The Last of the Mohicans (1992)
I simply had to rewatch this last night after posting music from it in the Movie Soundtrack thread, it's such a wonderful score from Randy Edelman and Trevor Jones.
The whole film is a masterpiece from director Michael Mann with Daniel Day Lewis superb as the brooding Hawkeye and Russell Means equally brilliant as Chingachgook, the actual last of the Mohicans, seeing as Hawkeye was adopted.
The final showdown with the main villain Magua, a sadistic Mohawk scout (A terrifying Wes Studi) is sublime. Taking place on a cliff edge path, Hawkeye, Chingachgook and his actual son Uncas (Eric Schweig ) chasing Magua and a band of Mohawk warriors in order to rescue two English women. Uncas is killed by Magua whilst Hawkeye guns down Mohawks left and right.
Just when you think Hawkeye and Magua will face off in one final climactic confrontation it's Chingachgook who fights him. If you can call it that. It's so matter of factly over and done with in a near blink of an eye.
Magua brandishes two blades and swipes at Chingachgook who expertly ducks and thrusts his tomahawk into Magua's back, turns, puts the blade into his arm snapping the bone at the elbow, before scything it into Magua's shoulder. Chingachgook then steps back, tuts to himself at the stricken Magua then delivers a final killing blow through Magua's stomach and out his back.
It's brilliantly constructed and out of the blue and i always end up watching it more than once it's so blink and you'll miss it. There's no white saviour it's Indigenous Native American vs Native American.
A perfect end to a near perfect film.
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