MovieChat Forums > The Last of the Mohicans (1992) Discussion > Too short

Too short

posted 2 years ago by Drooch (5333)
7 replies | jump to latest

Mohicans is a fine film and the last half hour is mesmerising with that transcendent music playing over the final conflicts and tragic deaths.

But, before all that the film is so-so. All the quality ingredients are there but it feels a bit rushed and it’s difficult to settle into the story and really buy into the plights of the main characters. The film feels like it wants to be a 3 hour epic with richer characters, more detail, more breathing room. Instead it kind of breezes along with music overlaid and wraps up in 2 hours.

It needed to be a true epic. Instead it just sort of resembles one and has a great final act.

EDIT: I’ve since read that Mann’s original cut was 3 hours but Fox (who were dickheads in 1992 - remember what they did to Fincher and Alien3?) insisted he hack it down to 2. Weirdly, his subsequent director’s cuts of the film have been even shorter 🤷🏻‍♂️

[–] whoanelly (1586) 2 years ago

Iirc, the director’s cut version leaves out the beautiful Clannad music near the end.

[–] Drooch (5333) 2 years ago

The epic score that covers the entire final act of the film??

[–] whoanelly (1586) 2 years ago

Some of it, and the song, “I Will Find You,” by the Irish band, Clannad.

[–] Drooch (5333) 2 years ago

In the Director’s Definitive Edition the classic track Promentory plays throughout almost the entire final act. Are you saying the Theatrical replaced a portion of Promentory with Clannad’s song?

[–] [deleted] 2 years ago

Disagree. I thought the film was long enough and it dragged at times.

[–] Melton (4461) 2 months ago

I think it drags because the pacing is off. If it had more room to breathe it would flow better and feel shorter.

[–] HarlemEagle42 (17745) 5 months ago

I think it moves along at the right pace. Especially for a Michael Mann movie.