THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS

If Michael Mann was out of his comfort zone with "The Last of the Mohicans" you would never have guessed it for this is one of the most energised and exciting of all historical epics. Based, for the most part, on James Fenimore Cooper's classic novel, as well as on the screenplay of the 1936 film version, it positively soars with a visual poetry rare in this kind of movie, (the cinematographer, Dante Spinotti, won the BAFTA but didn't even manage to pick up an Oscar nomination).

Most people will, of course, know the story. Daniel Day-Lewis turns Hawkeye into a great romantic hero, helping the British to fight the French as well as Magua's murderous Indians, in the Colonies prior to the War of Independence. Madeleine Stowe is the spunky general's daughter who falls for him and Wes Studi makes Magua one of the greatest of all screen villains.
For a director more accustomed to urban crime dramas Mann handles both the period setting and the plentiful action sequences superbly. There isn't a false note to be found anywhere in this picture which, in the 25 years since it first appeared, has built up the reputation of a contemporary classic.