Quentin Tarantino Has Dodged Michael Mann’s ‘The Last of the Mohicans’ for Decades, and Here’s Why

Quentin Tarantino is one of the most famous movie obsessives working behind the camera. He and Roger Avary spent years talking through films on The Video Archives Podcast, and the topic of favorite directors comes up often. So it is a surprise to learn there is a celebrated film he has deliberately avoided.

One of the directors he has praised the most is Michael Mann. Tarantino has spoken about Mann’s debut feature ‘Thief’ as mind-blowing, and said that when it came out it felt like a new crime filmmaker with great, gritty dialogue and a wonderful visual sense. He has also singled out Mann’s crime films, including ‘Heat’ and ‘Collateral’.

That is what makes the latest story so interesting.

According to Far Out, Tarantino revealed on the podcast that to this day he has not seen Mann’s version of the film. He had read the reviews and heard from friends that it was worth two hours of his time, but it did not sway him. The headline sums up his attitude as not being interested.

The reason comes down to Mann’s era. Tarantino said that Mann’s movies only work when they deal with the 20th century, and the story of ‘The Last of the Mohicans’ unfolds in the 1750s. Index describes it as set in 1757, during the French and Indian War.

His view of Mann’s historical work also has a specific source. The reporting ties it to ‘The Keep’, Mann’s 1983 second feature, which Tarantino called a fiasco. He concluded that period subjects don’t suit the director as well as stories set in modern times, though it did not stop him from admiring Mann’s other films.

The film has a strong reputation. It is a 1992 epic historical drama based on James Fenimore Cooper’s 1826 novel and its 1936 film adaptation, and Mann co-wrote the script with Christopher Crowe. Daniel Day-Lewis stars alongside Madeleine Stowe and Jodhi May.

Critics have generally been kind. The film holds an 88% Tomatometer score on Rotten Tomatoes from 126 reviews. It also won the Academy Award for Best Sound, which is the only Oscar won by a film directed by Mann to date.

Empire has praised the film, saying historical adventure filmmaking has rarely been this passionate, solemn or thrilling. Mann has also released various cuts of the movie since its original release, though the differences are minimal. Far Out argues you could make a case for it ranking fifth among his best films, behind ‘Thief’, ‘Manhunter’, ‘Heat’ and ‘Collateral’, not that Tarantino would know.

The story fits Tarantino’s reputation for strong, unfiltered opinions. His podcast has become a place for that kind of movie-geek talk, and past remarks about Mann have gone viral before. It is also a reminder that even the most devoted cinephiles have blind spots, and some of them are chosen.

The gap has lasted more than 30 years, and there is no sign that Tarantino plans to close it. For fans of both directors, that is part of the fun. One of the most famous film lovers alive has a Michael Mann movie he has simply decided to skip.

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