Re: Both Uncas and Alice given the short end of the stick

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Posted by ann on August 03, 1998 at 13:39:03:

In Reply to: Re: Both Uncas and Alice given the short end of the stick posted by Katherine on August 03, 1998 at 12:52:33:

: : : : : : : Sarah's comment in her "why we can't watch" post below about Uncas' look at Alice in his final scene, brought to mind another thought I've had about the massacre scene.

: : : : : : : Why didn't Michael Mann have Uncas rather than Chingachgook(Yeah!..believe I spelled it correctly:o) help Alice escape from the massacre??...it would have been oh so much more romantic if he had.....he seems to deliberately keep the focus off the relationship between the younger couple.

: : : : : : : The hopeless romantic.....ann

: : : : : : Yes I am in total agreement. I just bought the LOTM (unfortunately only the pan and scan version but I will get the other version as well) Anyways I watched the massacre scene again and I thought also it be so heroic and romantic for Uncas to rush over and save Alice as Hawkeye went and saved Cora. A lot of times it seemed the script called for Uncas to hold back behind Hawkeye and behind Chingachgook. It has bothered me. They should have given Uncas more opportunities to rush to Alice's aid.

: : : : : : Katherine

: : : : : And I'm talking about the script not giving Uncas more opportunites to be with Alice explicitly or rush to her aid more.

: : : : : And Alice didn't have to be portrayed as so frail

: : : : : Katherine

: : : : Katherine, a few more thoughts on Uncas & Alice. Of course, we'll never know for sure, but possibly the acting just wasn't up to Mann's high standards in those parts that were obviously edited.....then again maybe the scenes were so strongly acted that it would've upset the cora/Nathaniel impact, that the director envisioned.

: : : : The actress that portrayed Alice, has the ultimate "dropped-jaw", traumatized expression for her role. It seems to be very much in character with James Fenimore Cooper's Alice. If it was me, observing an Indian massacre, feeling the danger while being hunted at night, seeing the aftermath of a slaughtered family, my expression would have been that of emotional paralysis as well...If I was the actress who played Alice, however, I'm sure the edited results wouldn't make me very happy......ann

: Yes I agree after having witnessed those things that it would be appropriate to be emotionally paralyzed BUT

: if Alice could say quote: "I could sleep in peace" whispered Alice "with such a fearless and generous youth for my sentinal"
: (I mean I do understand that Cora and Alice's roles are reversed when talking about film and novel)

: Couldn't the script have called for Alice look at least a bit more relaxed, safe and knowing that he would protect her when Uncas was there, or safe when he touched her, or when he held her? And couldn't the script call for more Uncas rushing to Alice's side or rushing to save her or at least spend 'being in the same vicinity' time together?

: Any comments?

: Katherine

Ah, Katherine...judging from your post above, you are definitely "smitten" with Eric Schweig.....or is it with Uncas.....or both?? Well, if it's with Eric, you have the knowledge that he's a very young man and will probably appear in many more movies.

Here's an idea. Why don't you ask Rich to ask Eric Schweig if he would carve a life-size(having trouble coming up with an appropriate word here---better not use the word "wooden")...well, you know what I mean, a replica of himself....you could stand it in your living room, or where-ever you happen to be at the moment.....just a silly thought:o)....take care, ann

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