Dances with Wolves (1990)

User Rating:

7.9/10   

Director:

Kevin Costner

Writers (WGA):

Michael Blake (screenplay)
Michael Blake (novel)

Release Date:

21 November 1990 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Drama | Western

Tagline:

Inside everyone is a frontier waiting to be discovered.

Plot:

Lt. John Dunbar, exiled to a remote western Civil War outpost, befriends wolves and Indians, making him an intolerable aberration in the military.

Plot Keywords:

Frontier | Outpost | American Civil War | Army | Wolf

Awards:

Won 7 Oscars. Another 30 wins & 20 nominations

Cast

Kevin Costner	...	Lieutenant Dunbar
Mary McDonnell	...	Stands With A Fist
Graham Greene	...	Kicking Bird
Rodney A. Grant	...	Wind In His Hair
Floyd 'Red Crow' Westerman	...	Ten Bears (as Floyd Red Crow Westerman)
Tantoo Cardinal	...	Black Shawl
Robert Pastorelli	...	Timmons
Charles Rocket	...	Lieutenant Elgin
Maury Chaykin	...	Major Fambrough
Jimmy Herman	...	Stone Calf
Nathan Lee Chasing His Horse	...	Smiles A Lot
Michael Spears	...	Otter
Jason R. Lone Hill	...	Worm
Tony Pierce	...	Spivey
Doris Leader Charge	...	Pretty Shield

Runtime:

181 min | USA:224 min (extended version) | USA:236 min (director's cut)

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Sioux | Pawnee

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.20 : 1

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) | Dolby SR (35 mm prints)

Certification:

Netherlands:12 | Iceland:14 (original rating) | Iceland:16 (video rating) | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:AA (Ontario) | Canada:PA (Manitoba) | Canada:A (Nova Scotia) | South Korea:15 | Brazil:14 | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Belgium:KT | Chile:14 | Finland:K-16 | Germany:12 | Norway:15 | Peru:14 | Portugal:M/12 | Singapore:PG | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | USA:PG-13

Filming Locations:

Badlands National Park, Interior, South Dakota, USA

Company:

Tig Productions

Trivia:

Mary McDonnell was supposedly very nervous about shooting the love scenes with Kevin Costner, and, per her request, the scene was toned down considerably.

Goofs:

Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): Ten Bears was a Comanche Chief not Sioux

Quotes:

John Dunbar: I am Lieutenant John Jay Dunbar and this is my post.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "L.A. Law: Dances with Sharks (#5.13)" (1991)

Soundtrack:

Fire Dance

One of the great ones

People who say this movie is long and boring have obviously never sat through, oh, "Lawrence of Arabia," "Patton," "Doctor Zhivago," "The Godfather," "Ran," "Seven Samurai," or probably even "Braveheart." Thank God that not every filmmaker believes that a car must explode every 10 seconds in order for his movie to be a success. Kevin Costner is one of those directors who prefers the long format. David Lean, Francis Coppola and Mel Gibson, to name a very few, also worked in that format, and produced lasting works of art that also packed theaters. There are plenty of options for people who don't like movies that take the time to build character, drama and suspense, movies like "Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle," "Freddy Vs. Jason," and "Weekend at Bernie's." I don't think any of those movies has ever been called "boring," but they sure are crap cinema.

Onward. "Dances With Wolves" thrilled audiences way back in 1990 and made so darn much money precisely because people had forgotten the pleasures of the long narrative, the Western genre, and movies that weren't special effects schlock-fests. It remains an inspiring and moving experience, especially on DVD, which preserves the movie's theatrical sound and picture quality.

Costner's direction is first-rate. He's able to blend intimate drama with big, sprawling action that covers a huge canvas. I'm amazed at how smoothly the film segues from movement to movement -- action, alienation, suspense, social commentary, romance. Heck, Spielberg could take a lesson or two from this movie.

He also gets great performances out of his cast. I don't think of these people as actors, but as the characters they play. That's a compliment not just to the actors themselves, but their director. And, yes, Costner is terrific as John Dunbar.

Sure, it's easy to call "Dances" politically correct w/ reference to the Indians. But it also treats them as people and, better yet, as fictional characters whose lives are made part of a fascinating narrative. I just consider all the complaints about the politics of this movie as total hogwash.

Finally, the movie is beautifully shot, has an unforgettable score, and is very well-written. I've never thought of "Dances" as a Western, but a modern action picture/character study that avoids all the boring cliches of the Western genre. Here is a movie that stands for something, means something, and deserves at least as much respect as some of the overrated dreck we've gotten saddled with lately.