Dances with Wolves (1990)

My Favorite Movie - Ever

The first time I saw this movie, I was stunned.

I had not seen any previews and so had no expectations. I was so moved by watching it, as were my companions, that we all sat and watched the complete credits roll by before we could get up to leave the theatre. For the first time in my life, I saw a tribe of our Native American population, portrayed as compassionate and caring. This type of information had never been taught in public school or college!

My friends and I stood outside the theatre that night, discussing the wonderful epic we had just experienced, for quite a while. As I drove home that evening I remembered that my maternal grandfather had some Native American blood lines and for the first time in my life I wanted to find out more about them. I doubt that I would have started any ancestry research had I not seen DWW.

It has been 18 years and DWW is still my all-time favorite movie. My ancestry research started after the first viewing and has never stopped. Thanks to the internet and other available resources, my family tree has expanded to over 5,500 people. Many of my Scottish and English ancestors intermarried with Native Americans. I am a veritable Heinz 57 of DNA! I have Cherokee, English, Scottish, and French ancestors, all mixed with remarkable and extended lines from all over the globe.

Whether the story line is credible or not to others, I know it's possible. My great-great-grandfather married a Cherokee woman who had survived the Trail of Tears. Knowing their history, I doubt they would have met or married, had it not been for the help and kind acts shown him by her family.

Watching "Dances with Wolves" for the first time was a turning point in my life. So, thank you Kevin Costner and Michael Blake, for making a movie that has been such an inspiration. If watching it does not inspire you, that's okay. I hope that at least you become curious enough, after watching it, to read and research topics concerning the Native American peoples. In the very least - you will be entertained.

Osiyo. September 27, 2008

Dancing with Wolves Extended

It explains the full story of the film. The missing parts of the original film at the pictures.The behind the camera story too.It was a great DVD. September 22, 2008

Western Fan

Here's another Kevin Costner message movie and this is a good one. In telling the story of the plains Indians he does a fine job. The narration comes to me as a bit whimpy at times and there are scenes, in the long movie, that could have been edited. The story, again, is a good one and the sound-track is superb! September 19, 2008

Such a beautiful dance...

A film that is truly breathtaking, `Dances with Wolves' has a lot to admire. The film is gorgeous to look at; beautifully shot by cinematographer Dean Semler and directed by Kevin Costner. The story told is often engrossing and delicately handled for the most part, always grasping our attention despite the films lengthy running time. The acting is mostly effective and at times it is amazing. The emotional impact the audience is left with is sweeping and easy to get caught up in for the subject is presented in a very passionate way by Costner.

Like I said; there is a lot to admire here.

`Dances with Wolves' tells us the story of Lt. John J. Dunbar who, after an attempted suicide, is exiled to a remote Civil War outpost. Alone and lonely John soon finds himself a target of the Native Americans nearby, but what starts as a hazardous relationship shifts to one of promise and hope as the Indians befriend John. One particular Indian, Kicking Bird, is determined to communicate with John in order to find out what the White Man's plans are and when he is coming. Kicking Bird uses Stands With A Fist to do this. Stands With A Fist is a white woman who has been living as an Indian most of her life. She hasn't spoken English for many years but forces herself to converse with John for the betterment of her people.

`Dances with Wolves' has a sweeping range of focus, shifting from a drama to a romance to a morally important film, and Costner's steady hand and keen eye help make the transitions effortless and captivating. The film never comes off as choppy or disconnected but always remains true to itself and for the most part feels very complete.

The acting is a nice facet of the film. Kevin Costner, Mary McDonnell and Graham Greene all received Oscar nominations for their performances, and it's easy to see why. Mary McDonnell has a delicate way of delivering her characters frailties, exposing her nervousness without making her feel overly unstable. Graham Greene is very calm and commanding as Kicking Bird, creating a stable character with dreams and aspirations and a complete control over the situation. The film hinges on Costner though, and he delivers a beautifully complete performance. His emotional journey is brilliantly portrayed for us throughout the entire film, flowing effortlessly from loneliness, anger, admiration, love, loyalty, betrayal and honor.

As a whole `Dances with Wolves' works wonderfully; in parts it works extremely well. The film is not perfect and it suffers in some areas. One particular area I was less than thrilled about was Costner's narration of the film. Voice over is tricky because it takes a certain kind of voice to pull it off. Kevin has a somewhat nasally, almost whiney voice and listening to him practically read to you for three hours can ware you down. Some people you can stand to talk to but don't want to listen to them `read'; it just has a whole different sound to it. Watching Costner act is enjoyable, but listening to him read is not. The ending, while moving, also felt a little forced and the depiction of the settlers as arrogant and uneducated was a little extreme.

I found myself wondering why Dunbar was never depicted in that fashion yet every other `White Man' was?

Those faults are minor when you consider the entire scope of the film, yet they seem bigger when you single them out. I would recommend this movie without reservation, but I hesitate to call it a masterpiece. It is a very good film, a great one at that, and as far as `sweeping epics' go, it manages to capture just about every facet of what makes those films to wonderful. I'd give the film a high B (B+) or maybe even a low A (A-). It works very well, but it is not perfect. September 12, 2008

Best American History Epic Ever Made

Dances With Wolves, while being an essential guilty pleasure movie of mine also has top ten favorite movie ranking. I've always been attracted to stories that focus on a small cast of characters or just one in particular and in that case it is easier for me to not only get caught up in the story itself but also for the story to become more personal. I think the smaller the cast the less the audience is overwhelmed and the better the performances get. I think the primary reason Dances With Wolves won so many oscars is because it was not only a period film or particular civil war era film that was one of a kind, but that it introduced modern America to a depiction of Native American people that for once was in a positive light. You can't beat John Barry's score either, its a huge bonus.

The character John Dunbar had the capacity that our ancestors lacked millions of years ago in essentially the same situation: where two kinds of humans although physically similar are however mentally and culturally from two seperate worlds. Somehow the two must learn from each other in order to further the idea and the possibility of peace. John Dunbar and the Sioux tribe represent a human struggle millions of years old and the film demonstrates how one man's curiosity and courage to look beyond the racism and expansionism of his own society allows him to build bridges through the exchange of language and philosophy. As inspiring and emotional as films like The Shawshank Redemption and Schindler's List, Dances With Wolves is also a magnificent tour of what was once the wild and untainted frontier. September 11, 2008

More reviews at Amazon.com ...