The greatest love story ever...

[rurounihime]

Anyone who has seen the 1992 version of Last of the Mohicans knows what a gorgeous movie it is. The music is hauntingly beautiful, and deeply layered, and as a musician, that is one of the first things I notice about films. This film left me gasping music-wise, and then floored me with its story, leaving me aching for... well, I suppose its been about 8 years since I first saw it.

The love story in particular.

It is very easy to watch the film and see it as a love story between Hawkeye and Cora Munro, and that is definitely the driving force of the film. But the more tragic and tantalizing love story is the relationship between Alice and Uncas. Now, the reason this relationship is so astounding is that it is built in the silences. Neither of these two characters really say a whole lot in the film. Their parts are settled into the background: important, but supposedly secondary, and only given in snippets.

That's why the casting for both characters was so excellent. Jodhi May and Eric Schweig are incredibly emotive actors; they both have the ability to speak without speaking, to encompass every emotion and thought into their expressions. Words are not necessary. Their story slips into the film as silently as they do, and the viewer does not actually realize what it has done to the story as a whole until he/she is threatened with its loss.

There is a moment toward the end of the film when Schweig looks at May -- just looks at her -- and all the words are there. Everything that has gone unsaid, everything that has been built... There is a tether tighter than the thickest cord stretched between them, and suddenly, the depth of their relationship becomes painfully apparent. The agony that single gaze portrays cuts so deeply and so quickly that one cannot help but gasp... particularly if one knows what has just happened, and what's coming. If you have seen this movie, YOU KNOW EXACTLY WHAT I AM TALKING ABOUT.

I adore Last of the Mohicans for all of its tiny nuances, all of the silences. I rave about the musical score by Trevor Jones to anyone who will listen. But mostly, I love this film because I was riveted by the story told by the two quietest actors in the movie. They may be secondary to the romance between Cora and Hawkeye at first, but in the end, they slip their way to the forefront and silently take a rightful place there. Patient, and tragic, like the actor and actress portraying the two characters. And in my opinion, they leave a much bigger hole in your heart when the movie is finished.

If you haven't seen Last of the Mohicans(1992), please do. I guarantee you will not be sorry. After 8 years, it remains one of my favorite movies ever.

Comments

[iltb.livejournal.com]

I agree. In fact, Uncas & Alice's love story was the one I really watched in that movie. Especially in the last few scenes.

[rurounihime.livejournal.com]

Exactly! It's so untold, and so tragic because of that. I can't get over how sad that particular scene on the cliff edge is. It's my favorite. The way they look when they look at each other... you can see how much they care for each other.

[viridescence]

I'm playing catch-up here, now that I'm back from Paris...sorry this reply is so late.

I know exactly what you mean about Last of the Mohicans. It's a beautiful film and has an amazing incredible soundtrack. I'll tell you something about me that you didn't know.

My senior year of highschool, our marching band went to the state competition and won. Out of all the schools in the state. That state being Idaho notwithstanding, it was a pretty big deal for our school. The band returned and at an assembly, they played the music that they'd won the competition with. It was the music from Last of the Mohicans. I had seen the movie, but it had been quite some time, and I was completely floored. Riveted to my seat. I just sat there on the bleachers next to my boyfriend and cried as the music pounded through me. He kept looking at me oddly, but I just ignored him and let the music flow over me and through me. I was moved beyond words and couldn't speak until after the assembly. I remember looking around at some of the other students who were chatting and ignoring the performance and being astounded that they could tune out something so gloriously beautiful. I suppose I wasn't surprised, though; there were some pretty shallow people at my school.

Ever since then, I watch Last of the Mohicans whenever I get the chance. I still love the music, and in the scenes where it swells, I can recall that feeling I got in my highschool gym, when the music hit me so powerfully.

I agree with you about Alice and Uncas's relationship, too. It's there, slowly developing very subtlely, and is so tragic and deep. I remember that I cried when I first saw the movie. It still gets me weepy if I let it.

Anyway, I too feel that Last of the Mohicans is one of my favorite movies. The story is beautiful, and the score just makes it incredible. Just thought I'd let you know that I completely understand your passion for it.

[rurounihime.livejournal.com]

Ooh, I was in the marching band in high school. We never played THAT though. Dude, I would have given anything to have played that music. It's so phenomenal and haunting... I collect movie soundtracks that I like, and my friend finally bought it for me after I kept borrowing hers over and over. I can't get enough of that music. It compliments the story and the entire movie so well... The fiddle music at the fort and at the promentory (where it is repeated and added to) at the end are my favorites. So much emotion in those pieces. I totally lose myself in them when I am listening. Probably look rather eccentric at those times, but I don't care. It's so wonderous to me the way music can tug your emotional hold right out from under you with a few delicately placed and combined notes. I wish I had the talent to write music like that, but I am, alas, more of a player than a writer. I do write stories to it though. It's amazing how inspirational a musical piece can be. Danny Elfman (Batman, Black Beauty, Sleepy Hollow, Nightmare Before Christmas) is my muse and I write to him all the time. At elast, I used to. Need to get back into that habit...

[viridescence]

Yeah, I understand about losing yourself in the music. I love listening to great music and just getting consumed by it. Music is so incredible that way, the way it can tell a story, make you feel, take you on a ride, send you soaring, or crashing to the ground.

I never had the opportunity to learn to play an instrument, though I would have loved to (and still would, particularly the piano). We never had the money for music lessons. But I was in choir all through junior high and high school, and I remember so fondly the high that being united in creating music would give me. It's an incredible collective feeling. I still love to sing. I'm much too busy now to pursue music on anything more than a casual every-now-and-then basis, though I always have the radio on full blast when I'm commuting to work, singing along at the top of my lungs. *grin*

[rurounihime.livejournal.com]

Oh I know what you mean! I love using rock songs sung by guys to help me lower my range. I used to sing with my church choir and I was briefly a soprano, but I think I'm much closer to an alto or even a tenor nowadays. And I highly recommend the piano. I've tried a few instruments and piano is my one true love, and has been for about... 17 years now. There is something so glorious about it.

And singing... lordy. There is always that perfect moment when all the harmonies come together at once and this exquisite note is heard... gah, it gives me the shivers. I'm not a good singer, I'm certain, but I love to do it.

[viridescence]

Yeah, I was a high alto in high school. I have a high range, but it's not as strong as my mid and lower range. I love singing with a passion. I'd love to get voice lessons sometime, now that I'm not in a choir to keep me practiced. And I do plan someday to get piano lessons. I really would love to learn to play.

Yeah, that shiver moment is what I was talking about. My choir in high school had over 200 people in it, and we recorded a cd each year. I still have them, and listen to them sometimes. We went on a tour down to LA, singing in malls and high schools, and got a really good reception. It was so fun. We also had a powerful mens section. Oh, I so loved listening to the men sing--it was so deep and strong and it just resonated through my soul. *shivers just thinking about it*

[rurounihime.livejournal.com]

Ooh, the accoustics must have been really good in the malls. I can just hear it echoing all around, up and down, everywhere. I was in some of the musicals at my high school, and while our auditorium was really good for music, it was not that good for music and singing at the same time. The instruments tended to overpower the voices, no matter how softly they played. But in band it was quite lovely. Had some good times at my high school. We used to do this 24-Hour Play-a-thon to raise money for band. Sometimes the badn would play, and the rest of the time was taken up with individuals on certain instruments or voice. I remember playing piano in a nearly empty auditorium sometime around 3 in the morning. So lovely. I much rather like playing for myself than for others.

[viridescence]

The acoustics were pretty good in the malls. We sang in some cool places, though. Disneyland, a mall in Las Vegas, some high schools. We did sing-a-thons too, to raise money for choir tour and such. I didn't stay all night, though, because I'd raised enough money for my part of the trip. But the time I was there was really fun. Our choir was big enough that the accompianment didn't overpower us, but then we didn't sing with the band. We just had people who could play drums and piano and whatnot play with us. I do love singing, though. My boyfriend gives me odd looks, sometimes, when I'm singing along with the radio, but I don't care. I enjoy it too much.

[rurounihime.livejournal.com]

Hahaha! Give him some odd looks back! Honestly, singing's too good to give up on. I tend to look fairly odd when I'm really belting it out, but hell. I'm having fun.

[viridescence]

*giggle* Yeah, he just teases me about it. But he understands. He can get the same way at times, so it's all in good fun. He loves to slaughter the lyrics like Weird Al, though, which is funny, but irritating when it's a song I really like and am singing along with. Oh, well. That's my boyfriend. *grin* Love him!

[rurounihime.livejournal.com]

Ah, a parody-meister, eh? Yeah, I tend to get quite protective over the songs I like, too. Some songs are just asking to be made fun of, though.

[viridescence]

*grin* Yup, that's him. He's actually pretty good, some of the time. *chuckles* I suppose I don't really find it too annoying, though. He only does it because he's trying to make me laugh, and that's sweet of him. And yes, some songs are far too easy to parody.

[rurounihime.livejournal.com]

He sounds like a fun guy. It's good he has a sense of humor, because that's the best part.