Posted by Rich?Mohican Press on July 23, 2000 at 06:08:14:
STATS:
The Question: Which theme, or film sequence, is your personal favorite in LOTM?
The Answers (so far):
Opening/The Elk Hunt (28) 7%
The George Road Ambush/Massacre Valley (25) 6%
Cora/Hawkeye Romance (61) 16%
Colonial/British Conflict (6) 2%
The Courier (15) 4%
Alice/Uncas Romance (113) 29%
The Huron Village (15) 4%
The Cliff Scenes/Closing (130) 33%
Total Votes: 393
Hmmmm ... so, when Norm, a very LONG time poster, says that there was no Alice/Uncas romance depicted in the film ... well then, what WERE these 29% seeing??? Considering the amount of dialogue, etc. between the two, it is easy to understand Norm's point of view on that subject, yet, somehow, Michael Mann managed to skillfully, and oh so subtly, inject enough of a love line into the film to make that aspect of the movie the second most popular ... just slightly behind the dramatic & awesome Cliff Scenes!!
As for character development, or lack of, I again have to disagree. While that certainly is not one of the film's strong points ... or aims ... it is, after all, a great adventure yarn ... there is enough of it for us to feel for Magua ... for Duncan ... for Chingachgook ... and, the whole Burial Ground scene is for just that ... character development. I feel the DVD version helps in this area of the film. Characters come out of that a bit more 3D.
And that's my soap box on LOTM!
Now, for "The Patriot" ... Seen it only once. My feelings very well might change. I liked it. Will buy it when released ... BUT ... it is SERIOUSLY flawed, in my opinion. Not by the historical inaccuracies, but by the rehashing of scenes we've all seen many times before. I know I've said it before, but it's just TOO predicatably pat all too often. It is beautifully shot, there is great action, most performances are good, I'm glad it's here & it will provoke interest in the era, but it just doesn't have the staying power or uniqueness, I believe, to put it down as a classic. Maybe comparing it to "Braveheart" (soon to be released on DVD, by the way) is unfair, but to me it's inevitable, and it pales in comparison. The soundtrack score is virtually MIA, and that kills it right there for me ... as a great film ... Oh well ...
Now I'm off my "The Patriot" soap box!
Regarding both of the above topics, it's all a matter of opinion, and one is a good as another.
Around The Site:
Minor updates amidst The Gathering, Pathfinding, & Musical Musings sections, and elsewhere; The DC Guestlog has seen some activity; we've updated the "Who Are We" page a bit (Thanks, Jayne, for the photo!) ... A NEW Courier exposes the 2000 Gathering for what it REALLY was! Field reports requested as add-ons ... Feel free!
Business is booming! Thanks TNT!
And so it goes ...