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THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS - 1992

based on novel by James Fenimore Cooper
and 1936 screenplay by Phillip Dunne
adapted by ?,?,?
screenplay by Michael Mann and Christopher Crowe

*

1757. Hills and fog. Natty runs through the woods, joined by Chingachkook and Uncas. They run and run. They shoot an elk and pray over it, apologizing for having to kill it and honor its courage and speed and strength.

Cameron's house in clearing. Natty, Uncas and Chingachkook go in and sit down with Cameron and his family. The French and Indian army are headed south to war against the British. Jack is raising a militia. They'll see in the morning if the people here will join in the fight. Nat & Co. are going to Kentucky... to find Uncas a woman.

Town meeting on green. The colonists ask the Lieutenant what if they are at the British fort and their homes are attacked. Jack will stay on his farm. Many men will join. They will make terms with General Webb in Albany. Nat & Co. play hockey.

Albany. Duncan in carriage, with picture of Cora in his locket. He arrives at Webb's HQ. As he enters, the head Colonist wants to know if the settlements are attacked will they be able to leave. Webb says, of course. "You've got yourself a colonial militia." The colonists leave and Duncan is amazed to see the Crown negotiating with the colonists. Duncan is on his way to Fort William Henry under Munro. Webb is going to Fort Edward. Magwa will show both Duncan and Munro's daughters the way to Fort William Henry.

Cora's big house. She's standing in courtyard. Duncan says it's good to see her.

Field. They eat lunch. Cora doesn't know what to tell him. She feels that friendship is not enough reason to get married, though her father and everyone else tells her it is. Duncan feels that once they are married, in England, it will be find. He asks her to consider it. She says she will. Alice arrives, the younger sister.

Marching. Women on horses. Magwa leading the way. Procession enters deep woods. Alice wants to rest, Duncan tells Magwa to stop up ahead. Magwa wants to push on, but Duncan overrides him. Cora sees a panther in the woods.

Chingachkook, Natty, Uncas are hunting. They find a burned out fire in a cave, near a creek. Natty checks torn moss in creek.

Soldiers continue marching. Magwa turns back, walks along the column, draws tomahawk, kills a British soldier. Big ambush. Alice's horse throws her; Cora grabs her and hides Alice's eyes.
Cora never looks away. Natty & Co. arrive. Magwa shoots at Cora, but misses. Natty saves the girls and Duncan. He agrees to take them to Fort William Henry. Uncas sees Alice. Cora picks up a pistol.

Walking along the river, climbing small. Eye contact between Alice & Uncas. Natty wants to know why the Huron (Magwa) disguised as a Mohawk wanted to murder Cora. Perhaps a blood vengeance? Duncan felt sure he was Mohawk. Duncan wants to know why Natty's not fighting. Natty's not in the militia.

They come upon Cameron's house. Burned. They've all been murdered. They were Ottawa and didn't steal anything. Duncan and Cora want to bury the dead. Cora says Natty is indifferent. "They're not strangers and they stay as they lay."

Camped in woods. Night. Cora talks to Nat. He didn't bury them because the bad guys would have known they had been there. She apologizes. They see Indians. She gets her pistol out. Uncas holds his hand over Alice to keep her quiet. Ottawa and French come close, but back away. Cora wants to know why they turned back... Nat says it's because they're in a burial ground. He went to an American school. Chingachkook raised him. They look at the stars and he waxes philosophical. The frontier is more deeply stirring than she thought it would be.

Moving through woods. They come up on the fort. It's under attack. Big cannon battle scene, as French attack the fort. Nat & Co. slip beside fort in a canoe.

They enter Fort William Henry. The militia men are there. Nat wants to talk to him. Munro wants to know where the reinforcements. Webb has no idea they are besieged even though Munro sent three couriers. One of whom was Magwa. Duncan says that Magwa led them into the ambush. Munro sends the girls away and we hear the situation. "We keep our heads down while his troops dig thirty yards of trench a day. When those trenches are 200 yards from the fort and within range, he'll bring in his 15 inch mortars, lob explosive rounds over our walls and pound us to dust." "They're 300 hundred yards out. You have three days." Munro learns the Webb is at Fort Edward, 12 miles away. "Webb can be here the day after tomorrow." Duncan will provide a diversion for the courier. Nat tells Munro the frontier cabin was burned and the people murdered by the French. Munro doesn't care that the settlers have family out there. Nat & Co. leave.
Munro says they have to beat the French, no matter what.

French camp. The Marquis is sung to by children. Magwa fills him in. Marquis wants to know why Magwa hates Munro. "When the Grey Hair is dead, Magwa will eat his heart. Before he dies, Magwa will put his children under the knife so that Grey Hair will know his seed is wiped out forever." [This establishes that Magwa has a major hate on for Munro and his family. We don't know why yet...]

Cora is sewing up Uncas's wound. Nat gets ready to leave. Major eye contact between Nat & Cora. They smile at each other.

Battlement. Nat explains to militia men what is going on. They decide to leave. They load the guns. The dispatch runner runs, and from the fort, they shoot Ottawa to keep the runner alive.

They try to explain to Munro that the colonists should be able to leave. Nat and Chingachkook have the same opinion about the raid. That's enough for the Militia Man. Nat says that Duncan was at Cameron's and he saw what happened. Duncan lies and says that it was the work of passing raiders and thieves. Nat, "I think you and I, someday, are going to have a serious disagreement." Major break between Nat and Duncan.

Duncan wants to talk to Cora. He tells her that what happens here won't matter when they are back in England. She tells him she will not marry him. She won't surrender her own judgement.

Militia men debate, decide to leave. Nat is not going. He's staying because of Cora. He gives them advice.

Cora nurses a man who dies. She walks out of hospital. Nat is looking for her in the crowd. They find each other. Behind a building, they kiss and fuck.

Indians are asleep and British guards bust in and take Nat prisoner for helping the Militia Men escape.

Cora pleads with Munro, who says Nat is guilty of sedition. He will be tried and hanged. Duncan says "you're defending him because you've become infatuated with him." "Taken as a whole, I was wrong to have thought so highly of you." She feels that if this is justice, the French had better win and I'm guilty of sedition too.

Jail. Cora visits Nat in jail. "If the fort falls, stay with your father. Do not try to find me."

French mortars are positioned and the French bombard the hell out of the fort.

Jail. Nat tells her to stay close to her father.

Burned hilltop. British and French discuss surrender. Magwa watches. French intercepted a dispatch from Webb, who will not be coming to their aid, suggests they seek terms for surrender. Munro won't surrender. Marquis suggests they all go back to England, alive. Duncan wants to fight to the death. To give his answer, Munro approaches the Marquis, Magwa watching.

Night. Magwa in woods with Marquis. "Is the hatchet buried between the English and my French father?" "Yes." Marquis was ordered to drive out the English. Magwa won't bury the hatchet until it is red. English under Munro killed Magwa's children and made him a slave. His wife remarried. Magwa will only be whole when the Grey Hair and all his seed are dead. Magwa wants to know if Marquis believes the English will keep to their terms of surrender. Munro would. Webb would not. Marquis must let them go, but is afraid he will fight them again as he drives toward Albany.

Morning. British march from the Fort. Girls are on horses, Cora keeps looking back. Finally we see Nat & Co in the back. He's handcuffed.

Woods. Riding into a narrow clearing. POV through trees. An Indian watches. A couple of Indians attack. Magwa and his Hurons start yelling... scare the British... Nat keeps looking towards Cora, at the far end of the procession. Indians attack. Girls get off their horse and crouch down. Hordes of Indians attack from both sides of column. Nat gets out of cuffs. Nat & Co. run down the line. Cora shoots an Indian. Nat fights his way toward Cora. Magwa shoots Munro's horse. Munroe trapped under the horse. Magwa tells Munro he'll kill his children. Magwa cuts out Munro's heart. Indian gets Alice; Cora hits him. Nat comes and saves Cora. They leave the clearing.

Go to canoes. Duncan is in another canoe, will have Nat hanged. Bad guys are after them, they head for river, go down rapids and 10 foot waterfall. Push canoes over a big waterfall and go in behind it.

Under the waterfall. All powder is wet. Nat tells Cora that her father died. She says not to tell Alice. Uncas and Alice hold each other under the waterfall.

Magwa has torches, is looking for them.

Under waterfall. Nat must leave. If they stay, there is no chance. Duncan says he's a coward for leaving. Cora tells him to leave. Nat tells her to stay alive, that no matter what, she must survive and he will find her. Nat & Co. jump through waterfall.

Huron arrive. Knock Duncan and another soldier out. Tie Cora's hands and lead her out.

River. Nat and Uncas pull Chingachkook ashore.

Montage. Cora & Co. led by Huron. She breaks twigs as she goes.
Magwa's village. Magwa talks to Chief. Huge gathering. Nat & Co. arrive to watch from woods. Magwa will sell Duncan to the French and burn the two women. Nat comes walking in, unarmed. They knock him down several times as he walks in. Nat tells Chief, through Duncan's French translation, that Magwa broke the peace. Magwa says it's good the Huron is strong and the French are afraid of them. Chief: Magwa is a great war captain, but his path has never been the Huron one. Magwa will get Alice. Duncan will go back to England so the hatred will burn less brightly. Cora will burn for Magwa's dead children. Nat can go in peace. Duncan and Nat say, "Take me." They take Duncan. Magwa leaves with Alice. Nat and Cora leave.

Uncas pats his father, runs up the hill. They burn Duncan. Nat shoots Duncan. Magwa and his men lead Alice along a path at the top of the cliff. Uncas attacks and kills five Indians in a row. Magwa and Uncas do battle while Nat and Chingachkook run toward them. Chingachkook sees as Uncas is killed. Alice walks to the edge of bluff. Magwa lowers his knife, beckons for her to come back from the edge. She jumps to her death. Nat and Chingachkook arrive. Big fight. Then, Magwa and Chingachkook fight on edge of cliff. Chingachkook kills him.

Nat and Cora hug. On top of bluff. Nat listens as Chingachkook says that he, Chingachkook, is the last of the Mohicans. She joins them. They look out as the sun sets. Same shot as opening, but PAN RIGHT.