| A Mohawk's Way | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | D. W. Griffith |
| Written by | Stanner E.V. Taylor |
| Based on | novel byJames Fenimore Cooper |
| Cinematography | G. W. Bitzer |
Production company | |
| Distributed by |
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Release date |
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Running time | 17 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | Silent (English intertitles) |
A Mohawk's Way, also known asThe Mohawk's Treasure, is a 1910shortsilentblack-and-whitedrama film directed byD. W. Griffith, written byStanner E.V. Taylor, and based on a novel byJames Fenimore Cooper, with cinematography byG. W. Bitzer.[1] It starsDorothy Davenport andJeanie MacPherson.[2]
The film portraysAmerican cultural precepts about bloodthirsty savageAmerican Indians,[3][4][5] and assails the cruelty of the white man.[6]
A Mohawk warrior, driven by both gratitude and a sense of justice, seeks help for his ailing child. After the tribe's medicine man fails to cure the baby, the warrior appeals to Dr. Van Brum, a white physician known for his cruelty. Van Brum refuses and assaults the warrior. Overhearing the plea, the doctor's wife secretly visits the tribe and provides medicine, which quickly cures the child. The grateful tribe views the medicine bottle as a powerful charm, and the squaw wears it as a talisman.
Temporary peace follows, but tension reignites when Van Brum insults the squaw near the river. She brandishes the bottle for protection, and when he mocks her, she threatens him with a dagger. The tribe, learning of the incident, pursues Van Brum, who flees with his wife. The Mohawk intercept the couple, and Van Brum is killed. His wife is taken captive but is saved by the squaw, who invokes the tribe's reverence for the medicine bottle. The warriors relent, and the squaw and her husband escort the woman to safety, ferrying her across the river to a British camp.