4.0 out of 5 stars
Not the experience it could have been..., Oct 30 2001
This review is from: Last of Mohicans (DVD)
An excellent film with outstanding print quality but the whole experience of watching it was spoilt for me by a very poor musical score and sub titles that are simply text on a black screen.
Atmosphere is so important when watching a silent film -- you have to be totally immersed in all the aspects that constitute the whole. Having a totally inappropriate and monotonous synth score and sub titles that have no charm whatsoever,kept jarring me back to the present and as a result I could not appreciate the film as it deserved to be. A solo piano would have been preferable if a cost was a consideration and there is no excuse for not using, or at least reproducing, the original titles.
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5.0 out of 5 stars
The Best of the Mohicans, May 24 2001
This review is from: Last of Mohicans (DVD)
Last of the Mohicans is a very fine silent adaptation of James Fenimore Cooper's Classic novel. The film distils a long novel into its fairly short running time, but remains faithful to the essence of Cooper's story. The main change is that the role of Hawkeye is relegated to one of secondary importance. The emphasis of the film is on the romance between Uncas and Cora Munro and the scheming of the evil Magua to have Cora for himself.
The performances in the film are naturalistic and full of feeling. Wallace Beery as Magua makes a fine villain, while Barbara Bedford is a stunning Cora, brave, beautiful and feisty. But what makes this film work so well is the use of location, the glorious scenery and the thrilling action. Some of this action is surprisingly violent, especially an attack by drunken Hurons on a group of refugees. This attack includes a shocking scene of an infant torn from her mother's arms and thrown skyward to its death. Although the Hurons are shown in a poor light, the film on the whole, as is the case with Cooper's novel, is sympathetic towards the Native American characters. Uncas is portrayed as a far superior man to Cora's original British suitor. Her being attracted to Uncas is shown to be natural and indeed commonplace. This must have seemed a daring approach for a film made in 1920, a time when interracial romance was considered taboo.
This is a very well produced DVD. The print quality is first class with almost no apparent damage. The colour-tinted images are sharp and clear and some of the scenes are dazzling in their beauty. The film is accompanied by a score which fits in well with the action and adds to the mood of the whole viewing experience.
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4.0 out of 5 stars
WONDERFUL PICTURE but..., Oct 29 2000
This review is from: Last of Mohicans (DVD)
This is truly one of the best silent dramas - beautifully performed and filmed. If you are a silent film purist, the Slingshot DVD will surely cause the hair on your neck to stand up. The score is excellent, but of a modern style and totally out of character. The titles (even the opening credits) have all been replaced by a modern style. The original film portion would rate 5 stars, but the slash and burn reconstruction detracts. If Image Entertainment ever puts this out, go for it instead.
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