: The 1920 version of THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS is far and away the best screen version of this oft-filmed tale. In it's restored and tinted version it is a visual masterpiece, containing some of the most breathtaking scenic photography in movie history. What makes it truly great however is the fact that even after eighty years it refuses to be a "dated" antique. Far more emotionally complex than any of the other adaptions, particularly the Michael Mann version of the nineties, and much less sentimental. The drama can still grab a viewer by the throat and refuse to let go. Highlights include the Massacre of the british fort as well as the finale set atop a huge cliff that is as tragic as it is thrilling. The acting is uniformly excellent, even Beery as Indian villain of the piece. The direction by Tourneur and Brown is stunning. I dream of seeing this film on a full size screen at a cinema with an orchestral accompaniment.

Rating:
Summary: WONDERFUL PICTURE but...
Review: This is truly one of the best silent dramas - beautifully performed and filmed. If you are a silent film purist, the Slingshot DVD will surely cause the hair on your neck to stand up. The score is excellent, but of a modern style and totally out of character. The titles (even the opening credits) have all been replaced by a modern style. The original film portion would rate 5 stars, but the slash and burn reconstruction detracts. If Image Entertainment ever puts this out, go for it instead.

Rating:
Summary: WONDERFUL PICTURE but...
Review: This is truly one of the best silent dramas - beautifully performed and filmed. If you are a silent film purist, the Slingshot DVD will surely cause the hair on your neck to stand up. The score is excellent, but of a modern style and totally out of character. The titles (even the opening credits) have all been replaced by a modern style. The original film portion would rate 5 stars, but the slash and burn reconstruction detracts. If Image Entertainment ever puts this out, go for it instead.