最后的莫西干人
影评——最后一个莫西干人
lizzy 发布于:2007-07-20 16:17
有网友在贴子里这样说:“慨叹90年代初的人真是为了艺术而做电影，不像现在烂片如云，尤其是一些无聊的续集。
最后一个莫西干人绝对震撼，让人胸中充满豪情。 恢弘的气势和荡气回肠的音乐绝对不逊色,演员的
表
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演很卖力，配角也极出彩，比如magua。” 这个网友的观点我真是完全赞成!他说了两句话,前一句是我们不得不成认的事实!好莱坞在上世纪90年代初真是涌现出不少的精品,我在mtime论坛群组情迷好莱里发出的话题“大家来谈一下九十年代初的好莱坞电影吧”被管理员加分，我想一定程式度上也代表了这一点。另外我要说的是《最后一个莫西干人》这部片子。第一次看到这部影片，是在北京大学图书馆南配殿的小放映厅，影片一开始我就被大气的音乐和一片在蓝色雾霭中的壮美山峦吸引住了。
最精彩的是鹰眼的爱情，在他与科娜之间，本来应该横亘着一条地位和教养的鸿沟。作为一个在英国上流社会长大的女子，科娜有着一种高贵的美丽，烦琐的贵族服装掩盖不住她的活力，对邓肯求婚的拒绝又表明了她很有主见。吸引她的，不仅仅是鹰眼刚毅的外表，更是他身体里跳动的自由之心。两个富于活力的人的相遇是何等的激情，灼热的眼神，还有他们独特的爱情表白:I will find you～
(我会找到你～)，他们的爱情是影片的灵魂。在电影中，鹰眼是一个奔跑起来不知疲倦的印第安猎人。他枪法精湛，可以在很远之外击中奔跑的猎物，他对同伴和朋友忠心耿耿，为他们宁愿献出生命，他勇敢无畏，他热爱大自然热爱自由，不愿为英法两国在美洲大陆上争夺殖民地的战争而卖命。我们不禁会感叹英国演员丹尼尔.戴.刘易斯的表现，他让我们相信他就是鹰眼本人:行动超过语言，动作敏捷而有力度，为我们展示了一种独特的男子汉的魅力。
如果说这是一首关于一个已经失落了的民族的夕阳挽歌，它所张扬的自由理想与抗争精神却留在了历史深处。如果说这是一个跨越了生死荣辱的爱情故事，它所包含的末世豪情和悲壮气息同样被人们深深铭记。这就是拍摄于1992的影片《最后一个莫希干人》，它在一片广袤的西部土地上，向我们展开了一场以十七世纪英法两国争夺美洲殖民地为背景的冷兵器时代的战争。
影片中，殖民者与被殖民者的斗争，怀有不同目的的土著间的矛盾，以及追求自由的白裔土著与向往真情的贵族女子之间的爱情遭遇，都被刻画得入木三分。在这一片交织着爱恨情仇的光影世界背后，导演要向我们讲述的，不过是那个已经为自己的信念而献身的莫希干人，和那些我们已经久违了的壮烈情怀。
影片《最后一个莫希干人》取材真实的历史背景，这无疑带给整部影片悲壮而沉郁的情调。在那个残酷的年代，殖民者对印第安人采取了赶尽杀绝的政策，有些印第安人的整个部族都被贪婪的殖民者消灭
了。因此，正如这部影片的片名所暗示出的那样，《最后一个莫希干人》表达了一种末世的悲哀.
令人赞赏的男人有两种:一种男人有一个他着迷的事业，他因为在事业的不断努力中获得回报，并有一个和睦的家庭和完整的人生;另一种男人则爱好自由，他可以象猎豹一样敏捷，象狮子一样勇敢，他，还愿意为爱人献出一切。“最后的莫西干人”中的鹰眼，就是这样的男人。不管是鹰眼和科娜的爱情，还是宏大的战争场面，给人的感觉十分“锐利”，优美的景色、音乐与令人震惊的搏斗撼动着观众的神经。
本片的原著是詹姆斯.费尼摩尔.库柏的同名小说，创作于1826年，虽然现在看来，那是一部二流小说，但是它因为是最早美国人的本土作品而受到推崇。在小说中，鹰眼并不象本片的描述那样显眼，而且对当时殖民者对印第安人的残暴政策颇多指责。电影弱化了这种指责，而把鹰眼这个受印第安教育长大的白人的冒险和爱情作为电影的主线。与其他电影中的荒凉的西部不同，本片的西部隐藏在巍峨的群山之中，野性的印第安人在其中出没，那些风景镜头极具美感。
本片的历史背景是真实的。英国和法国确实为争夺美洲大陆进行过多次战争，而他们都利用印第安人之间的矛盾互相惨杀，而且电影中印第安人对撤退英军的屠杀在历史上确有其事。本片的战争场面
非常壮观和逼真，尤其是印第安人与撤退英军之间的短兵相接地战斗，拍地非常壮美，再加上良好的视听效果，其给人带来的震撼不亚于现在那些热兵器的战争片。通过电影，观众也可以了解一些历史和战争知识。例如印第安人的战斧和战团以及割头皮的习惯，似乎本片中的印第安人更加先进一些，英国人那些穿着显眼的红色军服，敲着鼓点，排好队形再开枪的做法现在看来简直愚蠢透顶。
在战争结束以后，殖民者对印第安人采取了赶尽杀绝的政策，有些印第安人的整个部族都被消灭，本片的片名“最后的莫西干人”无疑就是表达的这种悲哀。现在，美国的印第安人已经得到了相对平等的地位，这部影片也是对历史的反思的一部分。随着社会的发展，美国人也开始反思历史。印第安文化也慢慢融入了美国的文化，实际上，印第安人对于战争和大自然都有着独特的看法，他们与大自然的亲密关系，对于我们现在的工业社会处理与大自然的关系有很多借鉴。对篮球感兴趣的读者一定知道，现在湖人队的传奇教练菲尔.杰克逊就特别推崇印第安苏族的思想，还有因为贝克汉姆而名闻天下的只留头部一条头发的“莫西干头”，是印第安文化走向世界的有趣例证。但无论如何，那样的男人，那样的西部，只会产生在那个久远年代，在这个工业文明席卷全球，战争中连对方的面也见不着的年代，这部史诗性的电影只能是失落时代的回忆吧。
The Last of the Mohicans
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This article is about the novel. For other uses, see The Last of the Mohicans (disambiguation).
The Last of the Mohicans
Author James Fenimore Cooper
Country United states of America
Language English
Series Leatherstocking
Genre(s) Historical novel
Publisher H.C. Carey & I. Lea
Publication date February 1826
Media type Print (Hardback and
Paperback)
Pages 2 vol.
ISBN N/A
Preceded by The Pioneers (1823)
Followed by The Prairie (1827)
is a historical novel by James Fenimore The Last of the Mohicans
Cooper, first published in January 1826.
It was one of the most popular English-language novels of its time. Its narrative flaws were criticized from the start, and its length and elaborately formal prose style have reduced its appeal to later readers. Mark Twain, in particular, was
critical of the author's style: "Cooper’s art has some defects. In one place in ‘Deerslayer,’ and in the restricted space of two-thirds of a page, Cooper has scored 114 offences against literary art out of a possible 115. It breaks the record." Regardless, The Last of the Mohicans is widely read in American
literature courses. This second book of the Leatherstocking
Tales pentalogy is the best known. The Pathfinder, written 14
[1]years later in 1840, is its sequel.
Cooper named a principal character Uncas after a real person. Uncas was a Mohegan, not a Mohican, and Cooper's usage has
helped to confuse the names of two tribes to the present day. When John Uncas, his last surviving male descendant, died in 1842, the Newark Daily Advertiser wrote "Last of the Mohegans
[2]Gone" lamenting the extinction of the tribe. The writer was
not aware that Mohegans still existed then, as they do to the present day.
The story takes place in 1757 during the Seven Years' War (known
in America as the French and Indian War), when France and Great
Britain battled for control of the North American colonies. During this war, the French often allied themselves with Native
American tribes in order to gain an advantage over the British, with unpredictable and often tragic results.
Contents
[hide]
, 1 Plot
, 2 Characters
, 3 Style and themes
, 4 Adaptations
, 5 See also
, 6 Notes
, 7 References
, 8 External links
[edit] Plot
This section requires expansion.
The story is set in the British province of New York during the
French and Indian War, and concerns—in part—a Huron massacre
(with passive French acquiescence) of between 500 to 1,500 Anglo-American troops, who had honorably surrendered at Fort
William Henry, plus some women and servants; the kidnapping of two sisters, daughters of the British commander; and their rescue by the last two Mohicans, and others. Parts of the story may have been derived from the capture and death of Jane McCrea
in July 1777 near Fort Edward, New York, by members of an Algonquian tribe.
The title of the book comes from a quote by Tamenund: "I have
[3]lived to see the last warrior of the wise race of the Mohicans".
In addition, Chingachgook himself provides the title with the words "when Uncas follows in my footsteps, there will no longer be any of the blood of the sagamores, for my boy is the last
[4] of the Mohicans."
[edit] Characters
, Magua (ma-gwah)– the villain of the piece; a Huron chief
driven from his tribe for drunkenness and later whipped
by the British Army (also for drunkenness), for which he
blames Colonel Munro. Also known as "Sly Fox."
, Chingachgook – last chief of the Mohican tribe; escort
to the traveling Munro sisters, father to Uncas. Also has
the Indian name of "Great Snake".
, Uncas – the son of Chingachgook and the titular "Last of
the Mohicans" (meaning, the last pure-blooded Mohican
[5]born).
, Natty Bumppo, known as "Hawkeye" – the "American hero"
and escort to the Munro sisters, long-time friend of
Chingachgook. Also known to the Indians and the French as
"La Longue Carabine" on account of his long rifle and
shooting skills.
, Cora Munro – dark-haired daughter of Colonel Munro; her
mother (who died young) was half-white half-black, which
means that Cora is a quadroon. The Huron chief Magua takes
a liking for her and wants to make her his wife. Later in
the book Cora meets her end by the knife of one of Magua's
men
, Alice Munro – Cora's younger, blond half-sister.
, Colonel Munro – the sisters' father, a British army
colonel in command of Fort William Henry.
, Duncan Heyward – a British army major from Virginia who
[6]falls in love with Alice Munro.
, David Gamut – a psalmodist (teacher of psalm singing)
also known as "the singing master" due to the fact that
he sang for every event.
, General Daniel Webb – Colonel Munro's commanding officer,
originally stationed at Albany, who later takes command
at Fort Edward (from where he cannot or will not come to
Colonel Munro's aid when Fort William Henry is besieged
by the French).
, General Marquis de Montcalm – the French
commander-in-chief, referred to by the Hurons and other
Indian allies of the French as "The great white father of
the Canadas".
, Tamenund – An ancient, wise, and revered Delaware Indian
sage who has outlived three generations of warriors. He
is the "Sachem" of the Delaware.
Themes, Motifs & Symbols
Themes
Themes are the fundamental and often universal ideas explored in a literary work.
Interracial Love and Friendship
The Last of the Mohicans is a novel about race and the difficulty of overcoming racial divides. Cooper suggests that interracial mingling is both desirable and dangerous. Cooper lauds the genuine and longtime friendship between Hawkeye, a white man, and Chingachgook, a Mohican Indian. Hawkeye and Chingachgook’s shared communion with nature transcends race, enabling them to team up against Huron enemies
and to save white military leaders like Heyward. On the other hand, though, Cooper shows his conviction that interracial romances are doomed and undesirable. The interracial love of Uncas and Cora ends in tragedy, and the forced interracial relationship between Cora and Magua is portrayed as unnatural. Through Cora, Cooper suggests that interracial desire can be inherited; Cora desires Indian men because her mother was part black.
Literal and Metaphorical Nature
Nature functions both literally and metaphorically in The Last of the
Mohicans. In its literal form, nature is the physical frontier that surrounds the characters and complicates their battles and their chances for survival. In the opening paragraphs of Chapter I, Cooper describes the unpredictability of the colonial terrain, pointing out that the cleared, flat battlefields of Europe are no longer the setting for war. The New World
has a new set of natural difficulties, and the men at war must contend not just with each other but with the unfriendly land. The forbidding landscape seems even more daunting to the English because their adversaries, the Indians loyal to France, know the land so well. The skills of the English have no place in the forests of America. David Gamut’s religious Calvinism, a European religion, becomes ridiculous in the wilderness.
Metaphorically, the land serves as a blank canvas on which the characters paint themselves. Cooper defines characters by their relationships to nature. Hawkeye establishes his claim to heroism by respecting the landscape. The English Major Heyward establishes his incompetence by misunderstanding the landscape. While he means well, his unfamiliarity with the wilderness thwarts him. Magua uses the landscape to carry out his villainy, hiding women in caves, jumping wildly over abysses, and hiding behind rocks.
The Role of Religion in the Wilderness
The character David Gamut allows Cooper to explore the relevance of religion in the wilderness. In theory at least, the American frontier is untouched by human culture. It is a fresh start, a piece of land not ruled by the conventions of European high culture, a place without a firm government or social code. Gamut’s aggressive Calvinism symbolizes the
entrance of religion, a European model that enters the blank slate of the New World. We know Gamut is a Calvinist because he talks about predestination, the idea that God has a plan for each person and no amount of human effort can change that plan. Hawkeye’s frequent mockery of Gamut’s psalmody provides the novel’s comic relief. The mockery, which comes from the mouth of the hero, also suggests that institutional religion should not attempt to penetrate the wilderness and convert its inhabitants. Because Cooper makes Gamut ridiculous and Hawkeye heroic, it seems that, like Hawkeye, Cooper scoffs at Calvinism’s tenets.
Gamut’s fatalism contrasts with Hawkeye’s pragmatism. Hawkeye adapts to his surroundings and helps the other characters to achieve improbable survivals, all of which suggests that Cooper believes humans do have the
ability to determine their own fates. By the end of the novel the Calvinist Gamut learns to move beyond the rigidity of his religion and become a helpful and committed ally. He succeeds when he finds the ability to leave behind his fatalistic passivity and adapt to the demands of the forest. Cooper’s exploration of Calvinism sets the stage for many American writers of subsequent generations. For example, Herman Melville’s tragic hero Ahab subscribes to the rigid belief in fate that Calvinism endorses.
The Changing Idea of Family
Cooper uses the frontier setting to explore the changing status of the family unit. Cooper posits that the wilderness demands new definitions of family. Uncas and Hawkeye, for example, form a makeshift family structure. When Uncas’s real father, Chingachgook, disappears without explanation in the middle portion of the novel, Hawkeye becomes a symbolic father for Uncas. As Uncas develops his leadership qualities and emerges as a hero at the Delaware council of Tamenund, he takes on some of the charisma and skill of Hawkeye, just as a son would inherit behavior from his father. Not only do Uncas and Hawkeye form a family not related by blood, they form a family that transcends race. Despite this redefinition, however, the novel does not allow new family formations that mix race, for Uncas and Cora do not get to act on their interracial attraction. The tragedy of this sentimental novel is that Cora and Uncas cannot redefine the notion of family according to their desires. Motifs
Motifs are recurring structures, contrasts, or literary devices that can help to develop and inform the text’s major themes.
Hybridity
The concept of hybridity is central to the novel’s thematic explorations of race and family. Hybridity is the mixing of separate elements into one whole, and in the novel it usually occurs when nature and culture intersect, or when two races intersect. For example, Cora is a hybrid because her mother was black and her father white. Hawkeye is a hybrid because he is white by blood and Indian by habit. Part of Hawkeye’s success comes from his ability to combine elements of the European and Indian worlds. With Hawkeye, Cooper challenges the idea that essential differences separate the two cultures. Cooper’s depictions of hybridity predate the nineteenth century’s extensive debate on the term’s cultural and scientific meanings. The term “hybridity” became popular at the end of the nineteenth century, when rapid developments in genetics occurred. Disguise
Cooper uses the motif of disguise to resolve plot difficulties and to provide comic relief. The fantastical nature of the disguises also detracts from the believability of Cooper’s story. Indians who have known the
land their whole life, for example, mistake a man disguised in a beaver costume as an actual beaver. These unrealistically convincing costumes are part of Cooper’s move away from realism. Disguise is characteristic of the romantic genre, which favors excesses of imagination over the confinements of reason. The Last of the Mohicans wants to be
simultaneously a historically specific narrative, an adventure novel, and a romance. Cooper plays with the comic possibilities of romance, especially by exaggerating human appearances. Disguise therefore proves not only a practical solution to plot dilemmas but an indication that Cooper intends to make his novel partly an amusing romance. Inheritance
Inheritance informs the novel’s thematic portrayals of family redefinition.
The idea of inheritance frequently recurs in the father-son relationship of Hawkeye and Uncas. When Chingachgook disappears in the middle of the novel, Hawkeye becomes a father figure for Uncas and oversees Uncas’s coming-of-age. Hawkeye gives Uncas a valuable inheritance, teaching him and showing him how to become a man and a leader. Symbols
Symbols are objects, characters, figures, or colors used to represent abstract ideas or concepts.
Hawkeye
Hawkeye is both a character and a symbol. Cooper uses Hawkeye to symbolize colonial hybridity, the mixing of European and Indian cultures. Hawkeye also symbolizes the myth of the hero woodsman. He
demonstrates perfect marksmanship in the shooting contest held by the Delawares, for example. Hawkeye also becomes a symbolic father. Excluded from the novel’s love plots, Hawkeye takes part in a different sort of human relationship by creating a father-son dynamic with Uncas. “The Last of the Mohicans”
The recurring description of Uncas as “the last of the Mohicans” symbolizes the death of Indian culture at the hands of the encroaching European civilization. The title anticipates the ultimate tragedy of the novel’s plot. Although the title specifically refers to Uncas, it also alludes to a larger historical event: the genocidal removal of the Indians by President Andrew Jackson’s policies of the 1830s. The phrase “the last of
the Mohicans” laments the extermination of the ways of life native to America.
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