The Pathfinder & Song of Hiawatha (Double Feature)
(Graham Greene, Michael Rooker, David Stratharin, Adam Beach, Russell Means, et al / DVD / PG & PG-13 / 2020 / Mill Creek Entertainment)
Overview: In 'The Pathfinder,' based on the novel by James Fenimore Cooper (The Last of the Mohicans), this adventure follows a mid-18th-century British scout through the wilderness on a mission to sneak into a French fortress.
In 'Song of Hiawatha,' this screen adaptation of the epic poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow tells the tale of Hiawatha (Litefoot), a Native American brave, and his great love for the beautiful Minnehaha (Irene Bedard).
DVD Verdict: Ok, well, starting off with 'The Pathfinder' (1996), and, personally, although I found the film to be historically accurate, I found it a bit odd that the British captain was so friendly with the French Compte.
Me being quite the North and South American history buff, I have never heard of such "personal alliances" between one British captain and the aforementioned French Compte.
Both nations were at war and they both were only interested in using the First Nations for their own selfish, evil gains! It was bad enough that both sides just overlooked the fact that it was Native land they were fighting on!
But they both forced the Natives to join either side so that they could defeat the other, and that's all that was!
Anyway, back to the film and, in general, the whole production has the air of a reenactment, which is actually in its favor. Of course, this might also be an insult to the good folk who take pride in their amateur productions, but that aside the character displays make 'The Pathfinder' a rather interesting, and at times engrossing film.
With regard 'The Song of Hiawatha' (1997) I personally thoroughly enjoyed this presentation of an epic poem.
The actors were well-chosen and presented the characters in a believable manner and each of the characters were portrayed with realism and first-class acting skill.
The photography was outstanding and added quality and realism to the movie and the scenery was spectacular and added so much more to the presentation.
Furthermore, I actually recognized many of the actors and appreciated their cultural background being used in a favorable manner. Indeed, I would like to see more movies of this quality being produced instead of what is being offered in the current market.
The important thing is that it's not just another Hollywoodish kind of film where you see the romanticized "noble savage" garbage in the way that Hollywood has pretty much always seen them. It has so much more to offer and thus I hope you can spend some time with it also. These are both Widescreen Presentations (1.85:1) and enhanced for 16x9 TVs.
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