Posted by Myrrh on June 14, 1998 at 09:52:53:
Hola, folks! I'm writing from the Mighty Mohican Mama's doMicile! How's everybody this fine pre-Gathering morning?!
Hawk/Cor/Al/Unc: Hmmm. Well, I must say first off, that I have to agree with practically everything Marcia said, although at a couple junctures there she allowed herself to become a mere slave to her (considerable) passions!
As for me, I must register my usual complaint, shared by many of you, I know, that the Uncas/Alice thing was not well-enough developed for my taste. I have to use too much of my imagination to get a thrill out of it. (But I go ahead and do that, because the spectre of Uncas as an imaginary lover is just to danged tempting not to!!!)
Their relationship as portrayed in this film only works because I WANT to believe that A. and U. felt a strong attraction for each other, to the point of giving up their lives for the love they NEVER HAD (!?!). It's tough for me to swallow, but I do it! They should have at least had a significant TOUCH followed by a look, or SOMETHING, to establish a romantic connection.
I envy those of you who felt their connection so intensely that you feel the Hawk/Cora relationship pales by comparison. I wish I could say the same, but to my eyes, the H/C connection was so blazingly obvious...whew! I break out in a sweat just thinking about it! That talk in the glade - mmm-mmm!
But hey, let us go back to their earliest connection: the rescue on the George Road... they didn't even speak to each other, but a couple very significant things happened to demonstrate their immediate connection. That whole sequence where Hawkeye instantaneously perceives the threat to Cora's life and acts to protect her, his first of many committed efforts (done in his usual impeccably intelligent, woods-wise way, of course); and immediately thereafter, the way Cora KNEW what that trio was all about, even while Duncan (and probably Alice, and any surviving soldiers) was completely confused and mistook them for more of the enemy.
Hawk and Cora were attuned to one another immediately, folks, even though they had no conscious attraction to each other (or, maybe they did?) ...THAT beautiful sequence was THE beginning of their connection...in spite of the little antagonisms that followed, until they both realized in the Glade how strongly and deeply connected they were! ("Inwardly, downwardly, pulsating, striving, ending and unending, now, together, now!"...anybody ever see The Seven Year Itch??!)
So, breakfast is now ready at the MMMM ranch, so I must stop...
Anyway, in sum, Hawkeye and Cora's thang was much more compelling, while I WANTED Uncas' and Alice's to be JUST as compelling, but have to use a whole lot of imagination to make it so.
Love,
Myrrh