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Within the credits, of The Last of the Mohicans, reads the
oft-overlooked line:
LEE TETER ... VISUAL CONSULTANT. "Visual consultant" ... whatever does that mean? It
is no longer a mystery. These images make it apparent!
Teter was called in, by director Michael Mann, to
ensure that the imagery that was going to reach the big screen did, in
fact, reflect that of the real-life 1757 frontier.
Turns out, it was a perfect selection - come to think of
it, so were nearly all the rest of Mann's choices to work on, or star in,
this film. Well, it should be noted, not all these featured prints are Teter's
work - others
are by equally gifted frontier artisans, Robert Griffing & John Buxton - but
the point is, compare the visuals conveyed by these works of art to that
which was portrayed on-screen in The
Last of the Mohicans.
It matters not which came first - it's the chicken &
the egg syndrome - for the minute historical accuracy and overwhelming
presence of days gone by is abundantly evident in both. You can see it in the costumes
and accoutrements; but even more so in the landscapes and settings of the
scenes.
You can sense the origins of the Munro sisters being
hauled off as captives through the wilderness forming in Mann's mind. [Check out the second woman in the above print - is that Alice,
or what?] Likewise, there in an historical
artist's print, lays the foundation for so many other images indelibly
etched in the viewer's mind via the film: warriors huddled in council,
visitors approaching a frontier cabin in the dark of night, the following
of scant trails through forests and cascading streams and waterfalls, the
view from up above as one stands on rock outcroppings, the shelter of a
cave as water tumbles over the opening, rock formations precariously
perched, parleys between
men back-dropped by the stillness of a lake's waters, Indian villages in
remote forest locations, moss-covered fallen timber.
It's quite incredible how real it all became on film -
another testament to the talent & integrity of director, Michael Mann!
CLICK ON THE IMAGES AT LEFT TO SEE
FULL-SIZED PRINTS - ARTIST'S NAME APPEARS IN THE PRINT NAME. SIMPLY
RIGHT-CLICK ON PRINT!
OF RELATED INTEREST: DAVID WRIGHT PRINTS
© Lee Teter, Robert Griffing & John Buxton
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