Last of the Mohicans — Final Battle
Last of the Mohicans is not among the most legendary movies but there are very few movies which can touch you as this one. The final seven minutes of the movie is an absolute masterclass and this movie has perhaps the best ending of any movie — ever.
The last clip is all about brilliant acting, pure unadulterated emotions, sacrifice, brutal fighting scenes, breathtaking landscapes and most of all, a soul touching soundtrack. All in just over seven minutes!
Not a single word is spoken as soon as the action starts. Thoughts are expressed through eyes, through silent screams, through submission, through anguish, through defeat.
The very first scene starts with sacrifice — both Duncan (the British guy) and Hawkeye (Daniel Day-Lewis) offered to sacrifice themselves to save Cora (their common love interest). Duncan, who was a nutcase throughout the movie, wins ultimately. Hawkeye ends his torture through a rifle shot — these are 18th century rifles with rustic noise — as Cora looks away.
Uncas (the younger guy) gives a gentle pat on his father’s (Chingachgook) shoulder, a second’s glance and walks away to save Alice (Cora’s younger sister). Uncas will never see his father again. His father, a Mohican, will lose his lineage forever (hence the movie’s name — Last of the Mohicans).
The action in this final battle is too realistic and even more believable. In the age of CGIs, superhero and fantasy movies, it is not common to see raw hand-to-hand combat. There are no special effects here. There are no fancy weapons. This battle is just about knives, rifles, and a weird weapon carried by Chingachgook (called the Gunstock Club).
Uncas is climbing swiftly over the mountains using his bare hands (like mammals!) to ambush the native American tribe led by Magua (a badass, if ever there was one). Uncas is young, strong, energetic and a great warrior. But he’s also deeply in love. His emotions get the better off him and he makes a strategic mistake. He locks hands with Magua who mercilessly kills him, enjoying and relishing the kill. Uncas looks at Alice one final time, perhaps apologising that he couldn’t save her. Blood spills of Uncas as Magua looks away, his hands filled with blood.
Chingachgook utters a loud — but silent — roar, filled with anguish as he watches his son die and his lineage destroyed forever.
Perhaps the most powerful scene of the movie comes up. Alice cries and looks away in submission, sees the love of her life pushed away from the cliff. She decides and makes up her mind to follow him to eternity, ready to commit suicide. Magua sees Alice and both look at each for several seconds. The music adds to the intensity. Magua, a cold-blooded guy otherwise, shows a hint of emotion as he drops his weapon, raises his hand to Alice, covered in Alice’s lover’s blood, offering her a final solace. Alice — unaware that help is coming — joins Uncas.
The tribe moves on. The music rolls on.
Hawkeye wants revenge. Chingachgook even more. Hawkeye — the protagonist, and the famous Daniel Day Lewis — takes the backseat as he lets his adopted father go for the final, most epic, battle.
Hawkeye uses the rifles efficiently, reloading it on the run, using two rifles with two hands to kill two native Americans (perhaps the only unrealistic scene in the whole battle :-) ). Chingachgook runs straight towards Magua who is ready for him. Chingachgook is devastated but that doesn’t affect his thinking. He ducks, goes behind, and nullifies Magua with two swift blows. They share a brief look at each other — Magua in utter shock and defeat on what happened in the last 3 seconds, Chingachgook in anger — as the latter ends the former’s misery.
Magua is gone, Chingachgook is the last remaining Mohican on Earth. No one wins.
I have watched this scene tens of times, and listened to this soundtrack hundreds of times, but it never gets old. Is this the best ever ending in movie history? For me, it definitely is.
