Essay on Native Americans depicted in Film

The Last Of The Mohicans The film I have chosen to write about is The Last of The Mohicans and it was directed by Michael Mann also it was made in the year of 1992. The main character of the film is Hawkeye, who is played by Daniel Day Lewis and this man was a European male raised by Native Americans. The film takes place during a war between the British and the French, in other words the history of the French and Indian War is shown in the movie.
The war is fought over one thing and that is the American colonies, Hawkeye a key character in the plot of the film. The funny aspect of this film, is that the person playing the part of Hawkeye is a Caucasian male, but he is not playing the part of an “actual” Native American instead he is acting as a White male that knows the Native American Culture but actually has no Native blood in his veins. The plot of the film is about a love affair between Hawkeye and a British Commander’s daughter named Cora. During the war between the French and the British, the two lovers are torn between being loyal to each other and choosing which side to pick in a war and risking their love for death. There are some stereotypes in the film and the messages concerning Native Americans are both positive and negative. Native Americans can be seen in the film from some individual’s perspectives as savages, also they can be seen as kind human beings. In one of the beginning scenes of the film, Hawkeye shoots a deer with a gun and then a Native Elder says “We’re sorry to kill you Brother. We do honor to your courage and speed, your strength.” When I first saw the scene I thought that Natives were mean animal killers, and after watching the scene a second time then I realized that Natives do not like to kill animals for fun, but then they choose to honor the dead animal for letting them take its life. Native Americans are also seen in the film also as people who will take their revenge out on those who have done wrong things to the Native American population in America. There is one particular scene in which a Native finds a British soldier laying on the ground and says “Grey Hair, before you die, know that I will put under the knife your children so I will put under the knife your children so I will wipe your seed from the Earth forever.” By saying this statement, the Native is telling the White Man that he will kill him and that future generations of White human beings will not live in the land (Earth) anymore. After this, the Native then takes a knife and cuts out the heart of the British Soldier. Some individuals may look at this scene and think that the Native is evil, but no he is just taking out his anger on the White man for taking advantage of his own Native people. Native Americans for many years have wanted justice for their people, and in this film I saw that Natives were angry at the White Man but also some Natives wanted to work with the White Man to make peace. Hawkeye wanted to help the British fight the French, but in his heart he knew that if he were to take the British side in the war then he would be betraying other Natives. The film, does not give much credit as to the history side of things with the French and Indian War. The movie depicts more of the love story between Hawkeye and Cora, but also it shows how much both of the lovers are willing to risk their love to unite their people.
As I was watching the film, I could not help but think “Wow, Hawkeye and Cora.” ‘Why are these two bimbos falling for each other when they know very well what their love could cost in the war.” I mean were they just being idiots, and then that “Aha” thought popped

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