The Last of the Mohicans

In war-torn colonial America, in the midst of a bloody battle between British, the French and Native American allies, the aristocratic daughter of a British Colonel and her party are captured by a group of Huron warriors. Fortunately, a group of three Mohican trappers comes to their rescue.

Michael Mann's frontier adventure won critics over primarily on the strength of its cinematography, score, and kinetic pacing, though some felt its liberties with Cooper's novel tipped it toward glossy fantasy rather than authentic historical drama. The areas of friction were predictable: purists bristled at the romanticized 'matinee' sensibility, while admirers argued that same quality made it more viscerally entertaining than a faithful adaptation ever could have been.