blessingx
HeadFest '07 Graphic Designer
Supplier of fine logos! His visions of Head-Fi
- Joined
- Mar 27, 2003
- Posts
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AMC just played The Last of the Mohicans again (interestingly with about half of the subtitles missing) and I'm again stumped why members here don't talk about it more. Especially as action-adventure oriented as we are. When film lists come up on Head-Fi, Braveheart and Gladiator are often mentioned. Yet all three are romanticized historical 'small' epics. All three star accomplished actors (Daniel Day-Lewis, Mel Gibson and Russell Crowe), all three have beautiful settings at historically important times, all three have very good soundtracks, all three are underdog stories of the individual against governments, at least two of the three directors made other films people like here - Michael Mann (Heat, Ali, The Insider); Ridley Scott (Hannibal, Black Hawk Down, Kingdom of Heaven); Mel Gibson (The Passion of the Christ, Apocalypto), all three hint at democracy in their famous quotes (see below), all three take place in a time of war and concern themselves with manliness and protection (personal and ideals), all three are violent, all three were released relatively recently and all three attempt to transcend (with various levels of success) the film action genre.
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Yet, the one I think is dramatically superior (maybe because of the source) to the other two is the one no one talks about here. It is more romantic, more about independence, more beautiful, more about sacrifice, protection and bravery, and better storytelling. None of these are great cinema, but they are in the same ballpark of many of the film discussions here and I can't figure out what makes it in the Head-Fi action hero worship canon and what doesn't. I know I've hinted at this confusion before, but can anyone explain this to me? Why not Mohicans? Pretty Please?
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| The Last of the Mohicans (1992) Duncan: And who empowered these colonials to pass judgement on England's policies, and to come and go without so much as a "by your leave"? Cora Munro: They do not live their lives "by your leave"! They hack it out of the wilderness with their own two hands, bearing their children along the way! |
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| Braveheart (1995) William Wallace: There's a difference between us. You think the people of this country exist to provide you with position. I think your position exists to provide those people with freedom. And I go to make sure that they have it. |
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| Gladiator (2000) Commodus: The general who became a slave. The slave who became a gladiator. The gladiator who defied an emperor. Striking story! But now, the people want to know how the story ends. Only a famous death will do. And what could be more glorious than to challenge the Emperor himself in the great arena? Maximus: You would fight me? Commodus: Why not? Do you think I am afraid? Maximus: I think you've been afraid all your life. |
Yet, the one I think is dramatically superior (maybe because of the source) to the other two is the one no one talks about here. It is more romantic, more about independence, more beautiful, more about sacrifice, protection and bravery, and better storytelling. None of these are great cinema, but they are in the same ballpark of many of the film discussions here and I can't figure out what makes it in the Head-Fi action hero worship canon and what doesn't. I know I've hinted at this confusion before, but can anyone explain this to me? Why not Mohicans? Pretty Please?
