The Last Warrior: The Story of Tecumseh

In Tecumseh: The Last Warrior, directors Larry Elikann and William Messa effectively portray the historical events that took place in the North America. In an action filled adventure, they explain the story of a Shawnee tribal leader, Tecumseh, who was in the forefront in uniting the Native American people to resist the oppression from the whites. The movie starts with a tense scene showing people on the move. The narrator’s voice captures the attention of the audience and sets the context for the story. A voice is heard in the background, humming a song of sorrow which shows a hopeless situation. Presented with this situation, and the hopelessness among the people who face starvation and death entering the winter without food and proper shelter, the audience becomes curious to know the ultimate end of the victims involved: this a struggle to survive. Apparently, the tribes on the move face another obstacle of a war with an enemy’s troop seeking to steal their harvest for utilization in the winter period. However, Tecumseh, the protagonist speaks with confidence that they will win the war. It is ironical to speak of winning a war when he does not have an army of weapons to defeat the enemy.

The graphics used in the movie help the audience to understand and learn the different hardships and struggles associated with warfare. For example, graphics have been used to elaborate the theme of death and strife. During different combat activities experienced by the character in the movie, vivid demonstrations of people killing and others dying. The screaming, mourning and crying of people at the combat grounds further explain the suffering that war torn nations undergo. In this situation, there exists no alternative other than to fight for one’s life, even if it means dying fighting. Moreover, the picture motions are used to show how brave Tecumseh was by facing life threatening situations during the war; he endures difficulties to emerge the hero and champion of the wars he fought. The conversation between Tecumseh and his father reveals a lot about the importance of family ties between people. Though defiant, Tecumseh engages in conversations with his mother to explain to the audience the importance of advising and guiding children. When their society is faced with a difficult decision to either defend their land or move west across the Mississippi, his mother suggests that they move out of the land but Tecumseh stands his ground, to fight and defend the land. His mother’s decision was based on the fear of losing her son in combat. The obedience and discipline portrayed by the American armies in their involvement of the war shows the importance of proper planning and analysis of war situations before taking action. The machinery and equipment owned by the new army troops showed their preparedness for the war, thus achieving the victory witnessed.

Tecumseh’s resilience and desire to achieve unity among the local tribes demonstrates the importance of working together to achieve a common goal. Tecumseh wanted to live in a peaceful nation and his forward looking character saw that the American armies would only bring trouble to the local communities. The movie records his journeys to every tribe and community to ask them for support against the new armies to guarantee their peaceful stay in their land.