Dances with Wolves Review.gif)
Dances with
Wolves, starring Kevin Costner, is one of the finest western
films ever created. The photography, superb acting, soundtrack
and story all meld together into a classic western film that
is enjoyable to see over and over again. Dances with Wolves
does indeed belong in any video or DVD library and I highly
recommend this film.
Synopsis
of Dances With Wolves
Set during the
civil war, Kevin Costner, playing the role as Lieutenant John
Dunbar, ironically ends up a hero after failing to kill himself
during battle. Allowed his choice of duties, he heads for
the frontier to see it before the frontier closes. Arriving
after an interesting trip to his post - Fort Sedgwick - he
finds it deserted. Instead of returning to civilization, he
remains at his post where he soon comes into contact with
the nearby Sioux Indians. After a period of feeling out, he
is soon accepted into the Sioux tribe and accompanies the
tribe on a thrilling buffalo hunt. As he spend more time with
the Sioux, he becomes more Sioux than solider as he falls
in love with a white woman who is part of the Sioux tribe,
Stands with Fist, played by Mary McDowell.
John Dunbar, as
the movie progresses, gives up entirely his life as a Union
soldier and truly becomes part of the Sioux Indian nation.
As the Sioux nation prepares to head for winter camp, Dunbar
makes one last trip to Fort Sedgwick to retrieve his journal.
Union soldiers, however, now occupy the fort and capture him.
Upon learning of his abduction by Union soldiers, Sioux warriors
attack the soldiers escorting Dunbar back east, killing most
of them and rescuing Dunbar. Dunbar then flees with Stands
with Fist into the Black Hills just before Union troops move
on the Sioux camp.
Our
Review of Dances with Wolves
Dances with
Wolves is a long movie and is worth every minute of it.
The short version of Dances with Wolves, which was released
in the theatres, runs for 183 minutes. The longer, unedited
version, runs for 224 minutes. The added 40 minutes to the
movie flushes out the film even more, adding more depth to
an already incredibly deep movie.
To begin, the acting
in Dances with Wolves is absolutely top-rate. Kevin Costner
is at his finest in this movie as the Union solider John Dunbar
and as Dances with Wolves in the Sioux Tribe (he is
named Dances with Wolves by the Sioux leaders as they
found him once dancing with a friendly wolf that hung around
Fort Sedgwick). Mary McDowell gives an equally impressive
performance as the white Sioux woman, Stands with Fist, who
gradually re-learns the language of her childhood. Graham
Greene, who plays the medicine man Kicking Bird, is equally
compelling.
The story of Dances
with Wolves is equally compelling. It captures in dramatic
and realistic fashion the life of the plains Indians. Unlike
so many other western movies, it accurately depicts the Indians
of the western plains, adding a dimension as no western movie
has done before. When one is done viewing this movie, one
cannot help but walk away with no appreciation for the Indians
and their terrible treatment by the US Army.
Despite the length
of Dances with Wolves, the movie moves right along with no
dead spots. There is always seemingly something going on -
either powerful dialogue between characters, thrilling buffalo
hunts or mesmerizing battles between the Sioux Indians and
the Pawnee Indians. Dances with Wolves is truly one of the
fastest moving epic movies ever made.
The soundtrack
of Dances with Wolves, created by John Barry is incredible,
to say the least. The soundtrack captures the seemingly impossible
- the vastness and emptiness of the Great Plains and fits
perfectly into the events of the movie. This beautiful soundtrack
is a treasure to listen to, both during the movie and by itself
as simply music.
The photography
in Dances with Wolves is also phenomenal, turning the Great
Plains - a difficult place to photograph at the best of times
- into a beautiful and almost tranquil setting. The photography
emphasizes the sweeping prairie and its vastness, literally
swallowing up the characters. The photography helps to illustrate
how small man is in the vast prairie of the Great Plains.
Overall, Dances
with Wolves is a must-see and must-own movie, particularly
the long version. It is a movie that the entire family can
see over and over again and will long be regarded as a western
classic.
Amazon
Review #1
In a word,this
movie is wondrous. It gives a view of the Native American
culture which used to rule this landmass with a perspicacity
and verisimilitude never before seen in an American movie
theater. This is truly a great American epic.
Kevin
Costner, who is normally as bland as the Sahara desert, delivers
the best performance of his career. Although not the most
exciting actor in cinema, Costner was nonetheless perfect
for this part (just as William Shatner was perfect for Captain
Kirk, despite his limited acting ability). Costner's direction,
too, was impeccable. The rest of the cast, including Graham
Greene and Mary McDonnel, team up to create an instant classic.
The film
takes place in the mid-1860s. The Civil War is winding down
and the Union Army has begun its invasion westward into American
Indian country. In other words, it takes place at an epoch
that, looking back, would prove to be the beginning of the
end for the Western American Indian way of life. This movie
is about the last days of an extraordinary culture which would
find its end all too abruptly.
The story
centers around a Union Army soldier named John Dunbar (Costner).
He ends up on an abandoned outpost out in the middle of the
plain states. During his pseudo-hermitage, he encounters a
tribe of Sioux Indians. Luckily for him, they prove to be
friendly and it is the forging of their relationship(s) with
him that form the core of the movie's plot.
This is
an exceptional, powerful movie that is suitable for the entire
family. It has a few scenes of mild violence, but is far less
graphic than what is shown on Television series every night.
The soundtrack, written by John Barry, is top notch and is
integrated into the movie to an extent [both in emotional
importance and in appropriate timing] that surpasses any movie
score I've ever heard. This is a truly poignant film which
can't help but move all who view it. As far as American movies
go, this one is a must-see in my book.
- End
Review -
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