The Last of the Mohicans (BBC Masterpiece Theatre TV Mini-Series)

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Starring: Kenneth Ives
Rated: NR (Not Rated)
Type: DVD
Studio: Koch Vision
Release Date: 2007-02-13
Running Time: 344 minutes
Number of Items: 2
The definitive adaptation of the James Fenimore Cooper novel, this eight-part BBC production stars John Abineri, in an Emmy-nominated performance as the Mohican Indian Chingachgook, and Kenneth Ives as the intrepid frontier scout Hawkeye. In 1757, during the French and Indian War, half-sisters Cora and Alice Munro set out to join their father, the British Commander of Fort William Henry. After they are betrayed by the villainous Huron Magua, the sisters are rescued by Hawkeye, whose efforts to lead them to safety are aided by Chingachgook and his son Uncas.

The old Masterpiece Theater version
The Masterpiece Theater version of "The Last of the Mohicans" is quite different from the Daniel Day-Lewis version. Both have their attractions. The movie version is absolutely gorgeous visually; the soundtrack is compelling; the action is unremitting. But the TV version has its own appeal. The sound track is sparer, but--in its own way--still effective. The serial, first produced by the BBC, is much more leisurely, nearly six hours on two DVDs. The visual depiction is pretty primitive, outside of some outdoor shots. Battle scenes do not compare. The pace is slower, which makes it less dramatic than the movie--but allows for greater exposition. Each viewer will have to determine how well this works. But for me? I recall enjoying this immensely while I was in graduate school at the State University of New York at Buffalo. I'd make sure that my schedule was free for each episode! And I enjoyed greatly revisiting this old treasure from the days of my youth.

Kenneth Ives plays Natty Bumppo, "Hawkeye" or "La longue carabine"; Philip Madoc plays the grim warrior Magua. Chingachgook? John Abineri. Uncas is played by Richard Warwick and Copra Munro by Patricia Maynard.

If you're familiar with the Daniel Day-Lewis version (or, for that matter, the Randolph Scott version), there are differences. The first episode illustrates. This begins with Hawkeye, Chingachgook, and Uncas serving as scouts for Colonel Munro at Fort William Henry--quite a distance from the movie version. Munro's daughters are first seen in Scotland, before they leave for the colonies to see their father. At one point in this episode, there is an affecting scene between Hawkeye and Chingachgook on the declining fortune of the Mohicans and the relations between Native Americans and the English and colonists. Shortly thereafter, Hawkeye spies the oncoming Indian and French forces under General Montcalm. And the action has now begun. . . .

Anyhow, if you can accept issues raised in my first paragraph, you are likely to find this an attractive presentation. One star off for the mediocre production values.

If you can't read the book watch this film .
You will not find a closer to the book film than this though not identical close enough . This film is appropriate for any age and If you teach or Home School this would be a good companion piece to watch as you read the book. I did this and it greatly increased my enjoyment of the film . As there are some gaps and scenes in the film that are improved greatly by the written words . The Book is an amazing book for any time . This film is divided into 8 easy to watch episodes . Making it even easier to use as a teaching tool or just to watch for good clean entertainment .

A viewing treasure - and a wonderful adaptation of the Cooper novel
I think this eight part mini-series is the best adaptation of Cooper's novel to the screen. The plot is pretty close to what was actually written (unlike the Daniel Day Lewis movie, which is really only "suggested by" the novel). While you do have to get used to the 1970s style British TV interiors that seem more like filmed stage productions, the exterior shots run from very good to fairly spectacular. The movie was shot in Scotland, so while they manage to capture the flavor of forests, forts, and wilderness, they do not have the underbrush and true wildness of American forests. But these are tiny quibbles. Let's talk instead about the strengths of this wonderful series.

The actors were wonderfully cast and bring a wonderful presence to the roles they play. They are wonderfully evocative not only of the period in which the characters were supposed to live, but also of the way they are characterized in the novel. Kenneth Ives is quite good as Hawkeye and captures the man of the forest who understands the ways of both the whites and the Indians, but is joined completely to neither side. John Abineri is terrific as the last Mohican, Chingachgook. He has wonderful dignity and the mystery required for the role. Richard Warwick does a great job as Chingachgook's son, Uncas. Philip Madoc does a more than fine job as the angry, vengeful, conniving, and weaker than he imagines himself Huron chief, Magua.

The other main British characters are Andrew Crawford as Colonel Munro who wants nothing more than a post back in Scotland rather than on the dark side of the moon Fort McAllister. He finally asks his adult daughters to come to New York where he will come to meet them. The daughters, Cora (Patricia Maynard) and Alice (Joanna David) decide to travel to the fort. The events of this travel and what is happening with the French forces coming down from Canada (this is set in the Seven Years War / French and Indian War - depending which name you want to call it) supply the engine for all the events in the film. The actors playing the Munros are terrific. I love the way the father holds his reserve and dignity while doing his duty yet we never lose sight of his weariness and hurt. The daughters are very different people, but they show us their toughness, bravery, and willingness to go beyond the decorum of their time, but still retain a sense of proper early 19th Century British manners.

I can't go through the whole cast, but I didn't see anyone on the screen that I didn't enjoy. Some comment on the way the Indians at one moment stumble over their English and yet at other times speak eloquently. In my view, it is simply because when Indians are speaking English to the white people they stumble over speaking a foreign tongue. However, when they speak to other Indians, they are speaking their own language beautifully, but represented as English for us so we can understand it.

This series is a treasure and wonderful experience if you don't allow yourself to get hung up on the way the British filmed (or taped) the interiors of these kinds of things in the 1970s. I got used to it quickly and found this a wonderful viewing experience.

Reviewed by Craig Matteson, Ann Arbor, MI

Willing Suspension of Disbelief
A "willing suspension of disbelief" is necessary for those viewing this much-awaited (and much loved) version of Cooper's story. This was made for audiences focusing more on the story, fine acting and a tale well-told than on special effects and Hollywood stylizing. The "low production values" cited in the Amazon review appears to emanate from a set of expectations emphasizing the latter.

If no one has mentioned it earlier - it's worth noting that, when introducing the series on Masterpiece Theater in 1971, host Alistair Cooke pointedly addressed the issue of the Indians' British accents. Jarring though it may have sounded to American audiences, he stated, it was important to remember that the Native Americans in this story were taught English by the English themselves. No surprise, then, that they spoke it with an English accent.

All in all, this is a classic for all the right reasons.

Good in 1971, not so much now.
I had fond memories of this series from when it was first broadcast by the BBC in 1971, so I recently bought the DVD set. 37 years later it seems very amateurish and I don't recommend it to anyone who isn't looking for nostalgia, as I was. It was a struggle to watch all the way through. However the flute theme music is good and exactly as remembered.

The production now just reminds me of a high school play in terms of production quality and imagery which, to be fair, are only typical of the time. The acting and dialogue are stilted and most of the put-on red-man accents are terrible (Phillip Madoc is a strange Welsh-sounding Magua). Hawkeye and Uncas are weak and nothing like the immensly strong characters of the book. The best acting comes from Munroe and his 2 daughters.

As noted elsewhere in these reviews, the story is pretty faithful to the book - much more so than the Day-Lewis film. However, the latter is a far more interesting and entertaining to the modern viewer thanks to budget, technology and expertise not available to the BBC in 1971.