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Ahead of a trip to NC mountains tomorrow, Last of the Mohicans tonight. I'd forgotten that it opens with all three dudes just CRUISING over gnarly-ass terrain. can't believe what shape those dudes must have been in just to film it
When it comes right down to it, the final 10 minutes of that movies is the best action climax ever made. there is ZERO bullshit, half the protagonsits die, it unspools in PERFECT Final Boss-progression, and then the credits roll 12 seconds later.
and the actual name of the movie - which has not been said out loud prior - are the LAST WORDS SPOKEN.
Fabulous!
Fabulous!
Also, the music is a wonder. the driving violin over building strings, and that's all. no horrific space-opera orchestra blasts, no horn cresendo to 'build/ruin' tension. its music that sounds like its already, in real time, narrating a myth
So some quick NC/Last of the Mohicans trivia.
For the most part, the movie - filmed entirely in western NC, within an hour of Asheville - makes up its geography (it's 'set' in upstate NY).../
For the most part, the movie - filmed entirely in western NC, within an hour of Asheville - makes up its geography (it's 'set' in upstate NY).../
But the final two scenes of the climax are exactly accurate to the geography.
In the Huron village, you see a huge waterfall maybe 2 miles in the distance. that's in Chimney Rock state park.../
In the Huron village, you see a huge waterfall maybe 2 miles in the distance. that's in Chimney Rock state park.../
after they burn the English guy, Magua takes Cora and his soldiers out of the village and starts marching up the narrow trail across a sheer cliff face, where the final rescue takes place.
and that checks out! that trail/cliff is the real trail to that waterfall.
and that checks out! that trail/cliff is the real trail to that waterfall.
Then, in the final few seconds, post rescue, Daniel Day Lewis, his dad and Madeline Stowe reflect as they stare out from the top of a crag across a mountainscape - and that's the top of Chimney Rock! ..../
Only part that doesn't QUITE check out is that the fight trail - the rescue, the showdown, etc - is not the trail that leads to the top of the falls, where the dad Boss-levels Magua. the fight trail is the trail that leads to the bottom, which does not connect.
minor, for sure
minor, for sure
rest of the movie is a gorgoues but totally slapped together patchwork. We've been to about 1/2 of the waterfalls in the movie, and what you realize is that they sometimes use 2-3 completely different falls/locations to make one scene.
