Was the tune, “The Gael” written for the movie, “Last Of The Mohicans” or was the tune just used in the movie?
Interesting question. According to Wikipedia:
The main theme of the movie is “Promontory”, an orchestration of the tune “The Gael” by Scottish singer-songwriter Dougie MacLean from his 1990 album The Search.
A quick listen to the two tracks suggests this is correct, and that credit is due to Dougie MacLean and the Loch Ness monster, not Trevor Jones.
To be fair, as far as I can see, the movie itself (which I haven’t seen), the IMDb entry for it, Wikipedia and anywhere else, does seem to credit Dugie MacLean for the title track, and also Phil Cunningham for the House in Rose Valley and Ciaran Brennan for I Will Find You. Why are there all these Scottish and Irish composers involved in a film about Native Americans? Just asking … as I say, I haven’t seen the film …
The indigenous element is strongly featured - and very well done, I venture to say - but the real thread in the story is about Right Ponders (members of the British Empire, mainly) navigating the New World. Hence the music.
I suppose one could say that the native and settler elements in the movie have roughly equal importance, but it’s more as if the native element is the picture frame. It’s a big frame, though.
It should be pointed out that ten movies have been made based on Cooper’s novel - The US Library of Congress deemed the 1920 version with Wallace Beery, which I haven’t yet seen, to be culturally significant - but the one we’re talking about here is the latest, done in 1992. I recommend it. 
The antagonist character of Magua tends to be popularly interpreted as the bad guy, but I think “nemesis” is the better word, for he had a very justifiable bone to pick with a British colonel by the name of Munro. I actually found myself sympathizing with him, if not exactly cheering him on.
If you ever do decide to see the film I recommend getting a hold of the director’s cut. It adds 20 minutes to the screen time, but expands elements of the story that make character’s actions make more sense.
It is still a bit of a bastardization of the book. But most films are. The music and cinematography as well as the excellent acting really do carry one off into another world. That being said, the biggest screen and best headphones you can muster are recommended.
This reminds me of another film that was edited to disaster. My son was intrigued by The Kingdom of Heaven when it first came out, but the story was a mess. We got a hold of the director’s cut which adds a lot of time to the film. But gives you a story worth watching.
Normally I don’t care to revisit movies I’ve already seen, but last night this thread inspired me to make an exception, and I watched LotM again. I enjoyed every minute.
One of my favorite movies and soundtracks. But I get homesick whenever I watch it. I grew up in the western North Carolina mountains where it was filmed. Have hiked to several of the waterfalls featured.
Guess there is not enough wilderness left in New York where the story was originally set.
I’d be homesick, too. That’s some beautiful country, there. Looked as if it was practically all rhododendrons, too. Is that right?
Exactly right. Rhododendrons are a classic plant of the Blue Ridge (Southern Appalachian) Mountains. Rhododendron should be coming into in bloom about now, although it usually peaks about mid-June. Between rhododendron and mountain laurel (a very similar shrub), it’s a beautiful time to visit there. Except for the bugs and humidity. 
Please. The mosquito is Minnesota’s State Bird. I’d probably feel right at home except for the … well, everything else.
Two days ago it was unseasonably chilly for a couple of days - one night got down to 49F! I can’t remember that I ever used a space heater in late May before. And today it’s 90F and humid. Crazy.
I had to look up rhododendrons - not that I don’t know the plant, but I didn’t know that it was native to the States as well as to Asia. The ones that cause such a problem in Snowdonia, North Wales, are an invasive, non-native, Asian species. I had thought that they were all from Asia, but apparently not.
Ben, the Washington State Flower is the Coast Rhododendron. There are an amazing number of varieties.
Bob
Edited to add: Check out The Royal Kew Gardens. They not only have the specimens brought back from Asia by Sir Joseph Hooker, but a selection from the Pacific Northwest.
Rhododendron ponticum? They’re unfortunately everywhere here too. But we also have nice yellow azaleas (Rhododendron luteum) locally that are classed invasive, non-native, leaving mixed feelings because I rather like these.
R ponticum is the culprit in Snowdonia, yes. I have friends who have spent the last thirty-plus years combating the thing. It’s a perishing nuisance.
I know the yellow one. On warm days, the scent can be almost overpowering. I didn’t know that it had become a nuisance plant though.
I’ve been acutely aware of it (and enjoying it) recently running a loop between here and Mamore Lodge I must have done hundreds of times, but maybe not so often just when it’s been in full bloom (NB almost over now). So decided I fancy a yellow azalea in my garden, but won’t get that one because it grows bigger than I want and seems a bit dubious despite there being specimens in gardens here and its Schedule 9 listing being England-and-Wales-specific. See also Kenneth Cox writing:
‘R. ponticum, one of 900 species of rhododendron,is the only rhododendron species or hybrid which is a major invasive weed in the west of the UK and parts of Brittany, France. Rhododendron luteum, the scented yellow azalea species has naturalised in some areas but is not causing anything like the environmental problems that R. ponticum has.’
Right. The centers of diversity are in the Himalayas and Malaysia, but elsewhere native species can have some surprising locations: Greenland, for one. Who knew?
I looked up the Pontic rhododendron, and according to Wikipedia - cue grain of salt - it’s not just native to Asia, but southern Europe as well. It’s possible that some of your invasive clusters could have hailed from there, too.
According to the article I linked (for which no salt is necessary!), that seems quite likely:
'But from what we have observed the most aggressively invasive R. ponticum seems to exactly match the Iberian wild populations.’