Mohawk (2017)

 Mohawk (2017)

"We're the only monsters left out here." 

PLOT - A young Mohawk woman and her two lovers are forced to fight back against a group of soldiers seeking revenge after their camp has been burned down in 1812.

SPOILERS!!!

LOWDOWN - The hype surrounding director Ted Geoghegan's sophomore effort Mohawk has been something I've been following quite closely. After impressing audiences with We Are Still Here, many people much like myself couldn't wait to see what was next for Mr. Geoghegan. I'm a huge fan of independent filmmaking. I feel in the last fifteen or so years, there are countless gems made by talented artist who truly put blood, sweat, and tears into these projects that show nothing less of true passion and soul. Nothing delights me more than seeing independent films succeed, and clearly displays the creator's love and drive behind these stories. What I really liked, was the direction that Geoghegan went with his next movie. Instead of this being a straight forward horror film, we have a different type of horror.

The horror of man, and the evil that they do.

I found myself sitting in awe as after months of buildup, Mohawk played out before me. This is a perfect case that big budgets, elaborate sets, and crazy special effects aren't everything. I believe what really makes a film last long are three main things. Atmosphere, talented actors, and a strong story. This film had all three. Shot up in New York durning the summer, we follow Oak (Kaniehtiio Horne) an absolutely beautiful woman, who's stunning greenish blue eyes, standing out from the black and red war paint pops with emotional throughout the entire film. There are moments when Oak doesn't even speak, but her eyes show such a range of emotion there are times you as the viewer actually feel her pain. She watches as loved ones are slaughtered and tortured before her. From heartbreak, to terror, to pleading for the life of her unborn child, to compete and utter loss, and then rage. In cinema, mostly horror we're used to seeing strong women who are fighters. This is a rare case where our female final girl not only is a different nationality, but she's in a polyamory relationship with two men. One from her own clan, the other a white British officer. She's clearly comfortable enough with her sexuality, sharing not just her body, but her attention to both men, not afraid to call them out on their mistakes, and take charge. This truly was refreshing. She keeps a leveled head, a survivor at all times, as well as a warrior who tragically lost everyone who truly mattered to her. The smoke-hole scene was one of my favorites where both Joshua and her are trapped, becoming trapped by the soldiers, being smoked out. Instead of panicking, she calmly informs Joshua of her pregnancy, before having a vision or hallucination due to the smoke, seeing her spirit animal, or self transformed at the end of the film. Here she finds the drive to fight, and survive, knowing there will be a future. 

I LOVED the shot of her hand bursting through the ground. A beautiful nod to Sam Raimi's cult classic The Evil Dead. 

It's rare to see a pregnant woman in a film shown as a fighter. Loved the scene of Joshua and her traveling by the falls, and for a brief moment Joshua stops to kiss her and touch her stomach. Oak pulls him forward, knowing there isn't any time to stop, that they need to keep going forward into that uncertain future they spoke about. At the end of the film as Oak fights against the last man standing, we watch as she fights back not just for herself, but her child as well. I found this to be a huge strong pull for this story, since despite losing her mother, family, and two lovers, she fights back, finding her inner power by whatever spirit that inhabits the woods, and causes her to find revenge for the men who took everything from her. The ending shot of her truly looks to be a piece of living breathing artwork. She's bloody, hurt, but still standing. She survived, and is looked on by her people who tragically will continue having to survive and fight as their land is taken and are slaughtered. Oak truly is a wonderful role model in a generation where so many women of all races and background are fighting to find their voice. In all honestly I would love to get a tattoo of her. She truly is a role model and I was rooting for her all the way.

Her lovers Calvin Two Rivers (Justin Rain) and Joshua Pinsmail (Eamon Farren) are a perfect example as I said above that what really carries a film, and makes it work are strong actors. We get this shared relationship of two men from different backgrounds and race that clearly are deeply in love with Oak. They even say that they are family, and it's established very early on they all care deeply and are protective of each other. My favorite scene in the entire film was after Oak witnesses her mother murdered, and how they are forced to run deeper into the woods. Once they have a chance to catch their breath, Oak holds onto a tree, breaking down. Here Calvin and Joshua, both looking completely heartbroken join her, and all hug each other. There's no competition between these two men. Instead, they hold Oak, as well as each other, for a brief second looking like lost heartbroken children. This scene, even though there is very little said speaks volumes. This is a perfect example of how moving this film is, and with performances by Horne, Farren, and Rain are what makes it work. 

With the soldiers as the villains, hot on the three lover's trail, we get to see just how ugly and awful men can be. This was a raw perfect example of history as it was, and what's even more frighting...still is. I feel a film like Mohawk was released at a perfect time. Innocence is slaughtered, and families torn apart in bloodshed all for the sake of a "war". Ezra Buzzington (Hezekiah Holt) truly played a bastard in this film. He's Hellbent on revenge for the men who died in the fire, and leads his men deeper and deeper into the woods, ignoring any warnings, or signs that they are sealing their fate. I really liked how ugly and gritty the hate was for these men. There are moments when even Lachlan (Jon Huber) even looks disturbed by the acts that are being committed. One of the best scenes involving these men have to be when Buzzington has just lost his son. He strips down by the riverbank, washing his son's blood off him, before finding a tiny piece of his scalp and hair behind his ear. Here he silently breaks down, holding his child's hair to his lips. This is an ugly realistic look of what's happening, and Mohawk never pulls away from this kind of outlook.

Mohawk is a moving period piece that was released at a perfect time among the madness that is consuming this world we live in. It shows madness that exists then, still exists now.

This was a stunning, beautiful, haunting story, that I'm certain will stay with me. A wonderful score, great cinematography, solid actors, and a very important message that still holds true today. Highly recommend!

5 stars!