老师给的资料

MichaelMann(b.1943)LikeBruceBeresford,MichaelMannmightclaimtobeslightlyotherthanthe“typical”Hollyoooddirector,thoughheisChicago-bornandworksalittlemorecomfortablywithinAmericangenresandconventions.ButhisapprenticeshipincludesaB.A.inliteraturefromUniversityofWisconsinandafilmdegreefromtheprestigiousLondonFilmSchool.ReturningtotheUSAinthe1970s,hemovedsmoothlyintocommercialadvertisingwhere,likeRidley(BladeRunner)Scott,hequicklyclaimeddistinctionforhisremarkablesenseoflightinganddécor.Bytheearly1980shehadseguedoffintotelevision,gainingfameastheexecutiveproducerofapopularandlong-runninginvestigativecrimedrama,MiamiVice.TheseriesestablishedthecityofMiamiasthenewsiteof“filmnoir”anditsimpactontheindustryisstillvisibleincontemporaryshowslikeMiamiCSIandTheGlades.Lotsofneon,lotsoflightonwater,lotsofwith-itmusic.Frequently,directorswhogravitatetowardstelevisionsinkbelowthehorizonandareneverheardfromagain.Mannwassparedthisfatebecausehisskills-setfitnicelywiththepopularneo-noirrevivalofthe1980sand1990s,towhichhecontributedManhunter(1983).LATakedown(1986)andHeat(1995),andTheInsider(1999).InthenewmillenniumMannwouldaddMiamiVice(2006)andPublicEnemies(2009)tohisscreencredits:thefirstisafilmvaguelyevolvedfromthetelevisionseriesofthe1980sandthesecondarepriseofthe1930sgangsterfilm,builtaroundthefigureofJohnDillinger.IthasneverdoneanyharmtoMann’scareerthatheisalsoacapablescreenwriterandacompetentbusinessmanagerwithaknackforcollectingfirst-classtheatricaltalent(think,AlPacino,RobertDeNiro,andRussellCrowe,amongothers).Thoughhisprovenachievementswouldseemtobestsuithimforfilmswithcontemporary,urbansettingsandaccentsofthethriller,itdidn’tsurprisetoomanypeoplewhenhewascontractedtodirectTheLastoftheMohicans(1992),thesixthremakeofJamesFenimoreCooper’snovelofthesamename,thefavoritenarrativeof“Leather-StockingTales,”whichfoundedthewesterngenreinthe1820s.AsinBlackRobe,wehaveinLastoftheMohicansanarrativeoftheearlierAmericanwest,whenthe“frontier”beganonthenorthwestoutskirtsofNewYorkCity.Wearenowslightlymorethan100yearsdownstreamfromtheperiodoftheJesuitchronicles,butthewarweareplungedintoisthesameworld-historicalbattlebetweentheempiresofFranceandBritainforthecontrolofNorthAmerica.Nowinitsfinalphase,aseven-yearencounterwhichintheUSAiscalledtheFrench/IndianWar(1756-63),thisprotractedbattleleavesBritainthemasterofthecontinent,butalsobringstotheworldstageanewsetofactorswhoarebeginningtocallthemselves“Americans,”andevenremarking,quietlyandhesitantlystill,thattheymightprefernottobeservantsoftheEnglishcrown.Thetribaltensionsremainmuchthesame:theIndianssouthofLakeOntario(theIroquoisandtheMohicans)arealliedwiththeEnglish;theAlgonquinsandtheHurons,bothnorthofthelake,taketheirmarchingordersfromtheFrench.Alittleincongruously,theMohicansaretribalkinoftheAlgonquins,asindicatedbytheirlanguage,andbearnogreatlovefortheIroquois.ButtheIroquoisConfederacy,themostpowerfulNativeAmericanpoliticalforceofNewYorkandNewEngland,pursuedapolicyof“assimilation,”whichforciblydrewmembersofothertribesintotheirown,sometimeseffectivelyerasingthetribe’soriginalidentity.HencethedirethreatstatetotheMohicans,whichgivesCooperthetitleofhisnovel.FenimoreCooper,ofcourse,ismuchmoreinvestedinthesehistoricaleventsthanMichaelMann.Thecreatorof“LeatherStocking”belongstothefirstgenerationofpost-revolutionAmericans:hewasbornin1789,virtuallyattheoutsetofWashington’sfirsttermasPresident.AndoneofthecrucialeventsofCooper’steenageyearswasthejourneyofLewisandClarkuptheMissouririvertomapthelandacquiredintheLouisianaPurchase.Moretothepoint,perhaps,isthathewasgrowingupduringthesecondwarwithBritain(1812-14),inwhichtheUSAhaddecisivelydefeatedEnglishforcesinthewest.Adecadelater,justthreeyearsbeforethepublicationofCooper’snovel,PresidentMonroesenttoCongressamessageknownastheMonroeDoctrine,whichdecisivelyassertstheclaimsofAmericannationalismagainstalltheEuropeanpowers.Cooperwritesoutofthisintenselynationalisticmilieu,butisawareofsomeofitscomplexity,workingveryself-consciouslywithissuesofraceandethnicity.Whatplace,ifany,dothenativepeopleshaveinthenewnation?HowhavetheycontributedtothecreationofauniqueAmericansensibility?Howdowegracefullyinvitethemtoleavethelandtous?Asyouwillseeinoursmallexcerptfromthenovel,Cooperstruggleswiththesequestions,findingthemabitawkward.MannisfarlessinterestedinAmericanhistoryandoperatesatamuchlowerlevelofpoliticalfervor.Youmightnotice,forexample,thatNathaniel,thearchetypalAmerican,turnsouttobetheBritishactorDanielDayLewis,whomanagessomehowtolookprettyauthenticinthecostumeofabackwoodsman.MannhandlestheNativeAmericansdifferentlyaswell,noddingappreciativelytowardstheirvaluesystembutexcludingthemfromrealrelevance.Interestingly,thefilmwasreleasedinthesameyearthatmarkedthe500thanniversaryofColumbus’firstvoyage,whichcausedittobechargedinsomecircleswith“culturalimperialism.”That’samatterwewillalmostcertainlydiscussinclass.WhatalsoseemsreasonablycertainisthatManntriesstrenuouslytoreducethepoliticalconcernsofthenovelandreplacethemwithalovestory.Butaswithotherpurveyorsofwesternmyth,thelovestoryhasanaddeddimension.WearereallybeinginvitedtofallinlovewiththeAmericanwest.