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Kull the Conqueror posted:It's more nuanced than you might think. Russell Means (Chingachgook) who himself was one of the most prominent Red Power activists of the 20th century, originally wanted to play Magua because he's not just a one-dimensional evil dude. He's charged with making sure his tribe survives, and is forced to pick a side in a conflict that really has nothing to do with him or his people. That monologue he gives to the French dude in the woods adds a lot of depth to the character. Yeah, I think it's still pretty novel about the way it approaches Native Americans today, because it grants them complexity, nuance, and agency in ways that are still super rare in fiction. If anything, I'd say the film's agenda was to complicate and deconstruct "noble savage" myths by painting a more detailed picture of colonial geopolitics. The political constellation maps out unique relationships and motivations for Hurons, Mohicans, Mohawks, etc., just as it does for French or English colonists. The entire reason Magua works as a character - at once deeply sympathetic and convincingly villainous - is because of how well the film constructs him and his world on a human level. The ending scene blows my mind, and not just on a craft level. It re-frames the entire story in ways that marginalize the *white* characters instead of the indigenous ones. Uncas' death is ultimately more important than Duncan's, motivating Alice's suicide and setting the stage for the final confrontation, which is between Magua and Chingachgook. Hawkeye essentially shifts from the lead to a sidekick.
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Apr 22, 2016 01:10
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| # ¿ May 15, 2024 04:22 |
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