Hollywood vs. Cooper

A detailed Summary of Hollywood vs. Cooper

In the great literary pieces of our time, content, depth of character development and uniqueness are the driving forces in creating a classic work; but in Hollywood, sex, famous Hollywood names, and big money making schemes dictate the development of a project. James Fenmore Cooper created the character of Magua as the important antagonist of his novel Last of the Mohicans, portraying him as a strong, violent, cunning, yet extremely seasoned and weathered villain. Director Michael Mann's film version of Cooper's novel was, in many ways, not synonymous with the book's story line and presents Magua as a younger, stronger, and more treacherous character.

J.F. Cooper's depiction of Magua can best be summed up by the nickname given to the character in the novel "Le Renard Subtil" or "The Sly Fox." Magua indeed is sly, observant, persuasive, and above all, cunning. Cooper writes "with characteristic stoicism...there was a sullen fierceness mingled in the quiet savage"(p. 17). Magua's ferocity and calculative nature could be observed in his own physical appearance simply through his quiet, sullen, and strong sense of presence in the eyes of those around him. With this inner strength comes also the presentation that Magua was no

Magua's romantic interest in Cora is an extremely important aspect in the plot of the novel. Much of his actions towards the end of the novel are in some way directly related to his feelings for Cora. He offers her marriage on several occasions, but she refused adamantly and eventually dies at the hand of Magua's henchmen for not responding soon enough. In the end, Magua, in all ways defeated, having not convinced Cora to be his love, jumps over a precipice attempting to save himself, but winds up slipping and hanging off the side of the cliff. Cooper describes this scene "Turning a relentless look on his enemy, he shook his hand in grim defiance. But his hold loosened and his dark person was seen cutting the air with his head downward" (p. 338). Magua's, seeing Hawkeye raise his gun to his shoulder about to shoot, is yet still defiant to admit defeat, grip is loosened and he fall to his death not allowing Hawkeye the satisfaction of the kill. To Magua, he died with his self honor and complete control over his own life still in tact.

Cooper details very little about Magua's past. He tells about Magua's great power as a former Indian Chief among his people but took to alcohol and was driven from his tribe. With this information, the reader may deduce that the once powerful Magua seeks to regain the same level of authority and control now that he has lost his position. The other piece of information given of his past is in reference to his hatred for Colonel Munro. At a point previous to where the novel begins, Magua had been under the command of Munro at the fort. After spending a night of drinking the "fire water," Magua returns to the camp drunk. An angry Munro orders that Magua is whipped for returning in such a sad and sloppy state. For Magua, He believed that God had given him the fire water to drink as he saw fit, thus believing Munro had no right to beat him for drinking. The bitter resentment Magua harbored towards Munro after that incident is what fuels his actions to attempt to murder him and "wipe out the grey haired seed forever." To Magua, the entire British people were now the enemy because of the maltreatment he suffered under the hands of a British Colonel.

Additionally, Magua, for the purpose of creating a more hated villain, is shown by Mann as ferocious, savage, maniacal, evil and brutal, especially in the massacre when the British troops were attacked by the Hurons after retreating from Fort William Henry. His attempt, earlier in the movie, to kill Cora and especially when he kills Munroe by eating his hear only goes to show how much more brutal Director Michael Mann thought necessary to depict this archvillian. In the novel, Magua seems powerfully larger than life. His formidable presence among his tribe never wavers, despite his wrongdoings: "However much his influence amo

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Approximate Word count = 1910
Approximate Pages = 8 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: English