Arrow Video The Last Of The Mohicans [Blu-ray]

Good product. Love this movie

Daniel Day Lewis garnered much effusive praise , not to mention an Oscar( which i just did) for his role in There Will Be Blood (Single Disc Edition) [DVD] [2007] and quite rightly so, Yet my favourite DDL film is Michael Mann's 1992 adaptation of James Fenimore Coopers novel The Last of the Mohicans (Classics). Mann used George B Seitz's 1936 The Last Of The Mohicans [1936] film as an inspiration though more than the original source novel- which is generally considered over written and a bit dullAnd what a handsome ,exciting and vivid adaptation this is, melding blood and thunder history with sweeping romance and handling both adeptly. Daniel Day Lewis plays Nathaniel the adopted "white son " of Chingachgook( Russell Means) and the brother of the natural son Unca ( Eric Schweig) It is 1757 and the French and British are battling for control of North America with the native Indians fighting for the French. Settlers are bound by law to join the militia and fight for the British but are understandably reluctant to leave their homes defenceless against Huron Indians .One of the Huron is Magua( Wes Studi) who is acting as a guide for the British but is secretly working for the French and harbours a long held hatred for Col Monroe( Maurice Roeves) because "The English " took away everything he held dear. He wants to see "The grey hairs seed" wiped off the face of the earth. The chance for revenge comes when he is charged with helping escort the Col,s daughters Cora( Madeline Stowe) and Alice( Jodhi May) but they come under the protection of Nathaniel who sets out to escort them to Fort William Henry .At first Hawkeye and Cora clash -she thinks he is an unfeeling savage, he thinks her an ignorant stuck up whelp. But through the travails of their time together and by actually talking and more importantly listening to each other ...well you can guess what happens. Their romance is wonderfully written and adeptly acted with Madeline Stowe switching expertly from flinty eyed defiance to google eyed adoration.It's important of course that the lead characters look like they could cut in the harsh physical world they inhabit but DDL , usually associated with more cerebral roles certainly proved he could cut it as an action hero. He rarely stops moving and even in the more sedate moments seems like an Olympic sprinter poised on the blocks. A man who always prepares diligently for any role DDL clearly got himself in top physical shape for this film.Last Of The Mohicans is a film i never tire of watching . Even the scenery ( it was mostly shot in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina by Mann's regular cinematographer, Dante Spinotti) is magnificent but Mann , as he has showed throughout his career with films like Manhunter [DVD] [1986], Heat (2 Disc Special Edition) [DVD] [1995] , and Collateral - 2 Disc Collectors Edition [DVD] [2004] , really understands cinema. .The stupendous score ( by Randy Edelman , Trevor Jones, Daniel Lanois) is interspersed with the drama to quite mesmerising effect. This is of course a speciality of Mann's( think of the scene in Manhunter with Iron Butterfly ) and it works most stirringly for the climatic chase scene up the side of a mountain which is both hypnotic and exciting and wonderfully edited. The acting is universally tremendous .....and well it's just a great film.Even the fact that the film has scant extras( I buy DVD's for the film and not the extra's anyway ) and that the DVD picture quality isn't as crisp as I would really like doesn't detract from an awesome cinematic experience. Up there with Once Upon a Time in the West -- Special Collector's Edition (2 discs) [DVD] [1969] and Blade Runner: The Final Cut (2-Disc Special Edition) [DVD] [1982]...yeah it really is that good.

My first few viewings of this terrific Michael Mann period-adventure/drama (made in 1992) left me just as impressed as all his other efforts, with it's intense character-development, realism, attention to detail, strong musical soundtrack along with, this time and unusually for Mann, a big helping of smouldering romance.So, as I own the initial-release R1 DVD any Blu-ray release which promised improvement was likely to tempt me - now I've got and watched it I can safely say that it DOES offer an improvement in all respects.If you need to learn a bit about the plot, the Amazon synopsis does a good job without any real spoilers.Luckily I was not deterred by the simply awful disc case cover art, which is a poor piece of artwork (as opposed to an image from the film) depicting the lead character, played by the magnificent Daniel Day-Lewis, so 'artificially' I have some concern that it will have ensured lower sales of this relatively new release !Watching in HD for the first time it is entirely possible that even more people will be turned-off by the regular periods of 'darkness' and 'muffled' sound, but that would be unfair as (like the equally brilliant 'Master & Commander') many scenes are in dark areas or at night and. as far as I'm concerned, Mann usually tries as much as possible to keep both the original 'live' dialogue and lighting conditions in his films....So (and despite that box artwork I mentioned !), this release maintains the Mann traits of realistic settings and sound, so those used to ADR-rich films and 'over-illuminated' sets will be disappointed !Despite darkness things are still sharp, clear and full of contrast and when we see daylight scenes the, for example, costumes and foliage are brilliant with colour and lushness. Similarly, as we are often hearing voices recorded in their original setting, with everything else going on, it does mean you have to pay attention with your ears as well ![A good example of this, from another Mann film, is with 'Public Enemies' where conversations held inside vehicles are viewed AND recorded from outside, so the voices are heard after passing through a windscreen ie as it would be for real !]With 'The Last of the Mohicans' we also get a truly nasty 'villain' who is also responsible for quite a bit of the fairly frequent violence and extreme gore (eg scalpings, organ removal from still-alive victims) which is graphically depicted in this film, so you have been warned. In contrast, we also are treated to one of the most emotional and intense, yet 'non-explicit', love scenes played-out to a terrific musical soundtrack that I think you will ever see....Ultimately though, this film is about the story-telling and, again, as Mann is not exactly known for spoon-feeding his audience you will have to keep up with character names and intentions etc to fully appreciate what occurs. Along with a multitude of fantastic set-piece 'combat' scenes (from intense hand-to-hand-fighting to dramatic artillery barrages), for me, this ensures that entertainment is maintained throughout - not forgetting the usual Mann excellence in producing a memorable musical soundtrack of course....All those aspects are presented as good as I hoped for, with those previously mentioned visual 'traits' and some powerful sections of sound, such as that dramatic artillery barrage. The added bonus with this disc is the inclusion of a Mann commentary and lengthy production featurette.I've attached a photo of the back of the disc box.This film is not for everyone, due to both the storyline and Mann production 'habits', but if you like it already or are willing to give it a try for the first time I don't think that you will be disappointed.

Some pros and cons to this product. Honestly has to be said.First of all, to get it out of the way because it has to be mentioned and is necessary to be understood before buying the cons of the product: -The dvd versions of the film and even not to mention the different VHS versions of this film as well to think, are all actually much better than the blu-ray version. The reason for this is because the picture quality, sound and everything else that goes is in fact, much better on the dvd and vhs versions of the film. Whether it is the directors cut on dvd, the expanded edition or any just normal edition of the film even on either dvd or vhs. Such is what you want so, my advice as a die-hard fan of this film, buy the dvd versions and all of those better that came before ever considering the blu-ray version. I myself was under the impression that the blu-ray version would be better and more updated than the previous. Its in fact not at all but a step back from it, a considerable step back from in every way, a step back and nothing but within that.Second of all, last but not least, the pros:- If you are really into any Last of the mohicans memorabilia and also happened to be into your blu-rays as well, then this is one title to definitely add to your collection. Enough said at that. Enough said at that and nothing else.

Enjoyed this show because it shows how things were back then ! A lot of different tribes had their own beliefs and we all have our own memories . I hope we’ve learnt by our journeys in life !

I'm thankful they have this movie available

名優ダニエルデイルイスの代表作。これがAmazon Prime で見れないので仕方なく買いました。

Having read the book, I found this a different story to the book, but keeping in some way to the original idea. This movie, is set in British colonial America in 1757 along the Canadian border being a love story between the eldest daughter of the Scottish commander of the British Army Fort, William-Henry at the bottom of Lake George and a Colonial orphan who had been brought up by the native American Mohican Indians. Cora Munro being the daughter and Hawkeye the frontiersman. The initial main setting is in Albany as the Red Coated Soldiers try and gain a colonial militia to go to Fort William Henry and the love story begins when British Officer, Major Duncan Heyward arrives at Albany with dispatches and agrees to escort the Scottish Colonel's daughters, Cora and Alice, whom both he knows, with a company of British infantry to Fort William Henry guided by an Indian scout, Magua, a Huron (and allied to the French) masquerading as a Mohawk who were allied to the British.Magua guides the small group through the American frontier where thery are ambushed by Huron warriors, and a brutal battle erupts between the British and the Hurons. By sheer weight of numbers and tactics the Hurons overwhelm the British, but just before they try and massacre the two women and the remaining British troops, Chingachgook (Last of the Mohicans), his son Uncas and Hawkeye bounce the Hurons from out of the forest. The three Mohicans kill all of the Hurons except Magua who escapes and heads north to meet the French. This is where Hawkeye and Cora Munro first meet. Hawkeye asking Cora does Magua have a personal disagreement with her, something she knows nothing about. The movie set the fire and friction between Cora and Hawkeye at this point. The wounded Redcoats march back to Albany, while the three Mohicans agree to take Major Heywood, Cora and Alice to Fort William Henry.Moving silently through the frontier the small party come across a colonial settler's homestead, friends of the three Mohicans. All the colonial family have been murdered by maraudering Indian - French raiders moving south. The Mohicans recognize the signs of a raiding party and refuse the British requests to move and bury the frontier family, and their bodies are left where they have found them. During that night in the near silence following more French and Indian raiders having approached the small party in their night position but then withdrawn, Hawkeye explains to Cora why they did what they did, so as any French - Indian raiding parties that follow through the farm will not know of the small party being in the area. She appears to accept his explanation and begins to drift close to Hawkeye, in their despirate situation he also explains the Indian view in the relationship to the living on Earth and the souls of the dead living on as the stars in the sky.Then they approach Fort William Henry where they first learn that the fort is under heavy seige by the Royalist French Army in Canada of the Marquis de Montcalm. The French outnumber the British in both canon and men, and dig trenches daily closer to the fort where they can mount their 15 inch mortars and blow the fort to bits.The three Mohicans sneak the two women and Major Heyward under cover of darkness into the fort where the women meet their father, Colonel Munro, who learns that the British in Albany have no idea that Fort William Henry is under French and Indian seige. However, Munro is confronted by the militia who had an agreement with (General) Colonel Webb in Albany, that if French and Indian raiding parties attacked their homesteads they could be released from the militia to defend their homesteads. Munro won't take the word of the militia on this and so the Americans plan to desert William Henry, but also Munro learns that Webb has marched with his troops to Fort Edward just 12 miles away.So American frontiersmen leave William Henry as couriers hoping to get to Webb at Fort Edward, still the movie has not mentioned that Hawkeye is known to the French supporting Indians as la Longue Carabine, however as the last of the couriers departs the fort Hawkeye with his long rifle explains to the other colonials that silk as the backing for the powder in the barrel will allow the musket ball to travel further. Hawkeye and Cora move very close together at night within the fort, the music is great for both the "Kiss" and the "Courier".As some of the American militia escape the fort, the French guns pound the fort and Hawkeye is arrested by the British for helping the Americans to escape. Hawkeye fears the worst if the French storm the fort and the Indians rip into the place telling Cora to make sure her and Alice are close to the Officers if the French and Indians get into the fort.However, with Cora now firmly in love with Hawkeye, the French commander Montcalm offers Munro a meeting where he proposes that if the British leave Fort William Henry, the French will allow them to leave with their Colours and weapons and march to Fort Edward. Colonel Munro accepts the Marquis de Montcalm's offer and the British in a single long column leave the fort. At that the French control Fort William Henry, but the Huron's under Magua do not have blood on their tomahawks, are not happy that the French have allowed the British to escape basically unharmed.At that the Hurons attack the British and colonial column, comprising soldiers, settlers, men, women and children. It is a bloody massacre. The fighting vicious and savage (until in real histiory French Officers stopped the Indians attacking the column), the members of the column disorganized and confused. The Indians savage in attack.Finally, in a savage one on one battle Chingachgook kills Magua. The country in which the movie is filmed is beautiful, the soundtrack music is great, however the movie is bloody, violent and I feel it is a sad story.

Nun verstehe ich erst die Kritik von RaptoR: obwohl ein unterschiedliches Produkt, ist nur eine Rezension möglich, wenn es derselbe Film ist. Na gut, dann muss ich diese Besprechung in zwei Teile trennen. Die erste betrifft die Kabel1-Ausgabe von 2008 und wurde 8.11.2010 erstmals von mir veröffentlicht. Im Wortlaut:Den Film will ich hier nicht bewerten, dafür nehme ich mir ein anderes Mal Zeit. Hier geht es mir nur um die DVD. Das ist die schlechteste Scheibe, die ich mir je gekauft habe! Finger weg!Bildqualität: Unterirdisch. Besonders bei den Nachtaufnahmen ist die Nacht alles andere, bloß nicht schwarz. Da grieselt und rauscht das Bild, dass es eine helle Freude ist. Ja ist denn schon Weihnachten?Tonqualität: Alte Schellackplatten rauschen weniger und sind besser zu verstehen.Dazu kommt, dass mein Player, zugegeben ein Billigheimer, stets an derselben Stelle (Daniel Day-Lewis und Madeleine Stowe, in den heiligen Stätten liegend, betrachten den Sternenhimmel) stehenbleibt und durch NICHTS zum Fortfahren zu bewegen ist. Bei weit über 150 Discs ist das der absolut einzige Fall...!Am liebsten würde ich 0 Sterne geben, wenn das denn nur möglich wäre.Ich habe diese DVD ein paar Monate später durch die Version von Warner Home Video ersetzt und habe es nicht eine Sekunde bereut, für den wirklich tollen Film nochmal Geld auszugeben. Aber dazu, wie gesagt, ein anderes Mal mehr.--Und nun also (13.02.2011) meine "richtige" Rezension zur letzten, nicht ganz werkgetreuen Verfilmung des Stoffes von James F. Cooper, dem Western "Der letzte Mohikaner" von Michael Mann (1992, 108 Min.), dessen Kabel1-Ausgabe (2008) ich so lästerlich verrissen habe... und obwohl dies hier die ältere DVD ist (Warner Home Video von 2001), wiederhole ich meine Empfehlung: Bild- und Tonqualität schlagen die von Kabel1 um Längen. Das Bild ist dem Standard einer DVD mehr als angemessen, nur bei wenigen Nachtaufnahmen z.B. in der indianischen Begräbnisstätte oder bei der Ankunft im Fort William Henry mangelt es etwas an Schärfe. Für ein Dolby Digital 5.1 könnte der Ton noch besser sein: meistens zwar einwandfrei, gibt es aber einige Szenen, in denen die Synchro arg dünn klingt, knapp besser als Mono. Dafür klingt der Soundtrack schlicht bombastisch; die Musik von Trevor Jones (Time Bandits, Cliffhanger - Nur die Starken überleben, Notting Hill u.v.m) und Randy Edelman (u.a. Dragonheart, xXx - Triple X) geht direkt unter die Haut, entfaltet ihre ganze aufwühlende Wirkung auch ganz allein - was vermutlich der Grund ist, warum die DVD eine Tonspur nur mit der Filmmusik aufweist.Zum Inhalt: Es beginnt mit einer atemlosen Hatz dreier Waldläufer durch dichten Wald. Chingachgook, der Mohikanerhäuptling, sein leiblicher Sohn Uncas und sein Adoptivsohn Nathaniel Falkenauge (Daniel Day-Lewis), jagen einen Hirschen. Die Beute bringen sie zur Farm von John und Alexandra Cameron, einer Farmerfamilie, die von der bitteren Armut in Virginia hierher ins Grenzland zwischen dem zivilisierten Osten und dem Indianerland verschlagen wurden, wo sie von harter Arbeit wenigstens leben können. Es ist 1757, das dritte Jahr des Krieges zwischen Engländern und Franzosen, und die Farmer und mit den Engländern verbündeten Mohawk lassen sich mehr widerwillig als Miliz aufstellen. Falkenauge und die beiden Mohikaner wollen von dem Krieg nichts wissen. Durch einen Zufall werden sie doch in den Strudel gerissen. Sie treffen auf die Spur einer Schar Huronen - die auf der Seite der Franzosen kämpfen - und retten die beiden Töchter von Colonel Munro, Cora (Madeleine Stowe) und Alice (Johdi May), sowie den sie eskortierenden Offizier Major Duncan Heyward, vor dem Tod durch den verräterischen Indianerscout Magua (genial verkörpert durch Wes Studi, der von der Abstammung her Cherokee ist). Sie bringen die beiden ins Fort William Henry, wo Munro unter schwerem Beschuss der französischen Artillerie liegt. Hilfe könnte von General Webb kommen, der mit seinen Truppen in dem nur 12 Meilen entfernten Fort Edward liegt. Doch Magua hat eine Rechnung mit Colonel Munro offen und unternimmt alles, um seiner habhaft zu werden - und seiner beiden Töchter.Die dramatischen, und mitunter recht blutigen Ereignisse steuern unaufhaltsam von einem Höhepunkt zum nächsten, nur die gewaltigen Landschaftsaufnahmen lassen den Zuschauer gelegentlich Atem schöpfen. Unausgesprochene Leidenschaft und tiefe Emotionen, von der mitreißenden Filmmusik trefflich untermalt, beherrschen weite Teile des Geschehens: Das Spektrum reicht vom distinguiert-englischen Heiratsantrag Heywards an Cora, über die stürmische Liebesbeziehung zwischen ihr und Nathaniel, bis hin zu der zarten, überwiegend durch Blicke ausgedrückten Annäherung von Uncas und der an der harten Realität zerbrechenden Alice.Gut, einige Dialoge klingen fast hölzern (ein Phänomen, das ich bei vielen Kultfilmen beobachtet habe!); dafür gibt es andere, unübertroffene Szenen: "Sie waren keine Fremden. Und wir werden sie liegen lassen!" Einzigartig! Der Filmdramatik geschuldet, reicht Nathaniels Gewehr weiter als die Kanonen der Franzosen; und warum reisen Munros Töchter überhaupt ins Grenzland, obwohl der Krieg schon seit drei Jahren tobt? Reichlich unglaubwürdig wirkt gegen Ende, wie der weise alte Sachem (Friedenshäuptling) in letzter Sekunde sein absolut logisches Urteil revidiert und sich einen bedeutungslosen englischen Offizier als Opfer anstelle des berühmten Waldläufers Falkenauge unterjubeln lässt... doch das 8-minütige furiose Finale, in dem nur ein einziges Wort fällt: "Uncas!", macht alles mehr als wett! So wird Filmgeschichte geschrieben; dagegen rechtfertigen die geringen, ja bedeutungslosen Mängel in keiner Weise eine Abwertung. Oder doch: von 6 auf 5 Sterne!