MovieChat Forums > The Last of the Mohicans (1992) Discussion > Did Magua regain some form of humanistic...

Did Magua regain some form of humanistic compassion towards the end?

posted 2 years ago by PopMusicFan1927 (114)
6 replies | jump to latest

After Magua kills Uncas and the younger Munro daughter is standing on the edge of the cliff, clearly contemplating suicide, Magua extends his hand and has this very powerful (and almost vulnerable/humanistic) gaze as he looks at her before she jumps. I know that this movie (and the majority of Michael Mann's films) is big on the use of non-verbal communiation/body language/ facial expression: I feel like Magua's eyes and expression here is indicative of him "pulling a Darth Vader from Return of the Jedi" and having his ethical side resurface after all of the bloodshed and brutality that defined his existence. I know that lots of folks view Magua's intentions here as not being altruistic at all and that he only wanted to prevent the younger Munro daughter from jumping because she was going to be used by him as a sexual object. Yet, I did not get that vibe at all from Magua at this point - I feel like he was having a moment in which some form of paternal instinct and human decency returned to him after his violent ways had caused so much chaos.

Thoughts?

[–] doctorc1970 (278) 2 years ago

That's always exactly what I thought.

[–] Ripkens25 (2016) 2 years ago

I didn't take it as compassion. She was his "property", and worth more to him alive than dead. So, he extended his hand in an effort to dissuade her from jumping. The look in his eyes, to me, was cold, blank indifference.

[–] overseas7 (4248) 2 years ago

I do not think so. He just wanted to sell her in order to get weapons or something else.

[–] spurtle467 (1547) 2 years ago

He doesn't care that much for her one way or the other, even though he would rather keep her because she'd have her uses. So no I don't think he's necessarily showing a humane side by looking at her and reaching out to her. Having said that I don't even view Magua as an evil human being, in that he has a legitimate reason to feel hostile towards Monroe and wanted to punish him and his bloodline, and this was down to losing his own family. He's not some tyrannical bad guy just causing pain and cruelty for the sake of it. I could therefore understand if one wants to interpret him showing a compassionate side.

[–] Drooch (5333) 2 years ago

Stockholm Syndrome.

[–] whynotwriteme (7720) 2 years ago

I doubt it. Magua's culture did not even consider members of enemy groups to be full human beings. Every tribe's name for themselves meant "The Real Human Beings" or words to that effect. Their names for the neighboring tribes were usually insulting or demonizing, such as "Eaters of Raw Meat", "Snakes" or "Maneaters" or just "Enemies". No way would Magua be suddenly become enlightened with modern humanistic values.

He was just trying to keep her from jumping because she was his property.