Posted by Myrrh on October 12, 1997 at 19:30:58:
In Reply to: Re: What exactly was Duncan doing on the lake? posted by Marcia on October 12, 1997 at 08:55:28:
I agree with some of what Marcia and Joy say....!
But I lean more toward your assessment of Duncan, Marcia. I think he was there with the others, escaping, because he was still trying to be the women's protector. It really stuck in his craw that Nathaniel was taking charge of that endeavor, though!
But we later watched Duncan's resentment evaporate as Nathaniel walked into the Huron village to offer himself in their stead.
And I too feel empathy for Magua. It's quite an achievement, I think, to make the "bad" guy someone we can relate to and even respect. That's ONE of the reasons this film has the overall impact on our emotions it does. Every character has his/her appeal.
According to Russell Means' autobiography, the way Magua was written was one of the things that contributed to his desire to be in the film. Means appreciated the fact that all the characters were believable, complete people and not one-faceted, in service only to a formula for what works in a story.
Myrrh