Russell Means could make a supporting character seem worth a film of his own. We value that authority, particularly in The Last of the Mohicans, while wishing the writing gave him as much to do as his presence promised.
Fi1m perspective
As Chingachgook in The Last of the Mohicans (1992), Russell Means suggests a life that the screenplay has not made enough room to explore. Michael Mann’s film is stirring entertainment, and Means gives us a reason to wish it would slow down occasionally. He and Wes Studi, playing Magua, make their characters seem more substantial than their allotted time. We felt frustrated by how little we were allowed to know Chingachgook, because Means made us want to stay with him. The limitation is chiefly in the writing.
That was his first major film appearance; Natural Born Killers (1994) followed, with Oliver Stone casting him as Old Indian. Here, our enthusiasm is more qualified. The committed performances and restless editing make it worth an evening for the interested, but the blunt dialogue and repeated lectures on violence and fame become tiring. Our reservations concern Stone’s determination to tell us what our fascination with the killers means. The performances give us a reason to keep watching, though we would not recommend the film to anyone hoping for a searching account of that fascination.
His later parts included the voice of Powhatan in Pocahontas (1995) and the title role in Pathfinder (2007). Voice work was part of a career encompassing more than 30 film and television roles. He was often cast as an authoritative Native American figure. That recurring demand for authority makes us wary of praising the casting without looking closely at the part. A performer can supply the necessary weight and still be left waiting for something substantial to play.
Mann’s film gives us the clearest reason to seek Means out, despite its shortcomings. We do not need every supporting character to have a separate story, but Chingachgook makes the shortage of attention matter. That is a considerable contribution to a film already capable of stirring us with its action and music. Start with The Last of the Mohicans, prepared to wish it would spend longer with him.
Biography
Russell Means was an Oglala Sioux actor and activist. Born on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota, he became a prominent member of the American Indian Movement and a leading figure in the 1973 occupation of Wounded Knee. He began acting in the early 1990s.
Means made his film debut as Chingachgook in The Last of the Mohicans (1992). He appeared as the Old Indian in Natural Born Killers (1994) and voiced Powhatan in the Disney animated features Pocahontas (1995) and its sequel (1998). He took further roles in films and television series including Pathfinder (2007) and Banshee (2013). Means died in 2012.
