THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS
Screenplay by
Michael Mann and Christopher Crowe
Adaption by John L. Balderston and Paul Perez
and Daniel Moore
Based on the novel by James Fenimore Cooper
Also based on the 1936 screenplay by Philip Dunne
FADE IN:
The screen is a microcosm of leaf, crystal drops of
precipitation, a stone, emerald green moss. It's a landscape
in miniature. We HEAR the forest. Some distant birds. Their
sound seems to reverberate as if in a cavern. A piece of
sunlight refracts within the drops of water, paints a patch
of moss yellow. The whisper of wind is joined by another
sound that mixes with it. A distant rustling. It gets closer
and louder. It's shallow breathing. It gets ominous.
We're interlopers on the floor of the forest and something
is coming.
SUDDENLY: A MOCCASINED FOOT
rockets through the frame scaring us and...
EXTREMELY CLOSE: PART OF AN INDIAN FACE
running hard. His head shaved bald except for a scalp-lock.
Tattoos. He's twenty-five. He seems tall and muscled. Heavy,
even breathing. We'll learn later this man is UNCAS, the
last of the Mohicans.
PROFILE: UNCAS' ARMS
flash as he runs. One carries a flintlock musket. Sweat on
the man's skin. A calico shirt is gathered at the waist with
a wampum belt of small white beads over a breechcloth. He
wears leggings to protect his legs. A long-handled tomahawk
is stuffed in his belt.
CUT TO:
ANOTHER PART OF THE FOREST - DAY
MASSIVE WAR CLUB
in the hand of another running man. He's heavier, older...
CHEST
A green bear claw is tattooed there. Silver armband. A snake
is tattooed over his left eyebrow. Silver rings in his ear.
He's forty to forty-five. His head is shaved into a scalp-
lock. It says: "Come and lift this from me. Take it, if you
can..." That prospect strikes us as extremely unlikely. This
man is
CHINGACHGOOK
The French call him "Le Gros Serpent," the Great Snake,
because "he knows the winding ways of men's nature and he
can strike a sudden, deathly blow."
WIDE ANGLE: CHINGACHGOOK
runs, disturbing no leaves, no branches; making no sound.
He's running parallel to Uncas through the cathedral of mature
forest. It's heavily canopied. There's very little brush.
The girth of the trees is huge. Shafts of light illuminate
motes of dust and turn leaves emerald where the sun breaks
through. Sometimes there's ferns; rhododendron, sometimes
pale grass and outcroppings of rock.
These men run the forest streams, over boulders, fallen trees
and down into ravines as if they own them. They do.
CUT TO:
EXT. ANOTHER PART OF THE FOREST - DAY
LONG BLACK HAIR
Rocketing through trees. His torn buckskin shirt is tied at
the waist with a wampum belt holding a tomahawk and a large
knife. A long rifle in which is carved the name "Killdeer"
is in his right fist. Indian tattooing on his chest.
His name is NATHANIEL POE. He's a few years older than Uncas.
The French and the French-speaking tribes know him as La
Longue Carabine (Long Rifle). Other frontiersmen in New York
colony and the Iroquois and Delaware-speaking tribes know
him as Hawkeye. Sweat stains his shirt. He flashes through
the tree branches disturbing nothing. Making no sound.
HAWKEYE'S POV: A PIECE OF TAN
two hundred and fifty yards away, a few square inches buried
in the foliage...
SUDDENLY HE STOPS
Killdeer's at his shoulder...
HAWKEYE'S THUMB
cocks the lock holding the piece of flint: click.
UNCAS
stops dead, holding out his hand... no sound.
CHINGACHGOOK
slips through young trees and stops, shouldering his
smoothbore musket. Is this an ambush?
HAWKEYE'S POV: RACK FOCUS THROUGH THE GUN SIGHT
Five feet and fourteen pounds of rifle is elevated a half
inch and shifted left, off target. It's a precise, smooth
movement. No human quiver.
KILLDEER'S TRIGGER
tighter...
THE COCK
holding the flint hits the iron file of the frizzen, shooting
sparks into the pan of priming powder which flashes and...
TAN
is a huge elk that leaps at the sound.
KILLDEER'S MUZZLE
CRACKS like lightning.
AN ELK
leaps where the .59 caliber round was programmed to intercept
him. On the moment of impact...
WIDE
three men approach the fallen elk and each other. We realize
they're hunting together. Hawkeye steps aside for
Chingachgook. His massive war club is flat and angles to one
side with a stabbing blade. Hawkeye is stepson and
stepbrother.
The two younger men treat Chingachgook with an easy deference
and affection.
Hawkeye's a dialectic of two cultures. In his coloration and
worldliness he's more the Anglo-Saxon frontiersman. In his
independent views and candid manner and in his combat skills
and woodsmanship, he's more native American (Mohican).
As Chingachgook takes out his long knife and they approach
the fallen elk...
CHINGACHGOOK
(low Mohican; sub-
titled)
We're sorry to kill you, Brother.
Forgive us. I do honor to your courage
and speed, your strength...
CUT TO:
EXT./INT. CAMERON CABIN - NIGHT
JOHN CAMERON
roasts potatoes on a stick in the stone fireplace next to
CAPTAIN JACK WINTHROP, an American in very worn quasi-military
gear. On a rough table in the tiny cabin ALEXANDRIA, his
wife, is kneading bread. Three children climb on their father.
He grabs their wild seven year old son, JAMES, who shrieks
laughter and dodges away. The cabin has two primitive rooms,
waxed paper windows, log walls. O.S. a dog barks. Others
pick it up. Cameron & Jack are suddenly alert, reaching for
weapons...
CUT TO:
EXT. CAMERON CABIN, DOORWAY - NIGHT
CAMERON
Appears warily, musket in hand.
FENCE: CHINGACHGOOK
CHINGACHGOOK
Halloo! John Cameron!
Doorway: Cameron towards the interior...
CAMERON
Alexandria! Set three more places.
(to the fence)
How is Chingachgook, then?
Behind him, emerging from the dark trees are Hawkeye, Uncas,
cradling flint locks, blankets and packs over their shoulders,
leading a mule laden with skins and the elk carcass. Crossing
the splitrail fence...
CHINGACHGOOK
The Master of Life is good. Another
year pass... How is it with you,
John?
CAMERON
Gettin' along. Yes, it is.
(warm)
Nathaniel.
HAWKEYE
Hello John. Cleared another quarter,
I see.
CAMERON
(shakes hands with
Uncas)
Yes, I did.
JAMES CAMERON
tears past his father & runs full bore. Just before he's
going to collide into Uncas, he leaps into the air and Uncas
snatches him with one hand and swings him up onto his
shoulders. The kid screams with delight and rides back towards
the cabin that way. Alexandria comes to the door.
CUT TO:
INT. CABIN - EVENING (LATER)
CHINGACHGOOK
lights & smokes a clay pipe. The scene says: this is a rustic,
frontier home and these people have known each other & live
in dangerous circumstances.
ALEXANDRIA
If Uncas is with you, that means he
has not found a woman and started a
family yet.
CHINGACHGOOK
Your eyes are too sharp, Alexandria
Cameron.
They see into my heart.
UNCAS
Your farm good to you this year,
John?
CAMERON
It was a good year for corn.
UNCAS
Mohawk field we saw was 5 mile long
on the river. Chief Joseph Brandt's
field.
CAMERON
You take much fur?
HAWKEYE
That we did. John. But the horicane
(sic)
is near trapped out.
JACK
Tradin' your skins in Castleton?
UNCAS
No, Schylerville. With the Dutch for
silver.
French & English want to buy with wampum & brandy.
Pause, then...
HAWKEYE
So what is it, Jack? What brings you
up here?
JACK
A French & Indian army out of Fort
Carillon's heading south to war
against the English. I'm here to
raise this county's militia to aid
the British defense.
HAWKEYE
Folks here goin' to join in that
fight?
JACK
We'll see in the morning...
CHINGACHGOOK
Fathers of England & France, both,
take more land, furs, than they need.
They're cold & full of greed...
JACK
Few'd deny that? Where you headin'?
HAWKEYE
Trap over the fall and winter among
the Delawares in Can-tuck-ee.
UNCAS
So I can find a woman and make Mohican
children so our father will leave my
brother & me in peace.
Alexandria laughs. So do Hawkeye & Chingachgook.
JAMES
A son like me?
Uncas grabs James & suspends him upside down.
UNCAS
No. You are too strong. Turn me old
too fast!
Hawkeye grabs the kid from Uncas. The kid's laughing & can't
stay still.
Chingachgook watches, content, smoking his clay pipe.
ALEXANDRIA
That's what he's doin' to his mama...
She ruffles his hair and lifts the heavy iron pot off the
tibbet. Uncas goes to help her, she shrugs his hand away and
carries it to the table herself. The men gather around.
There's pan-baked bread, a dish of salt, and the pot has
venison and yellow cornmeal in a kind of stew. Everyone waits.
CAMERON
Dear Father, thank you for rewardin'
the fruits of our labor with plenty.
Amen.
As they start to eat...
CUT TO:
EXT. CAMERON CABIN - MORNING
MOHAWK BOY & JAMES CAMERON
Slam into other kids as they battle through a Lacrosse game.
In the background are sixty men, women and children. It's a
community gathering held out of doors.
We've entered mid-scene. Captain Jack is standing on a box.
Some women and kids mill around some tables and boards laid
over barrels. Cooking fires. Smoke.
Most but not all around Captain Jack are men, nine settlers,
3 hunter/trappers, eight Mohawk farmers in mixed European
and native clothing. Off to the side are an English Lieutenant
on horseback and a ten-man escort from whatever regiment's
in Albany. A man named HENRI speaks in French. His son,
MARTIN, translates.
HENRI
(O.S. in French)
MARTIN
(translates)
My father says he was driven out of
France by the black robe priests and
he would fight them now but he lost
his arm and so I will go in his place.
Meanwhile...
ONGEWASGONE
is an unusually large Mohawk in a blue match coat with a
little girl holding his hand. He says something to
Chingachgook who nods. Hawkeye and Uncas are a little apart
in an outer grouping of the men. Ongewasgone is a war chief
and wears a white plume and is tattooed. As Martin finishes,
he steps forward.
ONGEWASGONE
John Cameron, thank you for your
hospitality...
Twin River Mohawk got no quarrel with Les Francais. Trade
furs with Les Francais. Now Les Francais bring Huron onto
Mohawk hunting grounds...
These people are English, Scots-Irish and Dutch farmers;
some French Huguenot "mechanics" (craftsmen). They're in
shirt-sleeves and Indian moccasins & leggings. The Mohawks'
vast lands and corn agriculture border the settlement. They
've been acculturated for over a hundred years. Some wear
European calico hunting shirts.
Their heads are shaved to scalping locks and many are
tattooed. They've politically and commercially played France
& England against each other very adroitly for over a hundred
years because of their military power and geographic position.
Their relations with working farmers and settlers and their
families has been mostly one of co-existence because there's
always been more than enough for all. This is a WPA mural of
ethnic diversity and plurality of frontier America. The
Europeans are former indentured laborers, farmers exiled by
economics or religious persecution, frontier hunters and
trappers... working people.
ONGEWASGONE
(continues)
Now Mohawk will fight Huron and Les
Francais.
My brothers have asked me to lead them in this war so I speak
for the Twin River Council.
The importance of this commitment is apparent to the
lieutenant.
LIEUTENANT
His Majesty King George II is very
grateful for your support.
IAN
How far up the valley?
LIEUTENANT
To Fort William Henry.
COLONIAL #1
...two days from here.
Some don't like this.
LIEUTENANT
It should be enough to remind you
France is the enemy.
HAWKEYE
Your enemy...
Heads turn to Hawkeye at the periphery of the crowd.
LIEUTENANT
What did you say?
HAWKEYE
(loud)
I said... France is your enemy. Not
ours.
LIEUTENANT
Really? Do you want them to overrun
all New York colony?
HAWKEYE
First place, you started it with the
French over fur-trapping claims to
the head waters of the Ohio.
(smiles)
Now you're sayin' these people have
a fight on their hands...
LIEUTENANT
(ignoring Hawkeye)
Will you men help us stop the French?
HAWKEYE
... and while they are cooped up in
your fort, what if the French send
war parties to raid their homes?
IAN
What then, Lieutenant?
LIEUTENANT
For your own homes, for king, for
country, that's why you men ought to
join this fight!
HAWKEYE
You do what you want with your own
scalp. Do not be tellin' us what to
do with ours.
LIEUTENANT
(furious; to Hawkeye)
You, sir! You call yourself a loyal
subject?
HAWKEYE
...No...Do not call myself much of a
subject at all.
Light laughter.
COLONIAL #2
Nathaniel's right. But if I got to
fight, figure I'll try and do it
fifty miles north of here instead of
my bean field.
AD LIBS
Yes. Yeah. No...
CAMERON
I am stayin' on my farm. And any man
who goes, his family is welcome to
fort-up with us 'til he comes back.
JACK
Boys. My sense of it is enough of us
will join-up to fill the county's
levy. But only if General Webb accepts
a few terms I got in mind...
HAWKEYE & UNCAS
cross through the people. A few men
drift off to their women at the
tables.
It is apparent two-thirds of the men will join. A couple of
jokes, light banter, no hostility.
AD LIBS (O.S.)
Webb? what's that, Jack...?
As they cross through they start removing their shirts and
weapons.
IAN
You boys marchin' with us? What do
you say?
UNCAS
We had our say, Ian.
They approach the Lacrosse field. Chingachgook stands with
Cameron in the background, watching.
LACROSSE FIELD
Uncas joins James. Hawkeye goes on the other side. A couple
of young Mohawks and a young blonde farmer shout hallo's and
as the bodies crash into each other...
CUT TO:
EXT. BRITISH ENCAMPMENT, PARADE GROUND - DAY
SIX HUNDRED REGIMENT ON FOOT
in two rows. At each command the crack troops respond en
masse. Their hands slap the stocks of their brown bess muskets
in unison. These men are drilling in preparation for war.
We witness a state-of-the-art, 18th century, precision killing
machine.
REGIMENTAL SGT. MAJOR
(shouts)
Shoulder arms!
(slam)
Order arms! Handle cartridge!
(men bite the paper)
Prime!
(powder dropped in
pan)
Load! Draw ramrods! Ram cartridge!
Return ramrod! Make ready!
(muskets at chest
height)
Pre-sent!
(muskets shouldered)
Make ready!
(muskets returned to
chests)
Pre-sent!
(muskets returned to
shoulder)
Fire!
Like a single shot, two hundred fifty black powder muskets
fire .65 caliber lead shot at chest height in a scythe of
death.
SERGEANT MAJOR
Prime! Load!
The Dutch roof lines of Albany are in the distance. Nearer,
a coach races past.
CUT TO:
EXT. ROAD - DAY
HORSES GALLOP
Six horses, wide with dumb, mute strain. Foam, manes fly,
their hooves pound the yellow road into dust. Military
outriders are on the three left side horses.
CUT TO:
INT. COACH - DAY
MAJOR DUNCAN HEYWARD
Sits erectly in the brilliant scarlet coat of the First Royal
Regiment of Foot with gold braid, blue-black facing and blue-
black breeches, cavalry boots, spurs, a tricorn, white wig
and a gorget (large medallion) around his neck. He's 28-30
and tough. He is self-sure, principled reactionary. He
believes human society is static & layered into hierarchies
of class and they are absolutely impermeable. He opens a
simple gold-clasped case & contemplates its contents...
HEYWARD'S POV: CASE
an enameled portrait of a dark-haired young woman.
HEYWARD
as a soldier is militarily first-rate in his milieu: the
open battlefields of Europe.
Right now, however, he is about to enter the forests of North
America. He closes his clasp and glances out the window as
we enter Albany and as a facade of buildings & people pass.
CUT TO:
INT. BRITISH HQ, ASSEMBLY ROOM - DOOR - DAY
Four Grenadiers come to attention as Heyward enters mid-scene.
JACK (O.S.)
...if they are not allowed leave to
defend their families if the French
or Hurons attack the settlements, no
colonial militia is goin' to Fort
William Henry.
HEYWARD
(low)
You, there. Help my man outside with
the baggage.
GENERAL JEROME WEBB sees Heyward and nods. Three of Webb's
Adjutants are on either side. Three remaining Grenadiers in
bearskin-covered mitred caps are at the door. Facing Webb
are a half dozen colonial representatives, including Captain
Jack Winthrop. Heyward watches Jack...
LIEUTENANT
They will report or be pressed into
service!
LARGE COLONIAL REP
Any of the boys worth havin' can
disappear into forest... time it
takes you to blink. Where's that
leave ya, then?
Heyward, preparing to hand over dispatches, is interrupted
by the insubordinate tone.
Equally wound tightly is the Lieutenant.
LIEUTENANT
They will be found! Arrested...
WEBB
(cuts in)
I cannot imagine his Majesty, in his
benevolence, would ever object to
his American subjects defending their
hearth & home, their women & children,
if threatened by the "scourge" of
attack from savages, aroused to such
excess by our enemy, the ever-
perfidious French.
JACK
Does that mean they will be granted
leave to defend their homes if the
settlements are attacked?
WEBB
Of course.
Heyward's more amazed by what he's just heard from Webb.
These Americans, including Jack, are streaming past him on
their way out.
JACK
You got yourself a colonial militia,
General.
HEYWARD
Major Duncan Heyward reporting, Sir!
Webb's pouring gin.
WEBB
Duncan. How was your journey?
The door closes. Dispatches are passed. They are now alone
except for the General's two Adjutants and a shadowy form
waiting patiently in a corner. He's MAGUA. In the dim light,
he's motionless. Webb slides a glass across to Heyward.
HEYWARD
I didn't experience anything so
surprising from Bristol to Albany as
what I witnessed here today.
WEBB
And what is that?
HEYWARD
The Crown "negotiating" the terms of
service?
WEBB
I know.
(assuming a co-
commiserator)
One has to give Americans "reasons"
and make agreements to get them to
do anything at all. Tiring, isn't
it?
(throws up his hands)
But that's the way of it here.
HEYWARD
(tight)
I thought British policy is 'Make
the World... England', sir.
A chill. Majors don't upbraid Generals.
WEBB
You will take command of the 62nd
Regiment of Foot. At Fort William
Henry under Colonel Munro. I will
march the 33rd to Fort Edward.
HEYWARD
Sir!... Might I inquire if General
Webb has heard from Colonel Munro's
daughters? I was to rendezvous with
them in Albany and escort them to
the fort.
WEBB
Yes. You may.
(to Magua, after a
glance at Heyward)
You there. What does Munro call you?
(to Heyward)
The "Scotsman" has sent one of his
Indian allies to guide you.
MAGUA
rises and slowly walks into the light. He is reserved and
over six feet tall. His head is shaved into a mohawk. Rings,
beads & feathers pierce his ears. A blanket is worn as a
shawl over his left shoulder exposing his right arm and heavy
tattooing. A long tomahawk is in the belt of his breechcloth.
WEBB
The Scotsman's daughters are at the
Poltroon's house. A company of the
33rd will accompany you and Magua
will show you the way.
HEYWARD
By your leave, sir.
Webb holds Heyward a moment.
WEBB
(to Adjutants)
Explain to the Major we care little
about toying with colonial militia
because we have little to fear from
the French. They have not the nature
for war. Their Latinate voluptuousness
combines with their Gallic laziness
and the result is: they would rather
make love with their faces than fight.
Webb's Adjutants laugh uproariously at his wit. Heyward's
stiff, perfunctory smile. He's been made the butt of the
joke. He does not share Webb's derisive view of the French.
Webb doesn't like Heyward's manner. We don't like Webb. Then:
WEBB
(continuing)
Dismissed.
Heyward stiffly salutes. Webb casually, perfunctorily salutes
the younger man in return.
HEYWARD
(to Magua)
Dawn. At the encampment. Six a.m.
sharp. See to it you're there.
Beneath Magua's barely deferential manner we sense
intelligence & menace. None of these Brits see it. We do.
CUT TO:
EXT. POLTROON'S HOUSE - DAY
DUNCAN HEYWARD
Brushed clean, his wig freshly powdered, his tricorn in his
hand with a crimson sash and sword and his cavalry boots,
walks through the gate after knocking. He enters a small
courtyard. Suddenly he hears...
CORA (O.S.)
Heyward! Duncan Heyward.
Heyward looks to the side. An inner light turns on. In this
mode, this is a man we could like.
REVERSE: CORA MUNRO
enters from the garden. She's vivacious, dark-haired,
unconventional in that she's educated, but with conventional
values and attitudes. She hugs Duncan to her and then pushes
him away to look at him.
HEYWARD
My God it's good to see you.
He takes her hand in both of his and kisses it. He is open
and lit up.
CUT TO:
EXT. POLTROON'S HOUSE, BACK YARD - DAY
CORA & HEYWARD
A vegetable plot behind the Poltroon's house is a provincial
substitute for a formal garden setting. Heyward and Cora sit
on rough wooden chairs. Wind blows. In the background a
servant hangs laundry. The white sheets billow. A table holds
a tea setting. They're sitting close to each other, talking
seriously and quietly. Duncan's jacket is removed. Time's
passed. Long pause. Then:
CORA
I'm embarrassed to be so indecisive...
after so long apart and after you've
traveled so far...
HEYWARD
And by sea!
CORA
You still have an aversion to the
water?
HEYWARD
Aversion? No... "Hatred"...
"Loathing"...
Cora laughs.
HEYWARD
But it was worth it all to end in a
garden by your side.
She looks askance at him. Then the banter drops.
CORA
(difficult)
Dear Duncan, my affection is as
towards a closest friend. Alice and
I depend on you and respect you
immensely... I wish they did, but my
feelings don't go beyond that. Do
you see?
HEYWARD
Isn't respect and friendship, a
reasonable basis for a man and woman
to be joined? And all else may grow
in time...?
CORA
Some say that's the way of it.
HEYWARD
"Some"?
CORA
Cousin Eugenie, my father, but...
HEYWARD
(interrupts)
Cora, in my heart, I know once we're
joined, we'll be the happiest couple
in England. Let those whom you trust,
your father, help settle what's best
for you. In view of your indecision,
why not rely on their advice and
judgment as well as mine?
Cora stares directly at Heyward. Then she looks away. She
has no answer. Something subterranean disturbs her about
delegating judgment over the fate of her life.
HEYWARD
Will you consider that?
CORA
(pause; smiles)
Yes. Yes, I will.
She's still unsettled.
ALICE (O.S.)
Duncan!
REVERSE: ALICE MUNRO
eighteen years old, white-blonde hair, wide blue eyes. She's
effervescent and runs to hug him. Heyward is taken aback by
her enthusiasm and laughs.
HEYWARD
My God, you've grown up.
ALICE
We leave in the morning?!
HEYWARD
(rises)
Yes, miss.
ALICE
I won't sleep tonight. What an
adventure! I absolutely cannot wait
to return to Portman Square, having
laid eyes upon the full-blooded, red
men in the wild!
CORA
My God, Alice.
HEYWARD
(smiles)
It can be dangerous...
ALICE
Nonsense. Papa wouldn't have sent
for us if it were dangerous.
Alice takes Hewyward's hand. Cora pours Heyward more tea.
The white sheets billow.
AMBROSE
(O.S. - barks)
Atten-shun!
CUT TO:
EXT. BRITISH ARMY HQ - DAY
TWENTY BRITISH REGULARS
jolt upright as if electrified.
AMBROSE
(entering)
Shoulder arms!
AMBROSE
a sergeant major of forty-one is wide and deep and built
like a fullback. You do not mess with Sgt. Major Ambrose.
AMBROSE
(barks)
Form two companies of nine... MARCH!!
THE MEN
march in perfect drill into two groups, each three across
and three deep.
MILITARY HQ, ENTRANCE
MAJOR DUNCAN HEYWARD
Steps out. Rigid salutes.
HEYWARD
climbs onto his white military charger. It's spirited. Cora
& Alice are in riding dresses and veils. The veil doesn't
completely cover Alice's golden hair and blue eyes and the
flush of her complexion. They're riding two sidesaddled
Narragansetts. The tight traveling dress reveals that Cora,
two or three years older than Alice, is fuller and more
mature. All three ride to the front of the column. The baggage
horses and mule are in the gap between the two companies.
MAGUA
cradling his musket.
REAR SHOT: THE COLUMN
down the path that leads into the wall of forest looks
impressive.
WIDER: THE COLUMN
marching. Now they look brave but smaller. The forest - with
all its mysteries and dangers - now impresses us as a towering
dark, sinister, and it's immensity swallows up the living
mass which slowly enters its bosom.
CUT TO:
INT. FOREST - DAY
TRACKING the Redcoats, their faces now filmed with dust, cut
with lines of perspiration. They march in perfect formation.
We TRACK PAST the pack horses, the first company, Sgt. Major
Ambrose and on to Cora & Alice. Alice seems fatigued. Cora's
turned, looking up into the forest canopy, astonished at the
deep beauty of the place.
CORA'S POV: FOREST CANOPY
of trees is dark, except for spots where leaves are sparse,
and there the light is golden.
It's the forest of childhood.
In a ravine a buck disappears into a deeper stand of trees.
CORA (O.S.)
Alice, did you see that...?
CORA'S
reverie's broken by Heyward entering
the frame.
CORA
Alice?
Alice rouses from fatigue.
HEYWARD
Are you alright?
ALICE
Can we rest soon?
HEYWARD
Absolutely.
Heyward rides to the front of the column to Magua, who's
twenty to thirty yards ahead of everybody else.
HEYWARD
You there, Scout!
Magua slowly turns towards Heyward.
HEYWARD
(overly articulated)
We must... stop... soon. Women are...
tired. You... understand?
MAGUA
(perfect English)
I understand. This is not good place
to stop. Two leagues from here. No
water 'til then. That where we stop.
Better place.
HEYWARD
No. Stop in the glade just ahead!
When the ladies are rested, we will
proceed. Do you understand?
MAGUA
(in Huron: English
subtitle)
"Magua understand paleface is a dog
to his women. When his women want
to eat, he lay aside his tomahawk to
feed their laziness."
HEYWARD
Excuse me. What did you say?
MAGUA
Magua say: "Yes. Good idea."
As they begin to stop...
CUT TO:
EXT. MOUNTAINS & FOREST - DAY
WIDE
Silently entering on either side of us come Chingachgook,
followed by Hawkeye and Uncas. Even relaxed, they carry
themselves with a degree of alertness. They're eighteenth
century Viet Cong moving through the rain forest. The Maxfield
Parrish/Hudson Valley of tall trees, ravines and streams is
idyllic in front of them. All three cradle their long guns
and move silently on moccasined feet.
FRONTAL: CHINGACHGOOK
in a stream - relaxed but attentive, abruptly stops. The
others freeze in their tracks.
Chingachgook sees and then stoops to examine...
ROCK
under the water in the stream. It's been turned from its
bed. Chingachgook finds another. Uncas, moving up on his
flank, climbs the bank and moves off into the trees, searches
and then he gestures... he's found another sign of something.
CHINGACHGOOK
has headed off further down the stream and discovers nothing.
Rapidly he rejoins Uncas and Hawkeye who've become extremely
alert. They move up the bank into the forest ninety degrees
from their previous path.
TRACKING: HAWKEYE, UNCAS & CHINGACHGOOK
moving. Fast. Nearly soundless. They hardly disturb a blade
of grass. The impression: expertise, deadliness and an
impression something's wrong.
CUT TO:
EXT. FOREST, TRAIL - DAY
MAGUA
On point. The trail cuts the side of a hill. The ground on
one side rises into a forest acclivity and on the other falls
off into a forested ravine. Magua walking towards camera.
CLOSER - MAGUA'S
slid his tomahawk out from the front of his belt that girdles
his waist. He lets the shaft drop into his hand. He shrugs
off his blanket. There is a solidity to his dark, tall figure
we didn't see before. Magua turns about face and advances on
the column.
TRACK WITH Magua.
Heyward and the Munro girls pass the camera as does Sgt.
Major Ambrose, marching in advance of the men. Magua is
approaching the soldier on the left in the first row.
We see Magua has caught the Redcoat's eye.
REDCOAT
is curious, starts to smile. What does the Huron want to say
to him? When Magua is two steps away he caves in the side of
the infantryman's head at the temple with the spike end of
his tomahawk and, backhanded, hacks the blade through the
side of the neck of the center man in the first row.
SIMULTANEOUSLY
thirteen muskets EXPLODE from the wooded rise.
FIVE REDCOATS
are blown off the path, two others are wounded...
AMBROSE
AMBROSE
Form company! Left face! March!
ALICE
shrieks. Cora grabs Alice's reins
and her own.
HEYWARD
pulling his fusil (short musket), seeing, firing, reaching
for the women...
CORA'S HORSE
bucking.
ALICE'S HORSE
bolting, dodging sideways, spilling Alice to the earth.
AMBROSE
AMBROSE
Company make ready!
The regulars slam into a firing line, stepping over the bodies
of their comrades. All thirteen face the incline.
FORESTED RISE - HURONS
flash downhill through the trees. Partnered in two-man teams,
one loads and prepares and fires while the other advances to
the next cover. He, then, prepares and fires covering his
partner's advance. Leaping fallen trees and boulders, they're
athletic, fast and rapidly closing.
Even though the disciplined English regulars are a killing
machine, we now see their tactics in the dense forest are
grossly inferior to the Hurons'...
AMBROSE
Present!!
CORA
covers Alice with her body, holding the reins of their bolting
horses.
HEYWARD
from horseback aims his horse pistol, FIRES...
AN ATTACKING HURON
leaping at him past Alice & Cora drops.
MULE
with baggage crashes off, down the ravine. Another two
Redcoats drop. Nine left.
Then eight.
AMBROSE
AMBROSE
Fire!!
A musket volley as eight muskets go off as one shot, sending
a lead scythe through leaves. But...
REVERSE:
Hurons were behind cover. Only one was exposed and hit.
AMBROSE
(continuing)
Load! Prime!
The English rush to complete the reload. Will they do it in
time?
AMBROSE
(continuing)
Present! Present!
Suddenly, Hurons - en masse - CRASH down onto the Redcoats
line with tomahawks, war clubs and point-blank musket fire.
ALICE
on the ground, screaming insanely, covered by Cora who's
protecting her little sister, and...
HEYWARD'S
horse shot from beneath him, the animal folding, falling
straight to the earth, and...
MAGUA
shoots Ambrose in the chest, and...
HEYWARD
by the Munro daughters spins, swinging his fusil like a ball-
bat, upending one Huron and lunges with his bayonet in his
left towards another. But this Huron easily slips the thrust
and slams Heyward with his rifle butt.
BRITISH
dead and dying.
AMBROSE
blood gushing from his chest wound, fires his pistol, dropping
a Huron; slashes a second with his sword. Then he's chopped
down. Hurons begin scalping the British while four race
towards Heyward and the two women.
HEYWARD & CORA & ALICE
ready to die. Heyward has only his fusil as a bludgeon. He
readies...
THREE LOUD SHOTS
BLOW three of the Hurons sideways, head over heels down the
rise.
REVERSE: THREE MEN
barely seen, running diagonally across the fall line of the
ravine. In parts, we recognize Nathaniel, recharging Killdeer
on full run, and Uncas.
HURON'S
not sure where the shots came from. Suddenly Chingachgook
slams him, head first into the ravine with the war club. He
didn't even slow down.
HURON
warrior spins. Uncas tomahawks his shoulder. The Huron swings
downwards. Uncas ducks beneath the swing and slashes his
throat, sending him downhill into CAMERA as...
HAWKEYE'S
momentum and thrown tomahawk spread-eagles one Huron, near a
couple of wounded Redcoats who fight on...
MAGUA
calmly sees the odds have changed. His attention becomes
focused. He commits a very revealing act seen through the
blurred foreground action of struggling bodies. We will
remember it. He raises his musket and aims at...
CORA MUNRO
who's unaware she's a target. Why is he singling out a Munro
girl to kill?
HAWKEYE
sees. Killdeer's at his shoulder...
TIME SLOWS: MAGUA
senses Hawkeye. Moving through liquid, his eyes drift left.
The moment is frozen.
Their eyes lock, each to the other's. Then...
TIME UNFREEZES
Magua swings at Hawkeye and FIRES...
HAWKEYE
shifts. The .65 caliber musket ball rockets past his ear and
he's already squeezing Killdeer's trigger as...
HAWKEYE'S POV OVER BARREL: SMOKE
from Magua's musket blast clears. Magua's gone. He almost
shape-shifted, it happened so quickly. It's nearly mystical.
HAWKEYE
lowers Killdeer, impressed.
CORA
glances back at Hawkeye. She doesn't know why he's looking
at her.
CHINGACHGOOK
pursues two fleeing Hurons up the incline. Two strides gain
him the first man, who he hamstrings and runs over to pursue
the second up the hill... as...
HEYWARD
in the confused melee, grabs a found musket and aims it at
an Indian. We recognize that he's aiming at Chingachgook
pursuing the second Huron up the hill...
CORA
No, Duncan!
Duncan ignores her.
HEYWARD'S MUSKET
is jerked from his hands.
HAWKEYE
...case your aim is any better'n
your judgment.
He's drawn his sword, reflexively. Hawkeye flips the musket
around one-handed. It's pointed at Heyward's chest. And
Hawkeye FIRES, killing an attacking Huron behind Heyward. As
Heyward spins...
CHINGACHGOOK'S WAR CLUB
flashes up the hill. It cleaves the second man's back and
bowls him over. Chingachgook retrieves his club as his
scalping knife slashes down...
UNCAS
scalps the man he killed. Chingachgook dispatches the Huron
he hamstrung.
WIDE
Sudden silence. Heyward's motionless. The women are frozen,
as terrified of the savages and apparent half-breed rescuers
as they were of those who attacked them.
ALICE
Cora, holding her, is stunned but functioning. Moments ago
both women were clean and demure. Now their riding dresses
are torn, mud-stained, blood-spattered and their baggage is
gone.
HEYWARD'S
crossed to his slaughtered soldiers. Moments ago they were a
testament to British military power. Now they're dead meat.
Ambrose's body is against a tree. In the B.G. two of the
wounded start to rise...
ALICE (O.S.)
Stop it!
Heyward spins.
UNCAS
just cut the throat of the second Narraganset. It drops into
the brush. Alice attacks him.
ALICE
We need them to get out of here!
Uncas gently restrains her. Cora reaches Alice and grabs her
away from the "savage".
Heyward runs in to protect the women...
HEYWARD
(to Nathaniel)
...why the bloody hell he do that to
the horses?!
Uncas, all business, is now reloading, lifting powder horns,
scanning the trees.
UNCAS
(matter of fact)
...too easy to track...they can be
heard for miles... find yourself a
musket...
Cora's surprised by Uncas' easy English. Hawkeye's scanning
the forest.
HAWKEYE
(to Heyward)
Your wounded should try walkin' back
to Albany. They'll never make a
passage north.
HEYWARD
(breathless)
We were headed...
HAWKEYE
(appropriating a knife)
...Fort William Henry.
CHINGACHGOOK
(to Hawkeye:)
Let's go...
Then a fast exchange of Delaware. Cora's surprised to see
it's Chingachgook's decision. Chingachgook looks at the
survivors, gives his assent, starts off.
HAWKEYE
...take you as far as the fort.
Hawkeye throws Heyward a musket. Cora & Alice look towards
Heyward. He looks at them: the women are totally terrified
and do not move.
HAWKEYE
If we are goin' to take you, we need
to move. Fast... And the fort is
well off our course. So if you all
rather wait for the next Huron war
party to come by, we'll be on our
way.
Heyward quickly decides to go. The women follow. Hawkeye
starts off after Uncas and Chingachgook.
CUT TO:
EXT. FOREST - DAY
HAWKEYE
Moves through the trackless forest. Uncas is far out on the
left flank. Cora, Alice & Duncan Heyward follow in Hawkeye's
and Chingachgook's steps...
HAWKEYE'S FEET
walking through a creek, stepping in the stream bed instead
of on stones. The others follow. Hawkeye looks at Heyward.
HEYWARD
conforms. He's ill at ease not being in command, following
the lead of some half-Indian frontiersman through a foreign
wilderness.
HEYWARD
How far is it, scout?
HAWKEYE
Day and a half
(pause)
Where did you get... the guide?
HEYWARD
Colonel Munro sent him. He was one
of our Mohawk allies.
HAWKEYE
He is Huron and nothing else.
(checking the Munro
girls are not too
close)
Why would he want to murder the girl?
HEYWARD
What?!
HAWKEYE
Dark haired...
HEYWARD
Miss Cora Munro. He never set eyes
on her before today.
HAWKEYE
No blood vengeance? No re-proach or
insult?
HEYWARD
Of course not!
(pause)
And how is it you were nearby?
HAWKEYE
Came across the war party, tracked
'em.
HEYWARD
Then you're assigned to Fort William
Henry?
HAWKEYE
No.
HEYWARD
Fort Edward, then?
HAWKEYE
No. Headin' west. To Can-tuck-ee.
HEYWARD
I thought all our colonial scouts
were in the militia?
Off to the side, Uncas smiles at the idea.
HAWKEYE
I ain't your "scout". And I am in no
damn militia.
HEYWARD
(stops)
Then you are one of those who would
allow England to fight alone while
she protects you from France?
HAWKEYE
England does not protect me and does
not war against France on our account.
She uses us to war against France on
her own account... of greed for
land and furs.
CORA'S
appalled.
HAWKEYE
(turns)
Clear it up any?
HEYWARD
(loud)
I owe you gratitude or I'd call you
out!
HAWKEYE
(low)
Do not let gratitude get in the way...
Cora's hand holds back Heyward's sword arm because suddenly
Chingachgook looms over him.
CHINGACHGOOK
(to Hawkeye)
Yengeese no good in woods. Make more
noise, I kill him.
Heyward spins. Hawkeye coolly watches Cora. Her attitude is
hostile; aligned with Heyward. He turns away. Meanwhile...
UNCAS
stops, alarmed. Something in the air bothers him. Hawkeye
smells it, too.
CHINGACHGOOK
is already moving out front, low and fast...
CUT TO:
EXT. FOREST, TREE LINE - DAY
GREEN BRANCHES
After we HOLD, we realize Chingachgook's been there all along.
Hawkeye and Uncas join him where the branches meet the ground.
Smoke drifts through the trees.
Hawkeye sees and dips his head, then looks again...
EXT. CAMERON CABIN - DAY
WIDE
Burned, smoldering, having fallen in on itself. TRACK LEFT
past what was the doorway. A dead child's hand protruding
from the ruin. A fragment of a dress. Charred and smoldering
wood. John Cameron's body in the wreckage. And then, through
the collapsed posts and timbers, Hawkeye, Chingachgook and
Uncas have advanced and are seeing what we've just seen; and
then Cora and Alice.
ALICE
approaches and is frozen in horror. Cora shields her from
the sight. Cora is affected but confronts it directly.
HEYWARD (O.S.)
Anything to be done?
UNCAS
returns from under one part of the wreckage, ashen, stoic,
as they all are. We know the degree of their inner pain.
UNCAS
All dead...
HAWKEYE
bends over a moccasin print that Chingachgook's examining.
They look at each other grimly. Heyward joins them.
HEYWARD
Who were these people?
HAWKEYE
(re: print)
Ottawa!
HEYWARD
Excuse me...
CHINGACHGOOK
(to Hawkeye)
Ottawa.
UNCAS
enters, very careful where he places his feet... Hawkeye
gestures to Heyward to stay where he is: on the periphery
with the women.
UNCAS
Mirrors... tools... clothes... all
inside.
HAWKEYE
(to Chingachgook)
Movin' fast, not able to carry much...
this was a war party?
Chingachgook nods confirmation and indicates a direction in
Mohican. The significance is very ominous to them. We don't
know why yet. Chingachgook starts away...
HEYWARD
Let us look after them...
He starts approaching the bodies.
CHINGACHGOOK
Leave them.
Heyward stops. Hawkeye and Uncas follow Chingachgook, leaving
the cabin.
CORA
(hasn't moved)
Though they are strangers, they are
at least entitled to a Christian
burial!
HAWKEYE
(shaking his head)
Let us go, miss.
CORA
I will not. I have seen the face of
war before, Mr. Poe, but never war
made on women and children. And almost
as cruel is your indifference.
Hawkeye turns back and rapidly approaches her. She takes a
step back, fearful.
HAWKEYE
(contained)
Miss Munro.
(pause)
They are not strangers.... And they
stay as they lay...!
CORA
realizes Hawkeye knew these people and is deeply affected.
She also realizes for the first time this is a whole new
world with dynamics and complexities, behavior and rhythms
she doesn't understand. He turns away from her and walks on.
She hesitates a moment.
WIDE ON THE SMALL CLEARING IN FRONT OF THE FARMHOUSE
as Chingachgook and Hawkeye, extremely alert and cradling
their cocked flintlocks, walk to camera, eyes sweeping the
forest perimeter; they're followed by Cora, Heyward helping
Alice and Uncas as rearguard.
The ruined cabin and the dead dream of a family smolders
behind them.
CUT TO:
EXT. GLADE - NIGHT
PROFILE: HAWKEYE
moves through to where the trees seem sparse and are
unnaturally white birch and some thin grass grows. The land
rises into a mound. Chingachgook and the others avoid stepping
on the grass and cross to the other side of it.
CHINGACHGOOK
mutters something to Uncas. He nods and disappears amongst
the white birch, soundlessly.
HAWKEYE
throws Heyward a blanket. Heyward spreads the blanket below
the top of the mound and - maintaining silence - he gestures
for Cora & Alice to rest there.
ALICE'S HEAD
hits the blanket. She curls into a fetal position and she's
out. Heyward is nearby on watch.
Hawkeye has taken a position two-thirds of the way around
the crescent shaped mound.
Cora has sought him out.
HAWKEYE
doesn't react as Cora enters. He's scanning the trees; not
looking at her.
They whisper...
CORA
Why didn't you bury those people?
HAWKEYE
Anyone lookin' to pick up our trail,
would see it as a sign of our
passing...
CORA
You knew them.
Hawkeye looks at her and nods.
CORA
(stiffly)
You were acting for our benefit. And
I apologize. I misunderstood you.
HAWKEYE
Well that is to be expected. My
father...
CORA
Your "father"?
HAWKEYE
Chingachgook. He warned me about
people like you.
CORA
He did?
HAWKEYE
Yes. He said... "do not try to make
them understand you."
CORA
What?!
HAWKEYE
Yes. And "do not try to understand
them. That is because they are a
breed apart and they make no sense..."
Cora's indignation is cut off because...
UNCAS
moving fast. He gestures back the way he came and it means
they're in jeopardy. Uncas disappears around the mound.
CUT TO:
EXT. BIRCH FOREST - TREES - NIGHT
Nothing. Imperceptibly we move closer and start to see shapes
blocking out part of the white birch.
RED-PAINTED FACE
white eyes. A ruff of red hair stands straight up at the
back of the large man's head.
Slit and monstrously elongated earlobes are weighted with
silver. He's followed by others. Wary, silently, they hunt.
DEEPER: MORE OTTAWA
Towards the rear are two French Rangers ("Coureurs des Bois")
from Le Regiment de la Sarre. They're bearded, dirty, dressed
Indian-style in moccasins, leggings and breechcloths with
hooded hunting shirts. There's nothing clumsy about them.
They're the 18th century version of Special Forces who've
gone indigenous. If they and the Ottawa find our people,
it's all over.
ALICE
seeing the red-painted Ottawa approach, starts to panic. Her
hyperventilating and involuntary small sounds of fear will
reveal their position. A hand covers her mouth and silences
her struggling. WIDEN. It's Uncas. His other arm is around
her, holding her, looking towards the advancing Ottawa.
HAWKEYE
on his back, his tomahawk within reach on the ground.
OTTAWA & FRENCH
are fifty yards away from the crescent mound behind which
lie our people. Mist envelops them...
CHINGACHGOOK
His massive arms spread revealing his war club in his left
fist; his fusil in his right hand.
HAWKEYE
waiting for the attack. Cora's eyes are anxious, but there's
no terror there. Nathaniel's impressed with her cool. He
hands her a pistol. She takes it. He listens for the soft
drop of moccasined feet...
OTTAWA
through the grass. Thirty feet away they stop. They're
motionless. Then their leader gestures and they start backing
out. The French Rangers continue towards the crescent.
The Ottawa chief takes one's arm and stops him. The French
Ranger whispers something inaudible. The Ottawa chief shakes
his head, "Non. Pas possible..."
And means it. They retreat.
SEPERATE SHOTS: HAWKEYE, UNCAS, CHINGACHGOOK, CORA
tensely monitor the Ottawa retreat.
UNCAS & ALICE
He slowly removes his hand from her mouth. She's a little
shy, then she looks up, catches his eyes. Then she averts
her face.
CHINGACHGOOK
sees all of it; doesn't like it.
HAWKEYE
The Ottawa are gone.
CORA
(quietly)
Why did they turn back?
In answer Hawkeye looks behind & above her head.
CORA
turns and makes out stilt platforms of skeletons and torn
strips of buckskin silhouetted against the night sky in the
distance. They have camped on sanctified ground, a burial
place.
CORA & HAWKEYE
She thinks it would be a mistake to ever underestimate the
skill of these men or the danger & complexity of this place.
She hands the pistol back to him. Their hands almost touch.
CORA
(still pissed off)
"We're a breed apart and we make no
sense"...?
HAWKEYE
(smiles)
In your particular case, miss, I
would make some allowance...
CORA
(sarcastic)
Thank you so much.
Cora is angry. Hawkeye, staring at the trees, glances at
her. She settles, looking at him.
Her mood changes. Then...
CORA
You called Chingachgook your "father"?
Where is your real family?
Hawkeye's surprised by her question.
HAWKEYE
They buried my ma & pa and my sisters.
And Chingachgook - who found me with
two French trappers - raised me up
as his own.
CORA
I'm sorry.
HAWKEYE
I do not remember them. I was one or
two.
CORA
How did you learn English?
HAWKEYE
My father sent Uncas & I to Reverend
Wheelock's school when I was ten. So
we would know both worlds... though
we were told only bother learning
readin' & arithmetic from yours.
CORA
And what were the consequentialities
of European culture you didn't bother
with?
HAWKEYE
The Bible. Monarchy. Many wrong ideas
about the government of men. My
father's people already know each
man is his own nation. And only he
can have dominion over himself. Not
kings. No man is better than any
other man.
CORA
In London those radical ideas could
land you in Newgate prison.
(changing the subject)
Why were those people living in this
defenseless place...?
HAWKEYE
'Cos frontier land's the only land
affordable to poor people. So after
seven years indentured service in
Virginia, they headed out here where
they are beholden to none and not
livin' by another's leave... Their
name was Cameron. John & Alexandria.
Cora sees the slate grey clouds and, in between, the fields
of stars. She looks at Hawkeye; then again up at the night
sky.
HAWKEYE
(continuing; looking
up)
My father's people say... at the
birth of the sun and of his brother,
the moon, their mother died... so
the sun gave to the earth her body,
from which was to spring all life.
And he drew forth from her breast
the stars. The stars he threw into
the night sky to remind him of her
soul.
(the sky)
So there is the Camerons' monument...
my folks', too, I guess.
CORA'S
pensive. Hawkeye's watching her. Her reaction is enigmatic.
After a pause...
CORA
(low)
You are right, Mr. Poe. We do not
understand what is happening here.
And it is not as I imagined it would
be, thinking of it in Boston and
London...
HAWKEYE
Sorry to disappoint you...
CORA
(eyes downcast)
On the contrary. It is more deeply
stirring... to my blood...
(then up into his
eyes)
...than any imagining could possibly
have been...
She closes her eyes, turns slightly and prepares to sleep.
Hawkeye is the one left staring into the birch forest, a
little surprised. Some of his assumptions about her were
wrong...
CUT TO:
EXT. FOREST - LATE AFTERNOON
WIDE
Deep fog has set in. A hand entering the frame scares the
hell out of us. It moves a branch aside. It's Uncas. Spread
to the right is Chingachgook, far to the left is Hawkeye.
They hike up a steep forested slope in the heart of the
Adirondacks.
CORA
Much further?
HAWKEYE
Top of this ridge. Fort and Lake
George are downhill of it.
ALICE
Re-energized, her spirits pick up.
ALICE
Will we be able to bathe?
Before Cora can answer they hear a deep, rolling roar. Alice
is alarmed.
CORA
Thunder... Papa will arrange
something.
UNCAS
looks over his shoulder, sees something in the far distance,
gestures to Hawkeye and Chingachgook.
HAWKEYE'S POV: DISTANT HILLS
and the band of red-painted Ottawa and Coureurs des Bois,
who have now split into two groups, are still on their trail.
Meanwhile, oblivious...
HEYWARD
The men of the regiment will fetch
water from the lake, build fires and
provide every comfort you desire,
Alice...
ALICE
Duncan, you are absolutely gallant.
If Cora doesn't marry you, I shall.
CORA
Alice!
Heyward laughs. Hawkeye sees them. It bothers us: will these
Europeans, including Cora, shed their frontier experience?
ALICE
I can't wait to see Papa...
CORA
And you, Duncan? What are you looking
forward to?
HEYWARD
Posting to a different continent.
He and Alice laugh. Cora does not.
CORA
I think it's very important and
exciting.
Heyward looks at her. She's not kidding.
ANOTHER ANGLE: HEYWARD
helps Alice. As he does, he stares at Cora's seperation and
now her proximity to Hawkeye, who's walking on ahead, is
something Heyward doesn't like. His dark thoughts are
distracted by a FLASH of light and more ROLLING THUNDER.
WIDE FROM THE FRONT - HAWKEYE
drops and pulls Cora to the ground.
CORA
Lightning?
Hawkeye doesn't answer as he, Chingachgook, Uncas and Heyward
make their way to the top of the ridge.
CLOSER ANGLES: CORA & ALICE
join them and look down upon their expectation of a secure
piece of England in the wilderness, a safe harbor, a father's
warm welcome.
THEIR POV: FORT WILLIAM HENRY
is none of those things. The thunder is the roar of French
siege cannon clouded in dense smoke. The flashes of light
are mortar bombs exploding and illumination rockets' red
glare. Fort William Henry is under a massive siege by a French
and Huron army.
UNCAS
looks over his shoulder.
HIS POV: OTTAWA
pursuing them. There's no way back. They're propelled forward.
DISSOLVE TO:
EXT. BATTLEFIELD, FRENCH BATTERY #1 - DUSK
CLOSE SHOTS
French cannons roar black smoke and gouts of red flame.
TRENCH
dug by sappeurs behind the cover of a huge gambio pushed
toward the fort by two poles and fascis on the sides.
ENGLISH GUN CREW
searching the night.
POV: BATTLEFIELD
is black.
ENGLISH ROCKETS
light the battlefield revealing the French trenches.
ENGLISH GUN CREW
excited. Colonial militia and Mohawk snipers fire their
rifles. The British gun crew scrambles to adjust their 18
pounders.
FRENCH BATTERY #1
FIRES.
FRENCH BATTERY #2
FIRES.
EXT. FORT, WEST BATTERY
TRACKING. French cannon FIRE rips into the fortifications,
exploding wood and earth, shredding the English gun crew
with cannister. The English fight stubbornly, but we feel
they're outgunned. Meanwhile...
WIDE ANGLE FROM THE WATER
A new artillery duel erupts. The action is to the west side
of the fort. On the north, the fire fight is reflected on
the black water of Lake George in our foreground. Then a
dark shape wiping to the right cuts off those reflections.
We see in silhouette the outline of a birch canoe moving
silently, barely rippling the mirrored surface of the lake.
EXT. LAKE GEORGE BANK - DEBRIS
Behind it, two Canadiens and a Huron alternately snipe at
the ramparts.
LOW & WIDE: SNIPERS
Behind them is black water. Its surface is broken by the
rising mass of Chingachgook, followed by Uncas and Hawkeye.
Muzzle flashes from the cannon reveal the canoe and the forms
of the girls further out. Chingachgook's war club is held
low. The Huron senses and turns and Hawkeye's thrown tomahawk
knocks him back. Hawkeye's knife flashes in the night.
Chingachgook drives the war club up, smashing a Canadien
onto the debris. The second Canadien jabs bayonet at Uncas,
slashing his side. Uncas jerks him forward by the musket,
folds him over and tomahawks him.
CUT TO:
EXT. FORT WILLIAM HENRY, NORTH WALL - NIGHT
SALLY-PORT TUNNEL
amidst the cannonade roar, ad-libbed shouts from Hawkeye and
Heyward convince battle begrimed soldiers to open the sally-
port. Our people rush in.
TORCH LIGHT
the group moves through the long, dank, tunnel. Enlisted men
escorting them. Another torch from the other direction:
CAPTAIN BEAMS is revealed.
HEYWARD
I'm Major Duncan Heyward!
BEAMS
Captain Jeffrey Beams. We didn't
think you'd make it through!
HEYWARD
Where's Colonel Munro? His daughters
are here, too.
Beams raises his torch, sees the muddied, soaked women. He
is shocked that they traveled with Heyward.
CUT TO:
INT. FORT WILLIAM HENRY, PARADE GROUND - NIGHT
GROUP
Emerges from a sally-port tunnel. It's smokey. NOISE is
deafening. The group has traveled through a nightmare, only
to arrive in hell.
HEYWARD WITH BEAMS, CORA & HAWKEYE, ALICE, UNCAS &
CHINGACHGOOK
run diagonally past pyramidal stacks of cannon ball,
smoldering beams and shrapnel, wounded men. Just then a mortar
is fired and explodes, killing the gun crew. On the ramparts
Mohawks and Colonial Militia, sniping at the French. Women
huddle in corners next to the sick and dying.
UNDER RAMPARTS: MILITIA
AD LIBS
(shouts over roar)
Uncas! Nathaniel...
HAWKEYE
waves. One wounded man, IAN, intercepts Uncas.
IAN
Thought you and Nathaniel weren't
joinin'-up.
UNCAS
(on the run)
Didn't!
HAWKEYE
Dropped in to see how you boys is
doin'.
COLONEL MUNRO
running from his quarters is shocked to see them.
ALICE
(hysterical)
Papa, Papa!!
MUNRO
(enraged)
Why are you here?!
Cora is stunned. Alice is decimated by her father's anger.
Munro sees and whips off his coat to cover them and takes
Alice under his arm. Bombardment resumes. Alice clings while
they race for the cover of his quarters:]
MUNRO
(to Heyward; re: Alice
& Cora)
Why did you allow them to come?...
And where the bloody hell are my
reinforcements!!
They race into the yellow lantern light of Munro's quarters
and slam and bolt the heavy door. Heyward's confused...
CUT TO:
INT. MUNRO'S QUARTERS - NIGHT
MUNRO
(embracing his
daughters; softer)
Told you to stay away from this hell
hole! Why did you disobey me?
CORA
When? How?
MUNRO
My letter...
CORA
There was none!
MUNRO
What?
CORA
There was no letter.
MUNRO
I sent three men to Webb!
HEYWARD
One called Magua arrived.
CORA
He delivered no such message.
Munro's stunned.
MUNRO
Does Webb not even know we are
besieged?
HEYWARD
Sir. Webb has no idea. And he
certainly does not know to send
reinforcements!
Munro has nowhere for his rage to go. Meanwhile, Alice clings
to her father. At 45-55, the British Army has been his life.
He blindly believes in its institutions, though officers
like Webb would disdain his Scots origins.
FROM UNDER HIS FURY:
MUNRO
(flat)
What happened to you?
HEYWARD
(suddenly tired)
Ambush... on the George Road. This
Magua led us into it.
(pause)
...eighteen killed. It's these men
who saved us. They guided us here...
MUNRO
Thank you. How can I reward you?
No answer. Then...
HAWKEYE
Help ourselves to a few horns from
your powder stores.
MUNRO
What else?
UNCAS
Some food.
MUNRO
(to Uncas)
I'm indebted to you. And get your
side sewn up, young man.
MUNRO
sees his exhausted and bloodstained surgeon in the doorway
that leads to the next rooms.
MUNRO
(bellows)
Mr. Phelps!
PHELPS' face lights up when he sees Cora Munro.
PHELPS
Miss Cora! How are you?
CORA
(smiles)
Fine, Mr. Phelps. Have you cat gut
and a suturing needle?
(for Uncas)
And we could use some rum, clothes,
and a place to wash...
Cora tries to remove Alice from her father, but she clings
to him. Munro holds her tighter. Then he whispers something
to her. She nods her head. And Cora takes her.
They exit.
MUNRO
is moved beyond words by his daughters' presence. There's a
break, a pause...
MUNRO
(to Heyward over table
map)
What a place for them...
HEYWARD
Might I enquire after the situation,
sir, given that I've seen of the
French engineering from the ridge
above?
MUNRO
(perfunctory)
Logistics are his guns are bigger
than mine and he has more of them.
They keep our heads down while his
sappers make thirty yards of trench
a day. His thirteen inch mortars
have a two hundred yard range, so
when they're close enough, they'll
move them in, lob explosive rounds
over our walls and pound us to dust.
They look to be three hundred yards
out. Bloody murderers. You have
three days.
HAWKEYE
A man, here, can make a run straight
through to Webb.
MUNRO
...not enough time to get to Albany
and back with reinforcements...
A Sergeant enters, snaps to attention, says something to
Beams, exits.
HEYWARD
Webb's not in Albany. He marched the
33rd to Fort Edward two days ago.
MUNRO
Webb's at Edward?
HEYWARD
Yes, sir.
MUNRO
Only twelve miles away! He could be
here day after tomorrow.
(to Hawkeye)
Find your man, sir! Captain Beams
will give you the message.
Beams nods. Munro turns back to the map. Hawkeye has something
else to say.
HAWKEYE
John Cameron's cabin. We come upon
it last night. Burned out. Everyone
murdered. And it was Ottawa. They're
allied to the French.
Munro looks at him.
MUNRO
Yes, Mr. Poe? So?
HAWKEYE
It was a war party. It means they're
on the attack up and down the
frontier.
Munro turns to look at him for a long beat. Munro doesn't
like what his response must be to this news. He turns to
Heyward and the map.
MUNRO
(cold)
Thank you.
Hawkeye's dismissed, frozen out.
HAWKEYE
Many men here, their homes are in
the path.
MUNRO
That's all, sir.
Hawkeye is furious. Chingachgook gestures Hawkeye out. He
leaves Munro's quarters almost knocking over an entering
Adjutant who backs way up to let Chingachgook pass.
HEYWARD
Things were done. Nobody was spared...
MUNRO
Terrible feature of war in the
Americas.
(beat; a mantra)
Best to keep your sight fixed on our
duty.
Our duty is to defeat France. That hangs on a courier to
Webb.
CUT TO:
INT. MONTCALM'S MARQUEE - NIGHT
CHORAL GROUP
of three Seneca women and five boys, led by a Jesuit, sing
the Te Deum in the Iroquois language. This is a large tent
that could sleep twenty. Montcalm's four personal guards are
at the entrance as well as COMTE DE LEVIS in dirty lace, a
facial wound and a braceful of pistols on a sash. Inside is
simple campaign furniture and a six by eight foot battle
standard and flag of France.
MONTCALM
stands with a huge and fearsome elaborately tattooed and
robed Seneca chief in a silk turban...
SENECA CHIEF
(low)
... and the Black Robes of
Michilimackinac left us no time to
put our cabins in order before telling
us our French father had need of our
aid. We rolled our blankets and were
the first to be here. Yet we are not
the first and closest to my father's
campfire.
The Marquis de Montcalm is forty-five, wears a large wampum
belt as a sash over his waistcoat. He has an acute intellect,
an elegant manner. He is more aristocratic than Munro, but a
consummate professional soldier. Over the Seneca's shoulder,
Montcalm sees and nods to...
MAGUA
entering with four Huron braves. This is not the Magua we
saw on the trail. In his scalp lock, now red-stained and cut
to a Huron roach, are three blacl plumes. A match-coat blanket
drapes his left shoulder.
MONTCALM
(to Seneca Chief)
For my children and the children of
the true faith, my friendship and
esteem is boundless... I will give
you three oxen for a feast and
tomorrow I, myself, will sing the
war song with you in the great council
house.
The Seneca Chief is satisfied and his people, plus the Jesuit,
exit. The look on Magua's face and the wry expression on
Montcalm's allows us to understand their relationship is
based on realpolitik.
MONTCALM
Le Renard Subtil, how are things
with your English friends?
Magua exhales in derision as he brings a chair to face
Montcalm and sits, European style...
MONTCALM
(over his shoulder)
Louis Antoine, join us.
LOUIS ANTOINE DE BOUGAINVILLE enters. He wears a functional
melange of Indian moccasins over white linen breeches and an
officer's waistcoat.
MONTCALM
Hear what le Subtil has to tell us...
Bougainville published a book on integral calculus at twenty-
five, at twenty-six was a secretary to the French Ambassador
in London, in January 1756 at twenty-seven he was elected a
member of the British Royal Academy of Science and at age
twenty-eight he's aide de camp to the Marquis de Montcalm
with the rank of captain. Later in life, he brought
"bougainvillea" from Tahiti to Europe to America.
MAGUA
English war chief, Webb goes to Fort
Edward with 33rd Regiment. He does
not know my father's army attacks
Fort William Henry.
BOUGAINVILLE
But by now Munro knows his couriers
didn't get through. He'll send
another.
MAGUA
The Grey Hair will try.
BOUGAINVILLE
Four or five, including two women
entered the fort...
MAGUA
The Grey Hair's children were under
Magua's knife but escaped. They'll
be under it again.
MONTCALM
Why do hate the Grey Hair, Magua?
MAGUA
When the Grey Hair is dead, Magua
will eat his heart. Before he dies
Magua will put his children under
the knife so the Grey Hair will see
his seed is wiped out forever.
Montcalm won't get a direct answer.
MONTCALM
My sappeurs are advancing the trenches
through the night, now. You may have
your opportunity soon.
CUT TO:
INT. SURGERY, ENTRANCE - NIGHT
PHELPS
Exhausted, sitting on a low stool, taking a breath.
HAWKEYE (O.S.)
She know what she's doin'?
Phelps looks up, then he looks over his shoulder at Cora.
She's in a borrowed launderess dress/blouse... She looks
different. He's a little indignant.
PHELPS
First assisted me in Austria when
she was fourteen. I would say she
does...
Her apron is stained. Hawkeye sees this may be her first
time in the New World, but it's not her first military
campaign. Still angered at Munro's dismissive response, he's
nevertheless falling for Cora.
HAWKEYE
She does not shy away from much...
PHELPS
(elsewhere)
What's that?
HAWKEYE
Nothin'.
Alice Munro has caught Hawkeye's attention. Outside the
surgery where a casement meets a wall, she sits, withdrawn.
A catatonic older woman in a fine dress sits next to her.
PHELPS (O.S.)
Miss Cora? Gentleman looking for
you.
HAWKEYE
enters. Cora's sewing up Uncas.
CORA
(looks up)
Mr Poe?
HAWKEYE
Miss.
(re: cotton)
May I?
Cora, curious, nods. Hawkeye cuts some pieces from her ruined
and discarded dress that she now uses to bandage Uncas. We
don't know why; neither does Cora.
HAWKEYE
(to Uncas)
You 'bout done holdin' hands with
Miss Munro?
Uncas laughs, looking from her to Hawkeye. Then he's up and
he hurts. Cora starts to tend another wounded man. As they
start out, Hawkeye hesitates. Sensing it, Cora turns.
CORA
What are you looking at, Mr. Poe?
HAWKEYE
Why, I am looking at you, Miss.
Cora measures the directness of Hawkeye's manner. It's not
insolent, only unsettling.
Feeling foolish; she turns. He leaves.
CUT TO:
EXT. FRENCH TRENCHES - NIGHT
SAPPEURS & ENGINEERS
Having worked through the night, are still digging the
diagonally-advancing trench. We note it's closer than it
was.
EXT. FRENCH TRENCHES - NIGHT
FRENCH PICKETTS
At their posts guard the sappeurs. Meanwhile...
CUT TO:
EXT. FORT WILLIAM HENRY, WEST SIDE - NIGHT
SALLY-PORT
Opens. Ten Mohawks and Rangers crawl towards the French lines.
Meanwhile...
CUT TO:
EXT. FORT WILLIAM HENRY, PARAPET - NIGHT
HAWKEYE & UNCAS -
are low and out of French sight in the northeast battery.
Four others are with them, including Captain Jack. Stacked
rifles are against the casement. We don't know why.
Each rifle is within reach of Hawkeye's hand. Hawkeye is
taking extra care loading Killdeer. He charges it once, then
overloads the powder by a quarter charge.
UNCAS
You told him about the raid?
HAWKEYE
(nods)
He does not want to hear it.
(pause)
But he is gonna have to.
JACK
(to one man)
Get together by the West Battery
James & Ian, Sharitarish & William.
Hawkeye uses the fine cotton he took from Cora. Uncas sees
it.
UNCAS
Tight weave.
HAWKEYE
Another forty yards?
Uncas nods. Hawkeye wets it to make a tighter gas seal and
rams it home. The tighter fit requires more effort.
HAWKEYE
looks below to ground level...
FRONTIERSMAN - COURIER
Two pistols are holstered in a sash around his chest. He
wears no hat and carries no pack. He waits by the sally-port
door.
CUT TO:
EXT. FRENCH TRENCH - NIGHT
THREE PICKETS -
are suddenly tomahawked and knifed by stripped down 42nd
Highlanders and Mohawks. Alarm is raised. French and some
Huron run to advance. Shots are fired.
The Rangers & Mohawks fall back.
FRENCH
emboldened, pursue...
TRENCH IN FRONT OF WEST WALL
suddenly Heyward and three companies of the 62nd regiment of
Foot (60 men) are over the top in perfect formation...
HEYWARD
Sergeant! Form three ranks!
SERGEANT MAJOR
Sir!
(bellows to troops)
Upon the center, wheel to the left-
about! March!
(three motions; drums)
Rear ranks, proper distance!
(the rear ranks back
up six paces)
Front ranks, take your distance!
March!
(everybody moves)
Halt!
(in unison they slam
to a stop)
Make ready!
(muskets snap to port
arms)
MOHAWKS & HIGHLANDERS
dodge right & left of the 62nd's line of fire.
FRENCH
are coming forward. Their sergeants trying to stop and form
their men in ad-libbed French.
62ND REGIMENT OF FOOT
SERGEANT MAJOR
(dead cool)
First rank! Second rank! Present
arms!
(muskets shouldered)
HEYWARD
Fire!!!
Like one shot, lightening, smoke and .65 caliber death screams
from the first two ranks like a scythe, cutting down...
REVERSE: FRENCH
Fourteen wounded or killed...
62ND REGIMENT OF FOOT
HEYWARD
exposed. He's oblivious to incoming rounds. A piece of hat
is blown off, epaulet is shot off. The man next to him is
killed and bloodies Heyward's coat.
HEYWARD
Advance, Sergeant Major!
SERGEANT MAJOR
Sir!!!
(to soldiers)
Third rank! Twelve paces! Forward
march!
Drums. The rear rank walks through the first two ranks, who
are priming and loading in perfect order to their Sergeant
Major's commands. As the third rank becomes the first rank...
SERGEANT MAJOR
Shoulder arms!
(slam)
Present!
(slam)
HEYWARD
Fire!!!
CUT TO:
EXT. FORT WILLIAM HENRY - NIGHT
COURIER
sprints for the trees during the diversion of Heyward's sally.
TWO HURONS
materialize from nowhere and charge at him... both are BLOWN
off their feet by...
EXT. FORT WILLIAM HENRY, CASEMENT - NIGHT
UNCAS & HAWKEYE
now handed already-loaded, primed and cocked rifles while
the four men behind them reload the two just fired. Hawkeye
gestures...
EXT. HILLSIDE - NIGHT
THREE HALF-SAVAGE CANADIENS
Are running down the hill to intercept the courier. One
fires...
COURIER
a near miss.
EXT. FORT WILLIAM HENRY - NIGHT
HAWKEYE FIRES. A half second later, Uncas FIRES.
EXT. HILLSIDE - NIGHT
One Canadien's falling through the trees as the second one's
hit by Uncas' shot.
HAWKEYE
reaches out his hand. Killdeer with the heavier load is
slapped into it. Hawkeye aims.
Looks away a second and comes back to the sight in deep
concentration. The world goes silent...
HAWKEYE'S POV:
COURIER & CANADIEN
pursuer are barely visible. Only patches appear momentarily
between the trees. They're three hundred yards away: an
impossible shot in 1757.
EXT. FOREST - NIGHT
THE CANADIEN
will intersect the courier. His arm is back with his tomahawk
to throw...
EXT. FORT WILLIAM HENRY - NIGHT
HAWKEYE
Judges wind, elevates the long rifle... and FIRES at us.
JUMP CUT BACK:
TREES
Hawkeye's heavy round rips through. We HEAR the ball cut
air. A few leaves flutter...
EXT. FOREST - NIGHT
CANADIEN
whacked head over heels by the impact.
COURIER
looks over his shoulder. He didn't know the Canadien was
there. He stumbles in the half light. Then he runs on...
CUT TO:
EXT. FORT WILLIAM HENRY - WEST SALLY-PORT - NIGHT
The three companies of the 62nd Regiment of Foot file back
into the fort in perfect order. The sally-port is closed.
Three men are wounded. The diversion worked perfectly.
HEYWARD
Sergeant Major!
SERGEANT MAJOR
Sir!
HEYWARD
Thank you, Sergeant Major. Thank the
men.
SERGEANT MAJOR
Atten-hut!
TROOPERS & MILITIA
have seen no action for three days & nights. Heyward got
their blood running and won their respect. They step aside
and nod to him. Heyward keeps walking. He is home.
CUT TO:
INT. MUNRO'S BEDCHAMBER - NIGHT
DOOR
A knock and Heyward enters.
CORA & ALICE
Alice is in her father's bed. Cora is collecting and tearing
linen into strips for bandaging.
HEYWARD
Cora... I wanted to talk to you, but
I'll come back another time...
Alice looks at the two of them and rises out of the bed.
CORA
Alice...
ALICE
Talk to Duncan, Cora... I must
manage... I cannot be an invalid
schoolgirl.
(starts for door)
I'll see if Mr. Phelps needs
anything...
She leaves.
HEYWARD
I'm sorry, I didn't mean to...
CORA
Her nerves are shattered. She's trying to be brave.
There's a lot going on under Cora's surface. We don't know
what it is, but it's disconcerting.
HEYWARD
Cora, I adore you and, when we come
together, we will be the happiest
couple in England... I am certain
of that. More than ever before.
(softens)
I believe you must trust the judgment
of others who hold your welfare so
close to their hearts...
CORA
Duncan...
(pause)
Duncan, I promised you an answer.
You have complimented me with your
persistence and patience... But the
decision I've come to is I'd rather
make the gravest of mistakes than
surrender my own judgment.
Heyward is stunned.
CORA
And it's been unfair to you, while I
search myself for feelings, which,
if they were there and as strong as
they ought to be, would've made
themselves known long ago...
(pause)
Take my admiration and friendship,
Duncan. And please take this as my
final answer. It must be no.
Heyward' shattered inside.
HEYWARD
I see...
CORA
I am sorry, Duncan...
Heyward nods. He's speechless. He's errect as he leaves the
room.
CLOSE: CORA
The tension rushes out of her and she shudders and leans
against the quarter-timbered walls for support. Then she
collects the linen and starts out.
CUT TO:
INT. FORT, INNER CORRIDOR - NIGHT
CORA
Moving through the corridor past wounded. Two French mortar
bombs explode above one of the casements. We hear shrill
screams in the distance and...
HAWKEYE (O.S.)
... it was no raidin' party out for
pillage. The cabin was attacked by a
war party. They are sweeping south
down the frontier spreading terror
among farms and Mohawk villages 'cos
all the men are here.
IAN (O.S.)
And my cabin's not thirteen miles
south of Cameron's!
Cora, passing the open door to Munro's crowded office, now
hesitates.
CORA'S POV: THE ROOM
Hawkeye, Captain Jack Winthrop, Ian, seven or eight other
militia spokesmen, Munro, Heyward, two adjutants, one
lieutenant of Rangers.
MUNRO
(to Jack)
I must receive proof more conclusive
than Mr. Poe's opinion before I weaken
our defenses by allowing militia to
withdraw.
JACK
Chingachgook's of the same opinion.
Taken together, that's gospel. Your
fort will stand or fall depending on
Webb and reinforcements, not these
colonials' presence.
MUNRO
I judge military matters, Captain
Winthrop, not you.
HAWKEYE
That judgment is not more important
than their right under agreement
with Webb to defend their farms &
families... Major Heyward was at
John Cameron's. He saw what it was.
MUNRO
(looking to Heyward
for confirmation of
his point of view)
What did you see, Major?
Heyward looks around the room. And he catches the doorway...
CORA
beyond the periphery of men, staring
at him.
HEYWARD
Munro is expecting him to be the
good soldier in defense of British
military interests.
At the same time...
CORA
examines him with a cool, level stare.
HEYWARD
looks at Munro. More French rounds detonate O.S. What if
Webb gets here and they need to launch a counter-attack?
They need every man they have. It's his moment of decision...
HEYWARD
(to Munro)
I saw nothing that would lead me to
the conclusion it was other than a
raid by savages bent on thievery.
Jack Winthrop grabs Nathaniel.
HAWKEYE
You're a liar!
CORA'S
saddened. Heyward's stature has fallen irrevocably in her
eyes.
HEYWARD
can't help it. He turns to look at Cora...
HEYWARD'S POV: DOORWAY
She's gone.
HEYWARD
suffused with an inner sadness, turns to Hawkeye.
HAWKEYE
And the blood is on your hands!
Heyward reaches for his sword.
MUNRO
(to Heyward)
I'll have none of that!
(to colonials)
Montcalm is a soldier and a gentleman.
Not a butcher.
HAWKEYE
Easy for you to suppose. While it is
their women and children, not yours,
alone in their farms!
MUNRO
(exploding)
You forget yourself!
JACK
We are not forgettin' Webb's promise!
MUNRO
British promises are honored. And
the militia will not be released.
Because I need more definite proof
than this man's word!
JACK
Nathaniel's word been good on the
frontier a long time before you got
here!
MUNRO
This interview's over! The militia
stays!
JACK
(to Munro)
Does the rule of English law no longer
govern? Has it been replaced by
absolutism?
This is very dangerous talk.
HAWKEYE
And if English law cannot be trusted,
maybe these people would do better
makin' a peace with the French!
HEYWARD
That is sedition! Treason!
HAWKEYE
That is the truth!
HEYWARD
(restaining himself)
I ought to have you whipped from
this fort!
HAWKEYE
Major!
(changes down)
Some day I think you and I are gonna
have a serious disagreement.
MUNRO
(steel)
Anyone fomenting or advocating leaving
Fort William Henry will be hung for
sedition.
Anyone leaving will be shot for
desertion.
(pause)
My decision is final. Get out.
Hawkeye and the others are not intimidated. Their rage
smolders. The look on Hawkeye's face says this is not over.
CUT TO:
EXT. FORT, PARADE GROUND - NIGHT
BONFIRE
sparks shower skyward. Impromptu music. Some Celtic proto-
bluegrass played on fiddle & drums. It's stirring.
ANOTHER ANGLE: SOME WOMEN
laundresses, dance from soldier to soldier - English foot
and American Rangers. A few people lit by the firelight are
solemn. Most are stirred to lift their morale for a while.
THEIR FACES
underlit by the red firelight. They are a disposable people,
a diverse plurality stuck in a postage stamp-size fort in an
ocean of forest, locked into mortal deadly conflict because
of the policies of cold and distant European monarchs.
A PLACE A LITTLE DISTANT FROM THE FIRE
We can barely make out the eyes and faces of a number of men
behind logs, crates and new wreckage from the day's
bombardment.
HAWKEYE
(low)
... got no kin in the settlements.
If I did, I'd be long gone.
IAN
You didn't think it right to be here
in the first place.
HAWKEYE
By my light that's how I saw it then
and I see it that way now...
IAN
(low)
But we are under English military
authority.
JACK
(low)
I believe if they set aside their
law as and when they wish, their law
no longer has rightful authority
over us. All they have over us is
tyranny, then. And I'll stay here no
longer. No force on earth will keep
me here... Anyone caught leavin' the
fort could be shot. So each man make
your own decision... Those who are
goin', be back here in an hour.
HAWKEYE
Out the northern sally-port. Strike
for the east side of the swamp until
you clear the French picket line.
Head north over the ridge, then come
about southeast and fork left in
Little Meadow and you're free of the
outpost and skirmishers...
A COLONIAL
(grumbles)
Should've skinned outta this long
ago.
COLONIAL #2
Got no families, Captain. Figured
we'd stay and give 'em a hand even
though...
HAWKEYE
(to Colonial #2)
I'll cover them from the top of the
casement.
JACK
(in amazement)
You're not coming with us?
Hawkeye shakes his head.
HAWKEYE
Got a reason to stay.
JACK
That reason wear a blue dress and
work in the surgery?
LOW LAUGHTER
HAWKEYE
(dry)
It does and it is a better lookin'
reason than you, Jack Winthrop.
(more laughs)
Push hard, 'cos you got to clear the
French outpost by dawn.
(sticks out his hand
and grasps Winthrop's)
Good luck, Jack.
The men split up...
CUT TO:
FIRE - HAWKEYE
wanders among the dancers and musicians clustered in groups,
lit by the firelight.
Someone catches his eye and he moves in that direction...
HAWKEYE'S POV: CORA
in the shadows, leaning against the wall, searching... we
sense she's been looking for him. He comes up to her. She
turns in surprise.
CLOSER
Somehow she breathes easier because he's there. She's in a
white shirt with the sleeves rolled up. Hawkeye leads her
away from some of the people.
CORA & HAWKEYE
Hawkeye takes Cora's hand. Cora is awakening to a new spirit,
a new wind blowing through a new land, a new self-
determination... She's drawn to this rough yet graceful man
with his direct manner. Hawkeye settles against a wall. She
leans next to him.
Their shoulders touch.
CORA
To her everything about him seems to be somehow right. She's
discovered that the passions and outrage that move him, move
her... And her readiness to give herself to what stirs the
deepest resonances of her soul is the same as his.
HAWKEYE
looks at her. She's beautiful in the firelight. Cora's eyes
find his and she folds into his arms. His lips find hers and
tears stream down her face. She's suffused with an elation
she can't explain. In the night before doomsday a romance is
born in rebellion amid the huddled people in this small
stockade ripped from the black earth of the forests of a
wild continent.
CUT TO:
INT. BARRACKS - DAY
LOW & WIDE
Door CRASHES inwards. Twelve British sentries storm in. Four
bear torches.
REVERSE: HAWKEYE, UNCAS, CHINGACHGOOK, TWO COLONIALS & SOME
MOHAWKS
are out of the bunks and moving with them with tomahawks,
knives, a flintlock...
SERGEANT (O.S.)
You! Halt!
BRITISH SENTRIES
their muskets aimed mostly at Hawkeye.
SERGEANT
As you were!!
Hawkeye freezes. The others slow down, indecisive... Hawkeye
drops his tomahawk and says something in Mohican to restrain
Chingachgook and Uncas. The British in the torchlight with
the long muskets and bayonets are an image out of Goya.
SERGEANT
Take him!
Hawkeye's spun around and while his hands are bound.
CHINGACHGOOK
(Mohican; subtitled)
Why do they make my son prisoner?
HAWKEYE
(Mohican; subtitled)
I helped Winthrop and the others
leave... This fight is not yours,
father. I love you and my brother.
And you should leave this place now
and go to Can-tuck-ee...
CHINGACHGOOK
(Mohican; subtitled)
What will they do with my white son?
One of the guards - scared to death by Chingachgook -
nervously fingers his musket.
GUARD
Get back from him!
HEYWARD
enters.
HAWKEYE
shrugs in answer to Chingachgook's question.
HAWKEYE'S
moved out. As he passes Heyward, his eyes lock on his.
CUT TO:
INT. MUNRO'S QUARTERS - DAY
CORA
CORA
He saved us! We are alive only because
of him...
WIDEN:
Heyward, Munro, Cora. We've entered mid-argument. An adjutant
comes and goes.
Heyward and Munro are sensitive to appearances in front of
the adjutant. Cora couldn't give a damn.
MUNRO
The man encouraged the colonials to
desert in this very room, in my
presence. He is guilty of sedition
and must be tried and hanged like
any other criminal, regardless of
what he did for my children.
CORA
He knew the consequences. And he
stayed. Are those the actions of a
criminal? ...Duncan, do something.
HEYWARD
He knew the penalty for breaking
regulations. He ought to pay without
sending you to beg.
CORA
You know he wouldn't send me...!
You misrepresented what you saw and
caused this.
(frustrated)
I, too, was at that farm. It was as
he said...
MUNRO
Not with enough certainty to outweigh
British interests in this fort.
HEYWARD
And who empowered these provincials
to pass judgment upon England's
policies in her own colonies? To
come and go without so much as a "by
your leave."
CORA
They do not live their lives "by
your leave." ...They hack it out of
the wilderness with their own two
hands, burying their dead and their
children along the way.
HEYWARD
(distant)
You are defending him because you've
become infatuated with him.
Cora is having her intelligence written off as a hormone
attack. She contains her fury.
CORA
Duncan, you are a man with a few
admirable qualities. But taken as a
whole, I was wrong to have thought
so highly of you.
Heyward's shot through the heart.
MUNRO
But the man is guilty of sedition
and subject to military justice and
beyond pardon.
CORA
"Justice"? If that's "justice"...,
then the sooner French guns blow the
English army out of America, the
better it will be for these people.
MUNRO
You do not know what you are saying!
CORA
(explodes)
Yes I do! I know exactly what I am
saying. And if it is sedition, then
I am guilty of sedition, too!
She exits, leaving them there.
CUT TO:
INT. FORT, STOCKADE - NIGHT
Heavy timbered door. A sentry. They stand at attention when
Cora passes as opposed to barring her entry.
INT. CELL - NIGHT
HAWKEYE
comes to the door, grips the bars with his hands and looks
at Cora.
THROUGH THE BARS TO CORA
They are silent for a moment, then...
HAWKEYE
Sorry... can't ask you in.
Cora's pale smile.
CORA
They're going to hang you.
(pause; soft)
Why didn't you leave when you had
the chance?
HAWKEYE
Because what I am interested in is
right here...
CORA
What would you have me do?
He touches her hand.
HAWKEYE
Webb's reinforcements will arrive or
not. If they do not arrive, the
fort will fall. If that happens,
stay close to your father. The French
will protect the officer class among
the English.
CORA
No. I will find you.
HAWKEYE
Do not.
(pause)
Promise me.
Cora drops her forehead to Hawkeye's hands wrapped around
the bars. She acquiesces, nods. Then HEAVY SHELLING commences.
Cora & Hawkeye look up. Mortar bombs begin striking the
fortress. Still dark. The final French bombardment has
started.
CORA
The whole world's on fire, isn't it?
A pause.
HAWKEYE
This part of it sure is...
Reaching through the bars set in the thick door, their hands
clasp each others. On that image...
CUT TO:
EXT. FORT WILLIAM HENRY - DAWN
VARIOUS CUTS (2ND UNIT)
French cannoneers in Batteries #1 and #2 fire again and again.
They work like precision drill teams.
FRENCH TRENCH
ending in Battery #3 is complete and surprisingly close to
William Henry's walls. Crews reload the squat and massive
newly arrived thirteen inch mortars.
MORTAR ONE
The flash-hole is primed. The burning fuse is jammed into
the bomb. The primer charge is lit off and the crew ducks as
the crude iron belches red flame and black smoke into the
lightening sky. The second mortar ROARS. Then a THIRD.
CUT TO:
INT. FORT WILLIAM HENRY - DAWN
ENGLISH CANNON CREW
Tries to return fire but can't under the heavy French
bombardment. The French mortar bomb arcs in and EXPLODES
smoke, flame and shrapnel, wiping out most of the crew. The
fortress is under the heaviest attack we've seen. Wounded
are in shock or terrorized. Another mortar bomb arcs in and
explodes part of a building and casement, starting a fire.
Another lands in the grounds. People scatter. It doesn't
explode. One soldier dashes to rip out the fuse. As his hand
is inches away... EXPLOSION.
CUT TO:
INT. STOCKADE - DAWN - LATER
HAWKEYE
protects Cora through the bars as she half sleeps through
the muffled roar. Then the thundering stops. Hawkeye seperates
himself from her and crosses to the window.
EXT. FORT, MAIN GATE - LATER
HAWKEYES POV: CHEVALIER DE LEVIS
bows deeply to Major Beams. A French honor guard of five men
is behind him. A white scarf is on his sword tip. The fresh
destruction of the fort is apparent. Debris smolders.
INT. FORT - STOCKADE - DAY
HAWKEYE
Crosses to an awakened Cora. He touches her face. He's
desperate to drill these next words into her brain.
CORA
What is it?
HAWKEYE
I don't know. Whatever happens you
stay with your father. You stay among
the officers.
Cora looks up at Hawkeye. We feel forboding. O.S. are heard
drums...
CUT TO:
EXT. FRENCH LINES - DAY
MUNRO, HEYWARD, BEAMS
The drums are from Munro's honor guard. They stop.
REVERSE: FRENCH SOLDIERS
Marquis de Montcalm, immaculate, backed by his guard of honor
in white, grey and medium blue with six foot by eight foot
regimental colors and the French flag (gold fleur-de-lis on
a field of blue).
FACES
They carried two hundred and forty-
five bateaux across a ten mile
portage, all their supplies and
artillery, and then rowed down the
length of Lake George to get here.
To them, assaulting this fort is the
easy part. The drummers of the honor
guard play a tattoo behind them.
INDIAN FACES
Huron, Ottawa, Osage, Choctaw, Fox... hear the drum of the
honor guard and wait.
They're in war paint. Many tattoos. Split ears. The Osage
scalping locks are hennaed red. Canadiens among them are
bearded, dirty, half savage... At their head...
MAGUA
in full war paint, with a coterie of Huron warriors, silent,
waiting. Drums.
INT. FORT - DAY
ENGLISH TROOPS (TABLEAUX)
grim, silent, watchful.
COLONIAL MILITIA & MOHAWK INDIANS IN WAR PAINT (TABLEAUX)
watching the parlay from a blown apart battery. Silent.
WIDE: FRENCH & ENGLISH
and their honor guards. Montcalm steps forward and sweeps
his plumed hat to the ground in a courtly bow. Munro bows
coldly.
MONTCALM
Colonel Munro, I have known you as a
gallant antagonist. I am happy to
make your acquaintance as a friend.
MUNRO
And I to make yours, Monsieur le
Marquis.
MONTCALM
Please accept my compliments for the
strong and skillful defense of your
fortress. Under the command of a
lesser man it would have fallen long
ago given the superior numbers and
material... mere chance has allowed
me to array against you...
MUNRO
Monsieur le Marquis, I am a soldier,
not a diplomat. You called this parlay
for a reason.
MONTCALM
You have already done everything
which is necessary for the honor of
your Prince. I will forever bear
testimony that your resistance has
been gallant and was continued as
long as there was hope. But now, I
beg you to listen to the admonitions
of humanity. I beg you to consider
my terms for your surrender.
MUNRO
However I may apprise such testimony
from Monsieur Montcalm, Fort William
Henry is strong and stands.
MONTCALM
Honor that is freely accorded to
courage, may be refused obstinacy...
These hills afford to us every
opportunity to reconnoiter your works
and I am possibly as well acquainted
with your weak condition as you are
yourselves. Is Webb really en route
and Montcalm hopes to take the fort
by duplicity before British
reinforcements arrive?
MUNRO
Perhaps the General's glasses can
reach to the Hudson and he knows the
size and imminence of the army of
Webb...?
Montcalm takes a moment to reply and appears genuinely
sympathetic to Munro.
MONTCALM
(quietly)
My scouts intercepted this dispatch
intended for you.
Munro is puzzled, suspicious.
MONTCALM
(to Bougainville)
Read the dispatch.
HEYWARD & MUNRO
BOUGAINVILLE (O.S.)
(reading)
"Colonel Munro - Fort William Henry.
I have no men available to send to
your rescue. It is impossible. I
advise you to seek terms for
surrender. Signed Webb."
Munro is rocked, as if struck by a blow. Bougainville hands
Heyward the letter.
HEYWARD
(confirming)
This is the signature of Webb.
(to Munro)
And I know the temper of our men.
Rather than spend the war in a French
prison hulk in Hudson Bay, they'd
fight to the end.
MUNRO
(to Montcalm)
You have heard your answer, Monsieur
le Marquis.
(salutes)
Munro starts off. Montcalm stops him.
MONTCALM
Sir.
(challengingly)
I am incapable of mistreating brave
men. I beg you not to sign the death
warrant of so many until you have
listened to my terms.
Munro turns.
MUNRO
Such as...?
MONTCALM
My master requires the fort be
destroyed. But, for you and your
comrades, there is no privilege that
will be denied. None of your men
will see the inside of a prison barge.
They're free to go so long as they
return to England and fight no more
on this continent, and the civilian
militia return to their farms.
MUNRO
Their arms?
MONTCALM
They may leave the fortress fully
armed, but with no ammunition...
Other than that, ask what you wish.
Munro's impressed with Montcalm's generosity.
MUNRO
The honors of war?
MONTCALM
Granted.
MUNRO
My colors?
MONTCALM
Carry them to England to your King
with pride.
MUNRO
Allow me to consult with my officers.
As he turns away something's been disconnected inside Munro
that can never get put back together. As the men move away
from the French...
MUNRO
I have lived to see two things I
never expected. An Englishman afraid
to support a friend. And a Frenchman
too honest to profit by that
advantage.
HEYWARD
General Webb can burn in hell. We'll
go back and dig our graves behind
the ramparts! Our mission is to fight.
MUNRO
(flares)
Death and honor are sometimes thought
to be the same. Today I have learned
that they are not.
Munro looks at the fortress behind him.
HEYWARD
Sir!
MUNRO
(stops him with his
eyes)
The decision is final.
A beat. Then Munro turns toward Montcalm. Their eyes meet
across the churned, scarred earth of the battlefield.
MUNRO
I am deeply touched by such unusual
and unexpected generosity... The
fort is yours under the condition
that we be given until dawn to bury
our dead, prepare our men and women
for their march and turn our wounded
over to your surgeon.
MONTCALM
Granted, Monsieur.
And Montcalm bows deeply and as he does so...
CUT TO:
EXT. FRENCH LINES - NIGHT
CLOAKED MAN
Passes away from the little city of tents in the direction
of the beach and towards William Henry. He seems to head
towards a vantage point from which to observe the fort. As
he approaches a sentry:
SENTRY
Qui vive?
MONTCALM
France.
SENTRY
Le mot d'ordre?
MONTCALM
La victoire.
SENTRY
C'est bien, vous vous promenez bien
matin, monsieur!
MONTCALM
Il est necessaire d'etre vigilant,
mon enfant.
The cloak parts. By the light of the moon the man's face is
dimly perceived by us and the soldier as General Montcalm.
The soldier snaps erect as Montcalm continues walking out
beyond the line to a small stand of trees.
ANOTHER ANGLE: MONTCALM
The moon is broken into pieces of light on the water and
behind Montcalm; from the front of the stand of trees emerges
a tall figure.
MAGUA
Is the hatchet buried between the
English and my French father?
MONTCALM
Yes.
MAGUA
Not a warrior has a scalp and the
white men become friends.
MONTCALM
My master owns these lands and your
father has been ordered to drive off
the English squatters. They have
consented to go. So now he calls
them enemies no longer.
MAGUA
Magua took the hatchet to color it
with blood. It is still bright.
Only when it is red, then it will be
buried.
MONTCALM
But so many suns have set since Le
Renard struck the war post. Is he
not tired?
MAGUA
Where is that sun?! It has gone behind
the hill. It is dark and cold. It
has set on his people, they are fooled
and kill all the animals and sell
all of their lands to enrich the
European masters who are always greedy
for more than they need.
(threatening)
And Le Subtil is the son of his tribe.
There have been many clouds and many
mountains. But now he has come to
lead his nation.
MONTCALM
That Le Renard has the power to lead
his people into the light, I know
well.
Magua grabs the hand of the French commander. Imperceptible
surprise in Montcalm's eyes. Magua jams Montcalm's fingers
to his chest.
MAGUA
Does my father know that?
MAGUA'S CHEST
A deep indentation and scar.
MONTCALM
That's where a lead bullet has torn
you.
MAGUA
And this?
Magua turns his naked back to Montcalm and puts Montcalm's
hand on his back... deep ridges of a scar a half inch wide.]
MONTCALM
My son has been sadly injured. Who
did this?
MAGUA
(laughs; sardonic)
Magua slept hard in the English
wigwams. And the sticks left their
mark...
(pause; for real)
Magua's village and lodges were burnt.
Magua's children were killed by the
English. Magua was taken as a slave
by the Mohawks who fought for the
Grey Hair. Magua's wife believed he
was dead and became the wife of
another. The Grey Hair was the father
of all this.
(pause)
In time Magua became blood-brother
to Mohawk to become free. In his
heart he always was Huron. And his
heart will be whole again on the day
when the Grey Hair and all his seed
are dead!
MONTCALM
My son Magua's pain is my pain.
MAGUA
Does the chief of the Canadas believe
the English will keep the terms?
MONTCALM
Munro would. But General Webb will
not send their soldiers across the
salt lake. Having let them go, I
fear I will only fight the same men
again when I move south.
(pause; shrugs)
And yet, I cannot break the terms of
the capitulation and sully the lilies
of France...
LONG PAUSE, WHEELS TURN. THEN:
MAGUA
Many things my French father cannot
do, Magua can.
Montcalm reacts as if he hadn't thought of that.
MONTCALM
As the English march away, our
soldiers and the Canadiens will be
drawn to the looting of the fort...
except for a small guard...
Magua abruptly leaves Montcalm.
CUT TO:
EXT. WOODS - NIGHT
MAGUA
Walking back to the Huron camp. Reveal a Huron sub-chief has
been in the woods, waiting for Magua. Now he joins him. They
walk in silence. Then...
MAGUA
(in Iroquois; re:
Montcalm)
I wonder at the blindness and pride
of the white man. He believes only
he knows how to speak falsely to
make other men do his bidding.
Magua exhales in derision.
CUT TO:
EXT. FORT, MAIN GATE - DAY
MUNRO
At the end of the column, rides out on his horse. Both sides
of the gate are jammed with armed French troops standing at
attention. The French colors and honor guard are just outside
the gate along with Bougainville, Chevalier de Levis, both
on horseback as is - at the head - Montcalm.
CLOSER: MUNRO
trots past his walking column out the gate. He does not look
at the French.
MONTCALM
salutes Munro and bows gravely from the saddle.
CLOSER: MUNRO
salutes Montcalm.
MUNRO
(eyes forward)
Monsieur, the fort is yours.
MID-COLUMN - ON HEYWARD
marching with his 33rd Regiment of Foot well beyond the fort.
The French troops have thinned out. Repressing shame, his
backbone is rigid, his face is straight ahead. The 33rd
marches in perfect cadence to the drum. In the B.G. Munro on
his horse passes Heyward as he rides towards the front of
his column. Heyward does not look at him.
FRONT OF COLUMN - CORA WITH ALICE
on the back of a mare. Alice, living through a wide-awake
nightmare, is huddled under the arm of her sister. They ride
behind the standard bearers. In the B.G. her father is seen
approaching and takes his position at their side. Cora looks
down the column, sheilding her eyes against the sun. We know
who she's looking for... Hawkeye.
CORA'S POV: THE COLUMN
The 62nd and 42nd Highlanders including Heyward... thirty to
forty women and a number of children - for safety - in the
middle, some frontiersmen, Ongewasgone and many Mohawk,
walking wounded. The column is still snaking its way out of
the fort.
No Hawkeye.
CORA
straining to see.
EXT. FORT - DAY
PRISONERS
being assembled, their hands shackled. Hawkeye is among twelve
or thirteen. He stands erect, walking out of the gate. The
French are starting to pour in to loot the interior.
Hawkeye looks to his left about twenty paces in front of him
and sees...
UNCAS & CHINGACHGOOK
on the other side of the column. Chingachgook cradles Killdeer
as well as his own musket. They fall back to walk beside the
prisoners on the other side of Hawkeye.
Their eyes connect... We don't expect Hawkeye to stay shackled
for the duration.
RANK AND FILE FRENCH
A few insults. The British soldiers answer. Nobody breaks
rank. It's just talk.
EXT. ROAD - DAY
HAWKEYE
his eyes sweep the column snaking its way into the v-shaped
valley. The path cuts through the forested hills ahead. He
sees...
HAWKEYE'S DISTANT POV: CORA
riding near the front where there are no more French soldiers.
Only a few scattered and curious Huron and Ottawa. She does
not see him.
PROFILE OF COLUMN - HIGH & WIDE
as it passes left to right below like a long snake through
the narrow valley. We're shooting from inside the dark woods.
Lower, in the light, we see a scattering on both slopes of a
couple of hundred Ottawa and Huron. They are in no order,
are spread out and don't constitute a threat. They watch the
column.
SLOWLY THE CAMERA... slides across the shoulders and back of
a large man wearing black plumes in his scalp-lock and other
than a breechcloth is almost naked. He is heavily war-
painted...
FRONTAL - MAGUA
and the left two-thirds of his face is painted red. The right
third is painted black. Much silver is in his ears. His
tomahawk is in his left hand. His cut-down musket in his
right fist. Magua's attention is all focused to one point.
MAGUA'S LONG & TIGHT POV: MUNRO & CORA & ALICE
at the head of the column. This is the focus of Magua's
attention.
WIDE FRONTAL: COLUMN, STANDARD BEARERS & MUNROS
Cora turns again to look for Hawkeye.
CLOSER: CORA
doesn't see him, but something else has caught her eye.
YOUNG HURON
running toward the column. Just one man. No musket. He's
running and whooping like a dog charging from his master's
front yard. Why?
CLOSER
the Huron arrives at the column, his tomahawk swings into
his hand and he brains a British trooper who falls dead. The
single Huron never breaks stride. He simply runs off again...
CORA
horrified, holds Alice tighter.
MUNRO
has seen it too. And now he sees...
ND REGIMENT OF FOOT
fixing bayonets. A large sergeant unsheathes a two-handed
claymore, facing the Hurons and other Indians...
TROOPERS
of the 33rd present arms. Did they
violate the surrender by carrying
ammunition? Locks are cocked. There's
the answer.
MUNRO
Steady! No one fires!
EXT. FORESTED HILLSIDES - DAY
OTHER TRIBES
Are watching what happens.
HEYWARD
scanning them.
HEYWARD
(to Sergeant Major)
Men are to stay in file, Sergeant
Major!
SERGEANT MAJOR
Yes sir!
Drums beat the cadence.
TROOPERS
step over the fallen soldier. Heads turn, they're on edge...
END OF COLUMN
HAWKEYE, UNCAS & CHINGACHGOOK
watching. They exchange looks. This is not good. Chingachgook
cocks both Killdeer and his own musket.
HAWKEYE'S POV: FORESTED SLOPES
Hold. We start to make out details in the shadow. Tree trunks.
We become accustomed to the dimness. Now in the lower light
we see deeper in the forest.
CLOSER
Many Huron and Ottawa are hidden in the shadows. They're
moving along parallel to the column, stalking it. Waiting...
ANOTHER BRAVE
racing down the hill from the opposite flank towards the
62nd.
TWO SOLDIERS
look at their sergeant. He nods. They wait until he's within
ten feet of the column. Both bayonet the Indian. He's dead.
EXT. HILLSIDES - DAY
HURON & OTTAWA
saw what happened. But, they hold their ranks.
MOHAWKS
among the British are slipping tomahawks into their hands,
surreptitiously. Some are cocking flintlocks.
MUNRO
gallops his horse away from Cora and Alice towards the scene
of the last attack. We hear him from the distance ordering...
MUNRO
Do not break ranks! I want these
ranks to hold...!
Cora's frightened.
HAWKEYE'S
frustrated. He saw Munro leave Cora. He knows events have a
momentum and it's accelerating.
CHINGACHGOOK & UNCAS
move next to the sergeant with the shackle keys who looks at
them curiously as...
WOMEN
with children nervously search the threatening trees, hoping
against hope these are isolated incidents.
HEYWARD
draws his sword and is passing orders to his sergeant major,
scanning the hills...
EXT. FORESTED SLOPE - DAY
MAGUA
His eyes see Munro.
WIDER & LOWER: MAGUA
raises his musket in his fist and emits a war whoop. WE NOW
SEE... hundreds have been stalking the column, hidden in the
trees, maybe thousands. Then...
WIDE: ALL HELL BREAKS LOOSE
FIRE from the trees crescendos within seconds revealing a
spontaneous and massive ambush of mostly Hurons. They appear
from behind every tree and it turns to a ROAR of musket fire,
war whoops and screams as...
SOLDIERS & CIVILIANS
dropping like flies and seemingly thousands of Hurons attack
down both slopes.
HAWKEYE
is being unshackled by Uncas. The sergeant is rising from
the ground where Chingachgook knocked him. Chingachgook throws
Hawkeye Killdeer and Hawkeye shrugs into his pouch and powder
horn as he races with Uncas for the head of the column...
EXT. FORESTED SLOPE - MAGUA
charging down the hill... with his coterie of twenty Huron
warriors, heading for the area in which he saw Munro.
CORA & ALICE
at the head of the disintegrating column. Cora's holding
Alice's head to her bosom, covering her ears as if to protect
her from the sounds.
HEYWARD
shouting orders.
SERGEANT MAJOR
Right - about face! March! First
rank present!
HEYWARD
Fire!
REVERSE:
The volley knocks down fifteen of a horde of attacking Hurons.
SERGEANT MAJOR
Prime! Load! Second rank six paces
forward! Present!
Hurons are twenty yards away and closing.
HEYWARD
Fire!
As the line of muskets belch smoke and fire...
WIDE: THE HILLS & PATH
We're shooting into the "v" of the valley with Hurons and
other tribes pouring down from both sides. (IMPORTANT: the
combined musket fire of Hurons, English and Mohawks generates
tremendous clouds of smoke which obscure action, close off
views, isolate pockets of combat into surreal tableaux that
we'll move in and out of.
BRITISH TROOPERS
using their useless muskets as clubs or with fixed bayonets -
as the smoke and fog swirls among the men - fighting for
their lives...
MAGUA
glides through the scenes, striking and hunting. Some of his
coterie of braves near him.
He sees...
BLONDE WOMAN
hugging the ground in fear. Magua throws her over. It's not
Alice Munro. It's a woman protecting her baby. Magua walks
on. One of the braves behind Magua raise his tomahawk. On
his downswing...
HAWKEYE
running through surreal patches, thinks he glimpses Cora two
hundred yards away.
HAWKEYE
Cora!
Chingachgook, on Hawkeye's left, slams down two Hurons with
his war club.
CORA & ALICE
running through the chaos and murder and British troopers
and Mohawks locked in struggle with Hurons. Cora's dress is
torn. She holds Alice to her. There's a pistol in Cora's
hand.
ONE HURON
scalping a prone soldier, rips the trophy from his head,
turns and faces us.
CORA
shoots him in the face.
EXTREMELY CLOSE: ALICE
and her eyes take it all in. And her affect starts to flatten.
A blankness suffuses her expression and the girl withdraws
from this reality into a deep dark cave inside her head.
HAWKEYE
locked in combat. He tomahawks one Huron's arm with a slashing
downstroke and comes right back into the face of the second
with his backswing while his right hand fires Killdeer at...
HURON
six feet from Uncas and about to shoot him in the back.
HAWKEYE
free for a moment, spins. He has no idea of direction any
more. Everything is death in strange tableaux. Meanwhile:
MUNRO
hollering
MUNRO
Cora! Alice!
He cuts down a Huron with his sword who is trying to leap at
him from the right. An Osage warrior with red scalp-lock
leaps on the back of Munro's horse, reaching over to stab
down into Munro's neck. The old man's left hand grabs the
warrior's knife hand in an iron grip. His right hand pulls
his horse pistol and under his upraised arm fires backward,
point blank, blowing the Osage off the back of his horse.
WIDER
Just then Munro's mount is shot. His horse rears up, throws
Munro and falls on him.
HEYWARD
shouting orders over the deafening noise.
HEYWARD
Second rank fire! Six paces back!
Prime! Load! Third rank! Present!
A well-oiled, well-drilled fighting machine, but there are
fewer of them. They're getting cut off. They close ranks
automatically as a man drops. They're retreating in perfect
order.
HURON WARRIOR
about to strike a downwards blow is pushed aside by Magua.
CLOSER: MAGUA
his eyes drop to what's in front of him. The field goes quiet.
OVER MAGUA'S SHOULDER:
MUNRO
his lower body is trapped under his dead horse. Magua leans
in towards him.
MAGUA
Grey Hair. I will cut your heart
from your living chest in front of
your eyes. As you die, know that I
will put under the knife your children
and wipe your seed from this earth
forever...
Magua pulls his knife and as he leans down towards Munro...
MOHAWK & HURON
spin and flail furiously at each other with tomahawks and
knives. The Huron goes down and then the Mohawk is shot. The
Huron who shot him is cut down by a Ranger with tomahawk in
one hand and bayonet in the other. Two Mohawks and three
Rangers fighting back to back. They become an island swamped
by Huron and Ottawa: amidst bodies and ground slippery with
blood. As smoke obscures their image.
CORA & ALICE
in a group of civilian militia. Two of the militiamen are
shot down. The third engages a Fox warrior. Cora & Alice
run.
MUNRO'S FACE
frozen in agony by shock.
MAGUA
reaching down and up into something, emerges and jams an
object we barely see into the air. But his arm and shoulder
and half his chest are splashed red with blood.
LONG SHOT: MAGUA
seen from far away, holding aloft the heart of Munro.
REVERSE: HAWKEYE
saw him and fights his way to attack when...
WHITE HORSE
crazed, CRASHES through men, knocking Hawkeye over...
CHINGACHGOOK
protecting Hawkeye, slams his war club into one Huron,
breaking his attack, his arm and his skull and swings the
other way burying the bladed end into the chest of an Ottawa
who's behind him. Then...
HAWKEYE'S
up, looking wildly...
CAMERA JAMS INTO CLEARING SMOKE:
33rd Regiment of Foot and Heyward. They FIRE into our face.
CLOSER: HEYWARD
HEYWARD
Six paces back! Prime! Load! Rank
two, present! Rank two, hold!
He grabs a partially loaded musket, the ramrod still in the
barrel. They're taking fire.
Men are dying. They're being pushed back.
AN ABNAKI
wearing a large cross, attacks Heyward from the side. One-
handed, Heyward fires the musket into the man's chest, sending
the ramrod through him. Then Heyward's shot in the thigh and
a thrown tomahawk hits him in the head and knocks him
sideways.
Dazed. Barely able to stand. He uses the musket as a cane
and...
HEYWARD
Rank two, six paces back! Rank one,
present!
Rank two did not retreat six paces. They stand in confusion.
Heyward looks to see what's wrong.
HEYWARD'S POV: THE REMNANTS OF THE 33RD REGIMENT OF FOOT
are standing in water. They're up against Lake George. Their
backs are to the wall. Last stand. Heyward straightens.
TWO FRENCH OFFICERS
on horseback try to intercede in the slaughter of five women.
One French officer is shot by a Huron. The other French
officer runs through that Huron and shoots the second.
Then his horse is shot out from under him and he goes down...
JESUIT
pleads with an Abnaki to give up a child he's holding by the
legs in one hand. He offers his cross. The Abnaki throws the
baby to the Jesuit, Pere Roubaud.
UNCAS
sees a flash of something yellow. So does Hawkeye. They charge
into the swirling chaos of attacking bodies. As we lose sight
of them...
ALICE
on her hands and knees. A massive Ottawa pulls her upright
by her hair about to take her life and her scalp. He's struck
by a rock in the hands of Cora which barely phases him. He
bats her aside and returns to Alice, when suddenly...
OTTAWA WARRIOR
is spun, punched and tomahawked into the ground by Hawkeye.
Uncas has Alice and Cora...
TWO RANGERS AND A MOHAWK WARRIOR
from the earlier group are nearby. They combine with Hawkeye
to fight their way out with bayonets and tomahawks.
HAWKEYE, UNCAS, CHINGACHGOOK, TWO RANGERS, A MOHAWK & MUNRO'S
DAUGHTERS
back through the swirling smoke. There seems to be a lull.
Then they're hit from the side by musket fire. One of the
Rangers is shot, the other wounded. Hurons attack. The Mohawk
supports the wounded Ranger.
HAWKEYE
shields Cora as they back up.
CHINGACHGOOK
smashing his war club straight down on a Huron, reaches for
the man's musket and shoots another. Then he sees...
SMOKE DRIFTING OVER WATER
It's glass-smooth. And the bows are barely visible of three
or four Huron war canoes.
THE SHALLOWS
HAWKEYE, CHINGACHGOOK, UNCAS, CORA, ALICE, THE RANGER & THE
MOHAWK back into the water. They're pursued by Ottawa and
Hurons as they fight their way to the canoes.
CORA
held up by Hawkeye, suddenly screams.
ANGLE
something underwater is pulling her down. An Ottawa brave
rockets out of the shallows. Before he's erect, Hawkeye slams
him back into the water and FIRES.
WOUNDED RANGER
has shoved a large birch canoe at them.
HAWKEYE
Suddenly, the Mohawk fighting with them is shot and spins to
face Hawkeye. His hands rest on Hawkeye's shoulders. Hawkeye
looks into his face. Tries to hold him up, tries to rescue
him. A frozen moment. Hawkeye's staring into his eyes and
the man is staring into Hawkeye's as the light goes out...
Hawkeye lets him slide into the water and float away. He
moves Cora and Alice towards the canoe...
CUT TO:
EXT. LAKE GEORGE - DAY
WATER & SWIRLING SMOKE
the bottom of the frame is water like glass. Smoke obscures
the background. Fingers tendril towards us. Out of the mist
we HEAR small splashing and then the high bow of a war canoe
defines itself. It's paddled towards us.
HAWKEYE, CHINGACHGOOK & UNCAS
Cora's behind Hawkeye. Alice and the wounded Ranger are near
Uncas.
CLOSER: HAWKEYE & CORA
Cora looks left. Her eyes go wide.
CORA
No!
HAWKEYE
spins.
HEYWARD & TWO TROOPERS OF THE 33RD IN A SECOND CANOE
have emerged from the smoke ten feet from them. Heyward's
aiming a horse pistol at Hawkeye.
HAWKEYE
is non-plussed. He doesn't stop paddling.
HAWKEYE
You got nothin' better to do today
on Lake George than shoot me, Major,
then go ahead...
Heyward's a hair's breadth from firing. Suddenly they hear
the boom of muskets and rounds come in.
WIDE
They're being pursued by three boatloads - and then a fourth
and fifth - of Huron.
HEYWARD
is indifferent to Huron musket balls. Hawkeye hasn't stopped
paddling and pays Heyward no heed.
CORA
Stop it!!
Heyward comes to his senses. His head is gashed. A scarf, as
a tourniquet, is tied around his leg. He lowers the gun.
HEYWARD
When you fall into British hands
again, Nathaniel Poe, I will have
you hanged.
HURON CANOES
paddle hard and deep and the canoes power across the lake.
HAWKEYE & HEYWARD'S CANOES
with less paddlers, plus wounded, are slower and will be
overtaken.
HAWKEYE
looks to Uncas. They both realize the same thing. Hawkeye
nods and he, Uncas & Chingachgook begin to paddle furiously.
The others match the doubled pace. They're sprinting ahead
but the effort is exhausting.
HURON CANOES
maintain their steady pace. Three or four Hurons fire.
HAWKEYE'S CANOE
Musket balls ricochet on the water's surface. One rips a
hole through the bow.
Hawkeye sees one of the Redcoats in Heyward's canoe is giving
out...
REDCOAT #1
Can't... keep it up...
HAWKEYE
Pull!
He renews the attack on the water with the paddle.
HEYWARD
(shouts)
How long?
HAWKEYE
(shouts)
Only chance we got is...
(breathless)
... to get more distance on 'em and
go to ground!
Heyward digs in. Like firecrackers in the distance, Huron
muskets sound. A new hail of musket balls cut the fabric of
the canoes. One Redcoat is shot in the back. He falls
overboard.
HAWKEYE
(shouts)
Pull!!
HAWKEYE CANOE
sprints forward.
CLOSE: HAWKEYE
looks over his shoulder.
THE HURON CANOES
They're pulling away from them.
HAWKEYE
Pull...!
More Huron musket balls hit water nearby.
REDCOAT
in Heyward's boat is shot. BUT... the .65 caliber ball didn't
penetrate his skin. The Redcoat - amazed - picks it off the
floor of the canoe.
REDCOAT #2
Spent.
Distance caught up with eighteenth century ballistics. They're
out of smoothbore musket range.
HAWKEYE CANOE
HAWKEYE
(to Heyward)
Head for... for the white water.
HEYWARD
Do you hear me, sir!
(exhausted)
If you ever fall... into British
hands...
(breathes)
What white water?
HEYWARD & REDCOAT'S POV:
LAKE
divided by a spit of land. The right fork becomes a river
with white water rapids.
HAWKEYE CANOE - HAWKEYE
paddling now, too, as they furiously jam for the white water
that will shoot them way ahead of the Hurons.
UNCAS
leaps off the stern of Hawkeye's canoe and climbs up the
stern of Heyward's and takes control. He roughly gestures to
the Redcoat and the Major to stop paddling. He and Hawkeye
will pilot the two canoes.
EXT. WHITE WATER - WIDE - DAY
The canoes enter the white water and they're so light, they're
jet-propelled.
CANOE POV: EIGHT FOOT WAVE
racing in the same direction they are. They hit it straight
on and it shoots over them and they're drenched by two waves
coming from the sides.
HAWKEYE & CHINGACHGOOK
paddle like fiends to get momentum and control.
UNCAS' CANOE
Same thing. When they crested the wave Uncas hollers at them
to "pull" and they do.
As soon as they're through it, Uncas slams the paddle in the
water and makes the canoe revolve a hundred and eighty degrees
in a vortex so that now it's going through stern-first or
the stern becomes the bow, so that Uncas could pilot it a
different way through a hazard of...
EXPOSED ROCKS
jutting out of the water.
WIDE - BOTH CANOES
Hawkeye didn't have to turn because Chingachgook, at the
bow, uses his paddle to shove the canoe away from jutting
rocks. Uncas does the same. Past the jutting rocks, Uncas
swings it back around while...
WHITE WATER
smashes into the camera.
ALICE & CORA
as the canoe roller-coasters and water bursts the bow. Then
suddenly it's through and the water is miraculously smooth.
CANOES
The Ranger, the Redcoats and even Heyward feel the
exhilaration of the ride. That's because they think they're
home free.
HAWKEYE
Here's where it gets tricky...
Heyward turns to look in front of him. He doesn't know what
the hell Hawkeye's talking about.
HEYWARD'S POV: THE RIVER AHEAD
looks glass-smoth. Although there is a distant ROAR of sorts.
Then Heyward realizes: something's wrong with this picture.
CLOSER: HEYWARD
The look on his face starts to change.
HEYWARD'S POV: TIGHTER
The glass surface of the river continues to a line then falls
off the end of the world. The river just ends...
BOTH CANOES: HEYWARD, REDCOATS, THE RANGER
realize they're heading for the lip of a waterfall. There's
a couple of outcroppings of rock in the center at the very
edge. We are at Glen Falls.
HAWKEYE
Don't move...
AERIAL SHOT
from the other side of the falls. It's a two hundred foot
high, death-defying cataract.
The canoes - slightly above us - will go right over.
TWO CANOES
At the last moment, Hawkeye & Uncas land both on either side
of the larger rock outcropping. It is literally at the lip
of the falls.
HEYWARD
grabs a rock to anchor the bow of the canoe. He loses his
grip. The canoe rockets for the edge.
UNCAS
lurches sideways, grabs a tree root. He is the only link of
the canoe to earth. The bow, with Heyward, is literally
hanging over the edge. Uncas strains and pulls the canoe to
the rock. He gestures to Heyward.
HEYWARD
crawls forward and makes the island. Then the two Redcoats.
Finally Uncas. The canoe rockets over the falls. Meanwhile...
THE OTHER SIDE OF THE ISLAND
Hawkeye has beached his canoe and is camouflaging it with
driftwood and brush. As they clamber over the high pieces of
broken limestone, we see Hawkeye is slipping into a crevice.
He motions to Cora. Uncas carries the wounded Ranger. Heyward
helps Alice...
CUT TO:
INT. GLEN FALLS CAVES - FISSURE - TWILIGHT
The irregular opening of medium blue sky is obscured by the
black silhouetted forms of Hawkeye, Cora and then the others
entering.
HEYWARD
Where do we go from here?
HAWKEYE
We don't.
HEYWARD
I don't understand!
HAWKEYE
This is it, as far as we can go...
If we're lucky, they'll be figurin'
we can't have come this way and
must've beached our canoes and headed
cross land. If we're very lucky,
they'll figure we went over the falls.
HEYWARD
Then what?
HAWKEYE
Then we take the south rim down the
mountain and it's 12 miles cross
country to Fort Edward.
HEYWARD
And if we're unlucky?
HAWKEYE
You will have to forego the pleasure
of hangin' me.
REVERSE: WIDE
Hawkeye helps Cora; Heyward, the Ranger. Chingachgook carries
Alice, down the rockface into a cave. We hear a distant ROAR
reverberating off the walls.
ANOTHER ANGLE: THE WALLS
are scooped out, bone-like hollows eroded by tumbling water.
At an earlier time the formation was part of the falls.
HAWKEYE & CORA
reach the irregular floor of the chamber. The ROAR is louder.
WIDEN TO REVEAL
a curtain of falling water. They're behind the cataract,
probably a third of the way down its height. Light through
the water stikes them with a silver luminescence. They're
exhausted. The others join them. They almost have to shout
to be heard.
CHINGACHGOOK
followed by Uncas, takes stock of their supplies. They check
their powder. They have almost none. Uncas shares his with
Hawkeye. The Redcoat's cartridge case is soaked, the paper
cartridges a soggy mess. Heyward has none. The Ranger has
two left. In Mohican, Chingachgook decides some things.
Hawkeye and Uncas nod. Heyward approaches Hawkeye.
HEYWARD
Any powder?
HAWKEYE:
(crossing to Cora)
Only one or two loads.
CORA
is soaked to the bones. Hawkeye strips off his buckskin
hunting shirt and wrings it out.
Cora turns her back, strips off her white blouse and puts on
the faster-drying chamois.
CORA
Are we safe?
HAWKEYE
Maybe...
CORA
Our father? Did you see my father?
EXTREME CLOSE UP: HAWKEYE
The look on his face tells it all
CORA
Tell me!
TWO SHOT
Hawkeye takes Cora away from the group and turns her by her
shoulders and whispers to her. We don't hear what he says.
Cora drops to her knees and places her hands over her eyes
and face like a little girl trying to make something bad go
away.
HAWKEYE
Leads her to a depression, his arm around her shoulders, her
face covered and she cries softly into his shoulder.
EXTREME CLOSE UP: CORA
says into Hawkeye's ear, after she looks O.S....
CORA
Say nothing to Alice...!
Hawkeye nods.
ALICE
stands in the chamber not far from the wall of water,
fascinated with its shimmer. She's oblivious to all the events
and everything going on around her...
HEYWARD
sees Cora & Hawkeye together and turns away.
GROUP
Uncas watches Alice. The wounded Ranger has fallen asleep.
The Redcoat is exhausted. Hawkeye & Cora against the wall.
CUT TO:
EXT. RIVER BANK - TWILIGHT
RIVER FALLS ARE IN MIST & RED SKY
a landscape with mist rearlit by the red light of the sun
that's already behind the mountains. The blues are turning
purple and the greens are turning black and the white
highlights of the foaming water are going rose. Reflecting
the darkening sky, where the surface isn't broken, the water
is fast-moving metal... SUDDENLY: a shaved head and muscled
back stands into the foreground. It moves down the shore
away from camera.
He's followed by other Huron warriors. They're two hundred
yards away from Glen Falls island.
HURON
looks at the island of rock & trees
and tilts his head curiously...
CUT TO:
EXT. FOREST ABOVE CANYON & FALLS - TWILIGHT
GREY WOLF
Watches the Hurons below make their way towards the edge of
the falls.
OVER HIS SHOULDER: THREE MORE WOLVES
join him, moving frenetically, uneasily... The leader of the
pack looks up & howls as his eyes go white reflecting the
new moon.
INT. GLEN FALLS CAVE - NIGHT
HAWKEYE
Hears the distant howl. He's now lit silver blue by the
moonlight through the falling water. Hawkeye knows it means
Hurons are out there. He exchanges worried glances with Uncas
& Chingachgook.
UNCAS
immediately starts up the right acclivity to one fissure,
and Chingachgook moves carefully to the first fissure. Hawkeye
follows.
HAWKEYE
His countenance gives way momentarily. All his experience
seems of no avail. He touches the side of Cora's face. Grabs
Killdeer and follows Chingachgook.
ALICE
sensing new danger, slips away on her own.
CORA
crosses to the Ranger who's semi-conscious, feverish and
getting delirious. She can't do a thing except hold his hand
and think of her father.
CUT TO:
INT. SOUTH FISSURE - TWILIGHT
HAWKEYE & CHINGACHGOOK
below the edge, listen & wait, testing the environment with
all their senses...
NORTH FISSURE - UNCAS
against one wall, has his ear cocked, monitoring, facing
away from the sky...
ALICE
looks at the sky through the fissure. She sees the starfields
and feels silver moonlight pull her forward. She starts out
onto the island, oblivious, unaware she'll expose them.
Suddenly...
UNCAS
yanks her down next to him. He pulls her head into his chest,
looking out over the edge, his tomahawk in front of him, his
musket near his right hand. There is no sign she was seen.
UNCAS & ALICE
He relaxes, looks at her and puts his finger to his lips
telling her to be silent.
Languorously, she lies back, closes her eyes and lays a hand
on his shoulder, palm up, as if he were a prince in a romantic
fantasy. Uncas tries to restrain her.
ALICE'S
eyes slowly open. Oblivion disappears. It's replaced with
escalating fear. She holds onto Uncas with desperation. Her
fingers claw his shoulders. She buries her face in his chest.
ALICE
Uncas...
Her body shudders. Her terror's total. He tries to restrain
and calm her. She won't let him. Then her mouth seeks his
and in the passion of despair and fear and wanting life, she
holds him between her thighs. And Uncas is confused, but
Alice whispers his name and he responds. He loves her in the
half-light.
UNCAS
his hand buried in her hair irradiated by the moon, then she
seems to reach some emotional climax and begins to cry softly,
and Uncas stops making love to her and holds her. Then she's
flooded with shame. He reaches for her. She jerks away. He
reaches for her again and clutches her to him. And she breaks
down. Then he turns her face to him, but her expression has
completely flattened.
WIDER ANGLE
She's not a lover to Uncas now. She's pitiful & stricken and
he comforts her.
CUT TO:
EXT. RIVER - NIGHT
MAGUA
Beaches a canoe on the bank. He and eight braves ease out.
His war paint is fresh: green handprints on his chest and
black and green on his face. Black plumes are affixed to his
scalp-lock and his shawl is over his left shoulder. The right
arm carrying his musket is exposed. Many scalps are tied to
his tomahawk. He walks towards us approaching the island,
two hundred yards away...
CUT TO:
INT. SOUTH FISSURE - NIGHT
HAWKEYE
Checks his powder horn. Nearly empty. He looks at
Chingachgook.
CUT TO:
INT. GLEN FALLS ISLAND, CAVE - NIGHT
CORA
With the Ranger, looks up. Hawkeye enters. The look on his
face. Then hers. They've been discovered. Now they're backed
into a hole in the ground with no powder and no way out.
CUT TO:
INT. GLEN FALLS, CAVE - NIGHT
HAWKEYE & CHINGACHGOOK
Chingachgook talks to him in Mohican. Momentarily the anger
and frustration is seen on Hawkeye's face. All his experience
& craft has been to no avail. He looks at Cora.
Back to Chingachgook. Chingachgook states something terse in
Mohican. Hawkeye agrees. Heyward's confused. He doesn't know
what they're talking about. Cora has understood Chingachgook's
intent perfectly.
CORA
Yes. Go ahead.
HEYWARD
(explodes)
What the bloody hell plan is this?
HAWKEYE
(to Cora)
In this there is a chance. If I live,
I can try to free you. If we don't
go, there is no powder, there's too
many of them. Though my heart would
keep me here, in that there is no
chance. None. I can do nothing. Do
you understand?
CORA
Yes. I want you to go.
HEYWARD
Coward! Coward back at the fort.
Coward here.
Hawkeye uses discipline not to kill the man.
CORA
You try. With all you have. To save
yourself. If the worst happens, and
only one of us survives, something
of the other does, too...
CUT TO:
INT. NORTH FISSURE - NIGHT
UNCAS
Listens. Hears. Then he inches above cover to see...
UNCAS' POV: THE RIVER & SIX WAR CANOES
of Hurons approach to assault the island carrying torches.
CUT TO:
INT. GLEN FALLS CAVE - NIGHT
CORA & HAWKEYE
She's holding him. In the rigid language of her body is the
struggle to contain her fear.
HAWKEYE
(very close)
If they don't kill you, they may
take you north up into Canada. A
warrior may take you for a wife.
CORA
turns aside. Hawkeye insists.
HAWKEYE
(continues)
Listen. Submit. You hear me? You're
strong. You stay alive. I will find
you... no matter how far, how long
it takes...
CORA
(nods, low)
...never doubt what you are doing.
RANGER
conscious now, arranges his crushed body to face the direction
from which will come the attack as...
HEYWARD
puts Alice, who's entered, behind him as... Uncas hits the
floor of the cave. Now the first glow from Huron torches
starts to light the walls. They're coming...
CHINGACHGOOK
has their weapons slung over his back. He says something in
Mohican. Uncas spins looks at Alice: her expression's vacant.
HAWKEYE'S KNIFE
cuts a lock of Cora's hair. He folds it into his shirt. The
orange light from Huron torches, now closer, plays on the
wall behind her. We hear many Huron approach.
CHINGACHGOOK & UNCAS
now run out of the cave and throw themselves into the curtain
of water. This is their exit.
HAWKEYE
engraves her image in his memory one last time and then
sprints across the floor towards the water...
WHAT HAWKEYE SEES: JAMMING AT THE WATERFALL
and then through it into...
SUBJECTIVE CAMERA: UP
An awful crushing roar. We explode out the front of a white
cataract a third of the way from the top and we fall down
away from the world.
EXT. GLEN FALLS - NIGHT
HAWKEYE
Tumbles down the falls; rolling, tumbling through the white
water; then through air; then back into cascading white water
again, disappearing...
THE RIVER BELOW - NIGHT
UNCAS & CHINGACHGOOK'S
Bodies hit, disappear and don't surface. It looks
unsurviveable.
HAWKEYE'S POV: FALLING
Sheets of water fall with us. The bottom races towards us at
a hundred miles an hour...
Just before we hit...
CUT TO:
INT. GLEN FALLS, CAVE - NIGHT
FLAMING TORCH
WIDEN. The cave is filled with Hurons. The Redcoat is dead
in the corner. A group of braves moves away from the body of
the Ranger.
HEYWARD'S
surrounded. The women are behind him. He slashes at one Huron
with his sword and is clubbed down by a giant.
MAGUA
enters. His blanket, like a shawl, over his left shoulder,
black plumes in his hair. He's imperturbable.
MAGUA'S HAND
reaches out and touches Cora's hair. Cora is frozen to the
spot. His hand drops away from the hated Munros and as Magua
turns to go, he says something low in Huron and the two women
are jerked towards the fissures. Heyward is dragged by the
arms.
CUT TO:
EXT. RIVER - NIGHT
WHITE WATER
Miles from the falls. We see a figure. It's Chingachgook,
nearly spent, rolling and tumbling through the fast-moving
white water. He submerges, then surfaces again. He appears
exhausted by the fall and ride.
CHINGACHGOOK'S POV: WATER
rocketing at us, battering and drowning us. We glimpse
something downstream...
CHINGACHGOOK
tries to focus, slammed against rocks, he's striking out
towards the right, swimming against the current. He's grabbing
for something.
KILLDEER'S MUZZLE
and leather shoulder-strap. Chingachgook's hand grabs it.
The current rushing past tries to steal him from Uncas and
Hawkeye, who're also beaten, bloodied, exhausted. They pull
the older, larger man from the water and...
ON THE ROCK
all three lie there, almost devoid of energy. Then Hawkeye
rises, looks at the others.
Chingachgook nods. He's up. Then Uncas, and they're moving
off into the calm eddy between the rock they landed on and
the shoreline.
CUT TO:
EXT. FOREST - DAY
HURONS
Move along animal paths.
CORA & ALICE
struggle through the branches of trees. No one helps them.
When they fall behind, they are pushed forward.
HEYWARD
badly beaten, bound, staggers ahead to get behind Maqua.
Then:
HEYWARD
If Magua give women to Yengeese
soldiers... will receive many gifts.
MAGUA
(as if considering)
Gifts?
HEYWARD
Three, four oxen... much wampum.
MAGUA
Wampum?
HEYWARD
Yes.
MAGUA
Does Yengeese Major have property
across salt sea?
HEYWARD
Yes.
MAGUA
Yengeese Major give all property to
Magua. Magua give Yengeese Major
much wampum, many gifts, maybe three,
four oxen.
Magua looks at Heyward derisively. Does this white man think
he's an idiot?
HEYWARD
Gold could be arranged.
MAGUA
For Munro children?
HEYWARD
Yes.
MAGUA
How much gold has the master of the
Yengeese?
HEYWARD
The King? The King has mountains of
gold!
Long pause as if Magua and King George II were seriously
considering this transaction.
MAGUA
Not enough.
Heyward is first realizing with whom he's playing.
HEYWARD
What is enough?
MAGUA
Heart. Give Magua new heart.
Magua totally disdains the Englishman and walks away from
him, starting up a steeper forested hill.
CUT TO:
EXT. FOREST - TWILIGHT
HAWKEYE, UNCAS & CHINGACHGOOK
Running cross-country after the Huron column. They leap over
fallen logs and keep going.
FRONTAL: HAWKEYE
breathing hard, his lips are drawn back, sweat stains his
buckskins.
PROFILE: UNCAS
runs. Then sees something.
BENT BRANCH
where Cora & Alice were struggling up the animal path.
REAR SHOT
as they race across a stream away from us after the war party
and into the night...
CUT TO:
EXT. FOREST - NIGHT
CORA
Supporting Alice, is dragged forward by a Huron warrior by a
woven rawhide thong tied to her neck.
MAGUA
is imperturbable.
HURONS
move quickly down into a ravine.
HEYWARD
is shoved forward.
CUT TO:
EXT. FOREST - DAY
RUNNING FEET
Long, loping strides.
HAWKEYE & UNCAS
cover ground like long-distance runners. No noise except
their hard, even breathing.
They're moving down a clear trail.
CHINGACHGOOK
out on the flank. Running hard.
CLOSER: HAWKEYE
lips are drawn back, determined, flashing through the hard
verticals of the forest, now leaps down an embankment into
the soft loam and keeps going.
CUT TO:
EXT. HURON VILLAGE - DAY
ORNATE CHAIR
on a rude platform. The entire village is crowded in a large
circle. They all wait for someone. They've been waiting a
long time. In the perimeter warriors keep Huron at bay for
some reason. We see Magua. He stands apart. They wait. Then...
ANCIENT SACHEM
is led to the dais by three women down the main street between
the neat rows of birch bark lodges. Many scalps and trophies
from the massacre are in evidence. He sits on the raised
platform. He looks to be in his nineties. His dark wrinkled
face is contrasted by his long white hair. His robe is painted
in hieroglyphical representation of combat. He wears numerous
silver & gold medals, gifts of French, English and Dutch
governors.
Most startling is his face. His dark & lined skin is enhanced
by delicate lines of tatooing. He looks up to Magua.
SACHEM
(in Huron; subtitled)
The tomahawks of your young men have
been very red.
MAGUA
(in Huron; subtitled)
Many of the Yengeese are dead, great
Sachem.
(sound dissolve to
English)
I have brought three of my prisoners,
to honor you. Two are the children
of Munro. Whose scalp hangs on my
lodge pole. And whose heart I cut
from his chest.
Now we see Cora on the ground. Defeat & fear are held in
place by her determination.
Alice looks around, in another place. Heyward's hands are
bound between his back with a piece of wood wedged through
his elbows.
CUT TO:
EXT. DIFFERENT FOREST - DAY
WIDE FRONTAL: UNCAS, HAWKEYE & CHINGACHGOOK
running. Then Uncas drops and the other two follow.
WIDE OVER THEIR SHOULDERS: THE HURON "CASTLE"
seen in the distance through the sparse trees. They have
dropped at the very periphery of the forest where the woods
end. (The lay of the land is important for action that
follows: the village is built in a meadow. To the left is a
cliff face that rises to a rocky promontory. On the right is
a path that winds up to the promontory and beyond, across
the mountains.)
Hawkeye sees...
HAWKEYE'S POV: THE VILLAGE, CAPTIVES & HURON CROWD
in the center, outside the largest lodge.
HAWKEYE
slams the earth with his fists. They didn't intercept them
in time. Difficult odds just became impossible.
CUT TO:
EXT. HURON VILLAGE - DAY
MAGUA
MAGUA
... the earth was pale. Our tomahawks
were bright. Now they are dull from
war. And the Huron rich with the
trophies of honor... Magua will sell
the English officer to Les Francais
and the reward is my gift to you,
wise one... The women - children of
the white war chief - will burn in
our fires so all can share in this.
The sachem considers this. Then he looks up and sees something
beyond Magua.
MAGUA
senses the sachem's eye line...
HAWKEYE
unarmed, walking through the Hurons. A young boy rushes at
him. Hawkeye, at the last possible second, dodges. Others
catch and restrain the boy. The Hurons are astounded a
European would simply walk into their camp.
CORA
sees him enter, doesn't believe he's there.
CORA
Nathaniel!
Hawkeye glances at her, doesn't respond. The situation is a
stick of dynamite ready to go off.
HAWKEYE
(to Heyward; low)
Translate for me, Major. Into French.
Every word... as I say it.
Magua starts towards Hawkeye, his tomahawk slipping into his
hand.
HAWKEYE
(to Sachem)
I come to you unarmed and in peace
to unstop your ears, wise one. Because
the Hurons are mislead by the words
of the wolf who's never spoken the
truth.
Sachem gestures with his hand to Magua. Magua reluctantly
stops advancing on Hawkeye. Heyward's French translation has
faded to a murmur. We hear Hawkeye's English.
HAWKEYE
Let the children of the dead Colonel
Munro go free and take the fire out
of the English anger over the murder
of their helpless ones.
MAGUA
(to Sachem)
Our father, Montcalm, is greater
than the Yengeese in the arts of
war. The Huron do not fear English
anger.
HAWKEYE
(to Sachem)
Wise one, the French fathers made
peace and swore to their honor not
to break the friendship. Magua broke
it. It is false that the French would
not be friends, still, to the Huron.
Sachem reacts.
MAGUA
(laughs)
It made our French father happy to
never have to fight the same Yengeese
again. He told me this without
telling me this.
Hawkeye realizes this is true.
HAWKEYE
So the Huron are the servants of the
French? To do what the French are
shamed to do?
MAGUA
No.
(to Sachem)
Huron serve no one. The French father
believes he fooled Magua because he
is so proud of his cleverness, he is
blind. But it is the Huron path that
Magua walks down, not the French
one... Now, Les Francais, also, fear
Huron. That is good. When the Huron
is strong from their fear, we will
make the terms of trade with Les
Francais. And we will trade as the
white man trades. Take land from the
Abnakes; fur from the Osage, Sauk &
Fox. And make the Huron great. Over
other tribes. No less than the whites,
as strong as the whites.
Hawkeye appears to be losing his debate with Magua.
HAWKEYE
(to Sachem)
Magua would use the ways of Les
Francais and the Yengeese...
MAGUA
(to Sachem)
The red man put down the bow, picked
up the fire stick and became the
best warrior in the forest. Yes. It
is the only way.
HAWKEYE
Would the Huron make his Algonquin
brothers foolish with brandy and
steal his lands to sell them for
gold to the white man? Would the
Huron have greed for more land than
a man can use? Like Francais Black
Robes do? Would Huron kill tribes
with disease? Would the Huron fool
Seneca into taking all the animals
in the forest for beads & brandy?
But sell the fur to the white man
for gold?...
(to Sachem)
Those are the ways of Yengeese and
Les Francais masters. Are they the
ways of Huron men who hunt & work
the land? Or of dogs? ...Magua's
heart is twisted. He would make
himself into what twisted him. A
Dog, become Master of Dogs. But are
Hurons dogs? ...Magua's way is false.
It is like the white sickness. Magua's
way will bring only sadness and shame.
Is there another way? I don't know.
(pauses)
I am Nathaniel of the Yengeese;
Hawkeye, adopted son of Chingachgook,
of the Mohican people... Let the
children of the dead Munro go free...
I speak the truth.
Magua starts to rebut. Sachem holds up his hand and stops
him. Nobody talks. Sachem whispers to the older men on either
side of him.
MAGUA
waits for the decision.
CORA
looks to Alice, then to Hawkeye.
HAWKEYE
exchanges a desperate look with Cora and then senses the
Sachem is staring at him from the perspective of nearly a
century of laws & judgments. Then... to every word.
SACHEM
The white man comes like a day that
has passed. And night enters our
future with him...
(pause)
Our council talks since I was a boy:
What is the Huron to do?
(pause)
But Magua would lead Huron down paths
that make us not Hurons.
(the judgment)
Dark girl burn in fire to heal the
twisted heart of Magua.
Cora, hearing the sentence... Hawkeye's losing her.
SACHEM
(continuing)
Munro daughter with moon in her hair
must be Magua's wife so Munro's seed
doesn't die.
Alice is gone, living in some dark recess of her mind.
SACHEM
(continuing; dissolves
back to French)
... and Yengeese officer not go to
Les Francais, but back to Yengeese
so their hatred burns less bright.
La Longue Carabine, go in peace.
People move, start to implement the sentence. Hawkeye's
panicked. Cora is jerked upright. She looks at Hawkeye in
terror: Sachem is starting to depart.
HAWKEYE
No! listen.
(to Heyward)
Tell him I'll trade him! Me for her!
Tell him!!
Heyward translates into rapid-fire French.
HAWKEYE
(shouts)
I am La Longue Carabine! My death is
a great honor to the Huron. Take me!
Cora is jerked forward by three Hurons. Magua grabs Alice.
Cora strikes at Magua. He knocks her aside. Chaos & confusion.
Meanwhile:
MAGUA
(French; subtitled)
This is not the voice of wisdom. I
go to the Hurons of the Lakes! You
are women. Send your arrows and
guns to the Seneca, beg from them
venison to eat, corn to grind.
Slaves, dogs, rabbits, thieves... I
spit on you!
Those Hurons who hear, do so in deadly, boding silence. Magua
and his fourteen hard core braves start out as...
SACHEM
heard Heyward's translation. He looks at Heyward, then looks
at Hawkeye and he nods his head.
HAWKEYE
sees this. His eyes go to Cora. They've stopped dragging her
towards the fire pit.
Hawkeye steps forward to surrender. Cora is thrown at him.
Cora looks around wildly.
Instead of taking Hawkeye, two warriors grab Heyward.
HEYWARD
is immediately hamstrung and his legs collapse. He gasps.
He's caught under the arms and dragged forward.
HAWKEYE
I said to trade me!
Hawkeye's holding Cora. Heyward struggles to be seen.
HEYWARD
... compliments, Mr. Poe.
(pause)
Take her and get out.
CORA
(standing)
What are they doing to Duncan?
Duncan!
He's gone. They start to ease away from the mass of Hurons.
HAWKEYE
(low to himself)
And my compliments to you...
CORA
Alice?
Hawkeye's concentration is on backing out of the Huron mob.
Will the Sachem's judgment be honored? Will some warriors
hack down Hawkeye & Cora? As they go...
CORA
moves towards her sister. But Hawkeye holds her tightly as
they retreat.
CORA'S POV: ALICE
with Magua's group crosses the path. He drags Alice behind
him like baggage. She regains her feet. Magua is oblivious
to her. He's heading towards the plateau.
CUT TO:
EXT. FOREST, TREE LINE - DAY
CHINGACHGOOK & UNCAS
Uncas sees Magua's direction. Uncas touches his father, grabs
his musket and races off.
Chingachgook reaches to stop him, but he's too late.
Chingachgook's hand in the air...
TWO-SHOT: HAWKEYE & CORA
near the tree line. Hawkeye has eyes only for...
HAWKEYE'S POV: HURONS
moving towards fire pit. One turns to watch Hawkeye & Cora
depart. Will he arouse others to attack? Behind him, others
are doing something to Heyward and flames leap up.
CORA'S EYES
are on Alice, off to the right in the meadow.
HAWKEYE
tense. They're almost there.
CHINGACHGOOK
holding Killdeer.
CHINGACHGOOK'S POV: MASSED HURON
Sky & flames. Suddenly, Heyward's stood upright into the
fire, bound to a bracket by his arms. As the flames start
devouring him...
HAWKEYE & CORA
close to Chingachgook and the tree line...
CHINGACHGOOK
tosses Hawkeye Killdeer. As fast as he jams it into his
shoulder he FIRES.
HEYWARD
among the hollering Hurons, is shot dead. It goes unnoticed.
CUT TO:
EXT. PROMONTORY - DAY
UNCAS
Half-way up the rock face. He's approaching an overhang. He
climbs with a reckless desperation...
EXT. STREAM - DAY
HAWKEYE & CHINGACHGOOK
pound across the (sic) to the meadow towards Magua's path...
CORA
trying to stay with them, scrambles up...
EXT. PROMONTORY - DAY
UNCAS
reaches the overhang. It juts away from the face six feet.
THE CEILING OF THE OVERHANG
Uncas' hand jams into a crack in the granite, forms a fist
and twists, making a wedge.
He swings out, dangling in space by the hand wedged into the
rock. His right hand reaches out and up, searching the
vertical face for...
UNCAS' HAND
... a rock flake. An indentation. Anything... His fingers
find a diagonal crevice and...
UNCAS
swings out, now hanging by the vertical face above the
overhang. His features are distorted with determination.
Nothing will stop him. His right hand grabs another rock.
His arms snap him up. Then push. He's on the ledge. Moving
fast...
CUT TO:
EXT. PROMONTORY - DAY
HURONS
On point are approaching the path above the promontory. Five
warriors are ahead of Magua. One behind him drags Alice.
FIRST
Huron starts up the narrow path. Suddenly...
UNCAS
slams him off the rock with the butt of his musket.
WIDE ANGLE
Two's musket coming up. Uncas swings. FIRES. Before he's
fallen, Uncas bayonets Three.
FOURTH
FIRES, misses, swings. Uncas slips the swung musket, but it
catches his elbow. Uncas' musket falls. Before it hits the
ground his tomahawk is out and hacks Four over the edge...
MAGUA
running forward past Five, confronts Uncas head on. It's
incredibly fast.
UNCAS'
three tomahawk swings are dodged by Magua whose own knife
streaks like silver flashes. Uncas, gashed on arms and chest,
feints right and slams Magua with an open hand, closes and
the men are intertwined steel and muscle... and Magua throws
Uncas.
Going with him and rolling off Uncas, Magua's knife flashes
into his armpit. Uncas' right arm is useless. He scrambles
up. Next to the expertise of a mature warrior like Magua,
Uncas' raw, young determination may not be enough.
EXT. MEADOW - DAY
CHINGACHGOOK
Freezes.
EXT. PROMONTORY - DAY
UNCAS
closing, swings. Magua moves inside, stabs Uncas twice, turns
him to face the edge, ripping his head left to expose the
right underside of his throat.
CLOSE: MAGUA'S
knife arm punches forward.
WIDE: PROMONTORY
Uncas falls down the face onto to the rocks.
CHINGACHGOOK
seeing his boy killed, CRIES out and is charging up the path,
Hawkeye following.
EXT. PROMONTORY - ALICE
backs to the edge.
MAGUA
moves on Alice. His knife is low, about to strike. She stares
at him. Her eyes are like pools of deep water, calm, open,
almost beatific. It stops Magua...
MAGUA
inexplicably, drops his knife hand. He's riveted by her.
About him, there's a glimmer of something else. He wears a
human face for this one moment. He reaches out with his other
hand to offer her safety. To bring her back from the edge...
ALICE
looks down at Uncas, her lover, dead on the rocks below. She
turns to Magua with enigmatic calm. Her eyes seem to see
into him. She steps off the edge. She falls to her death
next to Uncas...
EXT. MEADOW - DAY
CORA
collapses to her knees on the ground and her face falls
forward into her hands...
HURON WARRIORS
are running down the path to intercept Chingachgook, charging
uphill, fueled by a father's rage, and Hawkeye. One Huron
aims at the center of Chingachgook's chest...
HAWKEYE
FIRES past his father's side. The Huron's blown off the path.
Hawkeye races to reload on the run...
EXT. PROMONTORY - MAGUA
sees the approach of Chingachgook.
TO CHINGACHGOOK
Huron warriors are an irrelevance. He slams one aside with
his musket.
HAWKEYE FIRES.
HURON
with tomahawk, about to blindside Chingachgook, is SHOT DOWN.
MAGUA
charging Chingachgook.
VERY WIDE
Two men, like dots, race to collide at the center of the
promontory. Now the others fall back... It's one-on-one.
Hawkeye slows...
COMBATANTS
Magua - confident, pumped up - feints with his left, his
tomahawk appearing in his right, sweeping backhand, while
his left, magically holding his blade, is jamming up to gut
Chingachgook. Chingachgook's dead. Except...
CHINGACHGOOK
isn't there. He rolled and, on one knee with his back to
Magua, his arm slams rearward.
The massive war club crashes into Magua's back.
MAGUA
stunned, turns to hatchet Chingachgook...
CHINGACHGOOK
now up and towering - slams his club right into Magua's
assault... destroying it, breaking Magua's right arm. And...
CHINGACHGOOK
... with his momentum, spins like a shot-putter and the next
blow cripples Magua's left side and crushes part of his chest.
ANOTHER BLOW
destroys Magua's collar and shoulder.
MAGUA
amazed. His body is broken and crippled, but he still stands.
He looks into the eyes of the last warrior of the Mohicans.
CHINGACHGOOK
UNCAS!!!
And he spins and swings. The blade side of the war club
punches into Magua's chest, caving him in two.
WIDE
Magua dies in the dust.
HAWKEYE
watching Chingachgook's heaving back. It's over.
CORA
alone, kneeling in the meadow. Her eyes downcast...
WIDE REAR SHOT
FADE OUT:
FADE IN:
EXT. - MOUNTAIN TOP - NEXT DAY
Chingachgook's at the edge, facing the endless rolling forests
to the west. A haze of sunlight illuminates silver and lead
clouds. Hawkeye is a little apart, watching his father.
HAWKEYE'S POV: CHINGACHGOOK
speaks to the sky.
CHINGACHGOOK
(Mohican)
Great Spirit and the Maker of all
Life...
ON HAWKEYE & CHINGACHGOOK
We HEAR Hawkeye's English translation in VOICE OVER:
CHINGACHGOOK/HAWKEYE (V.O.)
(in English)
... a warrior goes to you swift and
straight as an arrow shot into the
sun. Welcome him and let him take
his place at the council fire of my
people.
(pause)
He is Uncas, my son.
(pause)
Bid them patience and ask death for
speed; for they are all there but
one I, Chingachgook - Last of the
Mohicans.
Chingachgook's hands drop to his sides. He lets out his breath
with a weariness. His eyes seek Hawkeye's. They hold...
CORA
is standing, her back to us, in front of a rock-covered grave
with a wooden cross. Next to it is Uncas' burial platform.
Cora [says a] silent prayer. Then she pauses, crosses herself.
Her emotions are spent. She moves next to Hawkeye. He takes
her hand.
HAWKEYE & CORA
HAWKEYE
Will you go back to England?
CORA
I have nothing to go back for.
Long pause.
HAWKEYE
Then will you stay in America?
She turns to face him.
HAWKEYE
And will you be my wife?
Pause.
CORA
Yes.
They hold each other's eyes. She searches his face.
CORA
Where will we go?
HAWKEYE
Winter with the Delaware, my father's
cousins. And in the spring, cross
the Ohio and look for land to settle
with my father in a new place called
Can-tuck-ee.
They move next to Chingachgook. He senses they're beside
him. Hawkeye's arm is around her shoulders.
CHINGACHGOOK
The frontier moves with the sun and
pushes the red man of the wilderness
forests in front of it. Until one
day there will be nowhere left.
Then our race will be no more, or be
not us... The frontier place is for
people like my white son and his
woman and their children.
HAWKEYE
That's my father's sadness talking.
Hawkeye puts a hand on his shoulder.
CHINGACHGOOK
No. It is true... One day... there
will be no more frontier. Then men
like you will go, too. Like the
Mohicans.
(pause)
And new people will come. Work.
Struggle to make their light... One
mystery remains.
HAWKEYE
What is that?
Cora, listening to Chingachgook, takes Hawkeye's hand.
CHINGACHGOOK
Will there be anything left to show
the world that we ever did exist?
REAR SHOT
Cora stands next to her man. Hawkeye puts his arm around his
father. They stare out over the wilderness.
FADE OUT:
THE END