IMDb > Dances with Wolves (1990)
Dances with Wolves
Quicklinks
Top Links
trailers and videosfull cast and crewtriviaofficial sitesmemorable quotes
Overview
main detailscombined detailsfull cast and crewcompany credits
Awards & Reviews
user reviewsexternal reviewsawardsuser ratingsparents guidemessage board
Plot & Quotes
plot summarysynopsisplot keywordsmemorable quotes
Did You Know?
triviagoofssoundtrack listingcrazy creditsalternate versionsmovie connectionsFAQ
Other Info
box office/businessrelease datesfilming locationstechnical specsliterature listingsNewsDesk
Promotional
taglines trailers and videos posters photo gallery
External Links
showtimesofficial sitesmiscellaneousphotographssound clipsvideo clips

Dances with Wolves (1990) More at IMDbPro »

Photos (See all 67 | slideshow) Videos (see all 18)
Dances with Wolves -- Trailer for Dances With Wolves
Dances with Wolves -- Clip: Fort Sedgewick - Extended Scene
Dances with Wolves -- Featurette: The Original Making Of Dances With Wolves - Kevin Costner On Directing The Film
Dances with Wolves -- Clip: I Am Your Friend
Dances with Wolves -- Clip: Buffalo Hunt

Overview

User Rating:
8.0/10   120,865 votes »
Your Rating:
Saving vote...
Deleting vote...
/10   (delete | history)
Sorry, there was a problem
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 11% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Kevin Costner
Writers (WGA):
Michael Blake (screenplay)
Michael Blake (novel)
Contact:
View company contact information for Dances with Wolves on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
21 November 1990 (USA) See more »
Genre:
Adventure | Drama | Western See more »
Tagline:
Inside everyone is a frontier waiting to be discovered. See more »
Plot:
Lt. John Dunbar, exiled to a remote western Civil War outpost, befriends wolves and Indians, making him an intolerable aberration in the military. Full summary » | Full synopsis »
Plot Keywords:
See more »
Awards:
Won 7 Oscars. Another 34 wins & 28 nominations See more »
NewsDesk:
(708 articles)
Clips from Blu-ray Versions of The Burning and The Town That Dreaded Sundown
 (From DailyDead. 15 May 2013, 6:03 PM, PDT)
Trailer for Asylum's Pacific Rim Rip-Off, Called Atlantic Rim
 (From Worst Previews. 15 May 2013, 2:58 AM, PDT)
One more new Man Of Steel T.V. spot
 (From TheMovieBit. 13 May 2013, 12:04 PM, PDT)
User Reviews:
A story of a lost way of life. See more (340 total) »

Cast

  (in credits order) (verified as complete)

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

Tom Everett ... Sergeant Pepper

Larry Joshua ... Sergeant Bauer

Kirk Baltz ... Edwards

Wayne Grace ... Major
Donald Hotton ... General Tide

Annie Costner ... Christine
Conor Duffy ... Willie

Elisa Daniel ... Christine's Mother
Percy White Plume ... Big Warrior
John Tail ... Escort Warrior

Steve Reevis ... Sioux #1 / Warrior #1

Sheldon Peters Wolfchild ... Sioux #2 / Warrior #2 (as Sheldon Wolfchild)

Wes Studi ... Toughest Pawnee

Buffalo Child ... Pawnee #1
Clayton Big Eagle ... Pawnee #2
Richard Leader Charge ... Pawnee #3
Redwing Ted Nez ... Sioux Warrior
Marvin Holy ... Sioux Warrior
Raymond Newholy ... Sioux Courier
David J. Fuller ... Kicking Bird's Son
Ryan White Bull ... Kicking Bird's Eldest Son
Otakuye Conroy ... Kicking Bird's Daughter
Maretta Big Crow ... Village Mother
Steven Chambers ... Guard (as Steve Chambers)
William H. Burton ... General's Aide
Bill W. Curry ... Confederate Cavalryman
Nick Thompson ... Confederate Soldier
Carter Hanner ... Confederate Soldier
Kent Hays ... Wagon Driver
Robert Goldman ... Union Soldier
Frank P. Costanza ... Tucker
James A. Mitchell ... Ray
R.L. Curtin ... Ambush Wagon Driver
Justin ... Cisco
Teddy ... Two Socks - a Wolf
Buck ... Two Socks - a Wolf
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Michael Horton ... Captain Cargill - extended version
J. Wesley Adams ... Settler (uncredited)
Jim Wilson ... Doctor (uncredited)
Create a character page for: ?

Directed by
Kevin Costner 
 
Writing credits
(WGA)
Michael Blake (screenplay)

Michael Blake (novel)

Produced by
Bonnie Arnold .... associate producer
Kevin Costner .... producer
Jake Eberts .... executive producer
Derek Kavanagh .... line producer
Jim Wilson .... producer
 
Original Music by
John Barry 
 
Cinematography by
Dean Semler (director of photography)
 
Film Editing by
William Hoy 
Chip Masamitsu 
Steve Potter  (as Stephen Potter)
Neil Travis 
 
Casting by
Elisabeth Leustig 
 
Production Design by
Jeffrey Beecroft 
 
Art Direction by
William Ladd Skinner  (as Wm Ladd Skinner)
 
Set Decoration by
Lisa Dean 
 
Costume Design by
Elsa Zamparelli 
 
Makeup Department
Tammy Ashmore .... assistant makeup artist
David Atherton .... key makeup artist
Linda Bowman .... assistant hair stylist
Patricia Carrisosa .... first assistant makeup artist
Elle Elliott .... chief hair stylist
Tea Jay Glass .... assistant makeup artist
Terri Goett .... assistant makeup artist
Tamara Guthrie .... key hair stylist
Karin Hayes .... assistant makeup artist
Heather Matisoff .... assistant hair stylist
Beth Miller .... assistant hair stylist
Deborah Mills-Whitlock .... assistant hair stylist (as Deborah Mills-Gusmano)
Linda Peterson .... assistant hair stylist
Francisco X. Pérez .... chief makeup artist (as Frank Carrisosa)
Joani Yarbrough .... hair stylist
 
Production Management
Michael J. Harker .... post-production supervisor (4 hour and TV versions)
Derek Kavanagh .... unit production manager
Robert Fitzgerald .... post-production supervisor (uncredited)
 
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Linda Brachman .... second second assistant director (as Linda J. Brachman)
Stephen P. Dunn .... second assistant director
David Fudge .... dga trainee (as David A. Fudge)
John Huneck .... second unit director
Doug Metzger .... first assistant director (as Douglas C. Metzger)
Philip C. Pfeiffer .... second unit director
 
Art Department
Ron Ashmore .... lead painter
Steven K. Barnett .... on-set dresser
Dave Best .... foreman: Fort Hayes
Ivica Bilich .... second assistant propmaster
Chuck Bludsworth .... second assistant propmaster (as Charles Bludsworth)
Bradford Booth .... stand-by greens (as Brad Booth)
James Allen Bradley .... swing gang (as James A. Bradley)
Steve Burg .... illustrator
John C. Cameron .... assistant property master (as John Cameron)
Patrick Cassidy .... leadman (as Patrick T. Cassidy)
Paul Clark .... greens laborer
Jay B. Curry .... swing gang
Monte Curry .... local foreman
Robert Des Jarlais .... stand-by carpenter
Bill DeYonge .... local foreman
Al Eylar .... construction foreman
Reed A. Finch .... carpenter
Charles Fogg .... greens laborer
Kerry J. Frosh .... carpenter
Dawna Gravatt .... labor foreman
Paul Arthur Hartman .... set dresser (as Paul Aurther Hartman)
Jeff Hartmann .... swing gang foreman
Darryl Hayes .... swing gang
Jim Hill .... construction foreman
Marvin Holy .... stand-by carpenter
J.R. Kussman .... props assistant
Dayna Lee .... set dresser
Patrick Mollman .... carpenter
Len Morganti .... illustrator (as Leonard Morganti)
Andrew Precht .... model maker
Richard Puga .... scenic painter
Dave Roden .... mill man
Thomas Michael Ryan .... foreman: Fort Hayes
Jim Steere .... scenic painter
Scott A. Stephens .... property master
Robert A. Sturtevant .... shop foreman (as Bob Sturtevant)
Patrick Thoms .... stand-by scenic painter (as Patrick S. Thoms)
Stephanie Waldron .... greens supervisor
Ward Welton .... head scenic painter
Dwain Wilson .... on-set dresser (as Dwain F. Wilson)
Ben Zeller .... construction coordinator
Carl Zeller .... crew boss
Greg Aronowitz .... fabricator for props master (uncredited)
 
Sound Department
Albert Aquino .... boom operator (as Alberto Aquino)
Barbara Barnaby .... supervising adr editor
Bill W. Benton .... re-recording mixer (as Bill Benton)
Joel Berkovitz .... foley editor
Mary Jo Devenney .... production sound mixer
Rubén Domingo .... assistant sound editor (as Ruben Domingo)
John Duvall .... foley editor
Ed Fassl .... sound editor
Robert Fitzgerald .... sound designer
Robert Fitzgerald .... supervising sound editor
Albert Gasser .... sound editor
Howard Gindoff .... sound editor
Timothy A. Hoggatt .... foley mixer (as Tim Hoggat)
Larry Hoki .... recordist
Chris Jargo .... adr editor
Doc Kane .... adr mixer
Lee Loesch .... cableman
Linda Moss .... sound editor
Andy Napell .... re-recording mixer
Dan O'Connell .... foley artist
Jeffrey Perkins .... supervising re-recording mixer
Jeff Rosen .... sound editor
Hari Ryatt .... supervising sound editor
Gina Spiro .... assistant adr editor
Alicia Stevenson .... foley artist
Bruce Stubblefield .... sound editor
Justine Turner .... assistant sound editor
Gregory H. Watkins .... sound re-recording mixer (as Greg Watkins)
Russell Williams II .... production sound mixer (as Russell Williams)
Kevin B. Barron .... assistant sound editor (uncredited)
Matt Colleran .... dubbing recordist (uncredited)
 
Special Effects by
Howard Berger .... buffalo effects supervisor
Michael Bolan .... special effects assistant
Joseph E. Knott .... special effects assistant
Robbie Knott .... chief special effects
Robert Kurtzman .... buffalo effects supervisor
Gregory Nicotero .... buffalo effects supervisor (as Greg Nicotero)
Shannon Shea .... buffalo effects supervisor
John K. Stirber .... first assistant special effects
David Beneke .... creature effects: Buffaloes (uncredited)
Nick Benson .... special effects (uncredited)
Adam Jones .... special effects (uncredited)
Scott Oshita .... special effects (uncredited)
John Teska .... special creature effects: stunt buffalo, KNB (uncredited)
 
Visual Effects by
Robert D. Bailey .... matte camera crew (as Robert Bailey)
Paul Curley .... matte camera crew
Rocco Gioffre .... matte painting crew
Matthew Yuricich .... matte painting crew
Monty Phillips .... digital artist (uncredited)
 
Stunts
James Augare .... stuntman
William H. Burton .... stuntman
Steven Chambers .... stuntman (as Steve Chambers)
Jason Charger .... stuntman
Leonard Charger .... stuntman
Danny Costa .... stuntman
Loren Cuny .... buffalo hunting stunts
Ricky DeHorse .... stuntman
Duffy Ducheneaux .... stuntman
Robbie Dunn .... stuntman (as Robby Dunn)
H.P. Evetts .... stuntman
Billy Joe Fredericks .... buffalo hunting stunts
Jeff Fredericks .... buffalo hunting stunts
Pete Fredericks .... buffalo hunting stunts
Terrance Eugene Fredericks .... stuntman
Rusty Hendrickson .... stuntman
Kanin Howell .... stuntman
Norman Howell .... stunt coordinator (as Norman L. Howell)
Norman Howell .... stunt double: Mr. Costner (as Norman L. Howell)
Shawn Howell .... stuntman
Tim Jacobs .... buffalo hunting stunts
C.L. Johnson .... stuntman
Dan Koko .... stuntman
Gumbo Lamb .... buffalo hunting stunts
Wade Livermont .... stuntman
Bruz Luger .... buffalo hunting stunts
Jody Luger .... buffalo hunting stunts
Alvin William 'Dutch' Lunak .... stuntman (as Alvin 'Dutch' Lunak)
Steve Martin .... stuntman (as Steven Earl Martin)
Cliff McLaughlin .... stuntman
James Pratt .... stuntman (as Jim Pratt)
Erik Rondell .... stuntman
Fred Skaggs .... buffalo hunting stunts
Tater Ward .... buffalo hunting stunts
 
Camera and Electrical Department
Lee Blasingame .... first assistant cameraman
Michael C. Blundell .... electrician (as Michael Blundell)
Bryon Bower .... grip
Jerry G. Callaway .... camera crew member: buffalo hunt
Doug Cowden .... grip
Mark Davison .... first assistant cameraman
Tony DeVito .... grip
Michael Dunson .... grip (as Mike Dunson)
Lyle Ehlers .... grip
Leigh Feitelberg .... loader
Blair Forward .... video playback operator
Michael E. Gips .... camera crew member: buffalo hunt
Ben Glass .... still photographer
Raymond Gonzales .... electrician
Kim Heath .... best boy grip
John Huneck .... director of photography: second unit
Jimmy E. Jensen .... assistant cameraman (as Jimmy Jensen)
David McGill .... camera crew member: buffalo hunt (as David B. McGill)
Fred L. McLane .... assistant cameraman
J. Michael Muro .... Steadicam cinematographer (as James Muro)
J. Michael Muro .... camera operator (as James Muro)
John Murphy .... dolly grip
Carol A. Ogihara .... camera crew member: buffalo hunt (as Carol Ogihara)
William 'Bear' Paul .... key grip
William Eddie Paul .... grip (as William Edward Paul)
Philip C. Pfeiffer .... director of photography: second unit
Víctor Pérez .... gaffer (as Victor Perez)
Joe Sanchez .... assistant cameraman (as Joseph Sanchez)
David Sanderson .... camera crew member: buffalo hunt
Robert Schoenhut .... camera crew member: buffalo hunt (as R. Holy Bear Schoenhut)
Cory Shiozaki .... camera crew member: buffalo hunt
S. Phillip Sparks .... additional camera operator
Kenneth W. Thornton .... camera crew member: buffalo hunt
Henry Tirl .... assistant cameraman
Dudley J. Voll .... second assistant cameraman
Marc Wostak .... best boy electric
 
Casting Department
Susan Brown .... casting assistant
Catherine 'Kitty' Duffy .... extras casting assistant
Rene Haynes .... extras casting
Ka-Mook Nichols .... extras casting assistant (as Darlene 'Ka-Mook' Nichols)
Jory Weitz .... casting: New York (uncredited)
 
Costume and Wardrobe Department
Ron Beebe .... costume assistant
Birgitta Bjerke .... costume supervisor
Julia Gombert .... assistant costume supervisor
Barbara Gordon .... set costumer
Cathy Smith .... costume construction
Zara Turgel .... costume assistant (uncredited)
Ronald Walkshorse .... wardrobe assistant (uncredited)
 
Editorial Department
Gary Burritt .... negative cutter
Robert C. Lusted .... assistant editor
Eric O. Schusterman .... apprentice editor
Albert Coleman .... assistant editor (tv version) (uncredited)
Mike Stanwick .... color timer (uncredited)
 
Music Department
John Barry .... conductor
John J. Coinman .... music supervisor (as John Coinman)
Cliff Kohlweck .... music editor (as Clif Kohlweck)
Susan McLean .... scoring recordist
Greig McRitchie .... orchestrator (as Greig McRichie)
Shawn Murphy .... music scoring mixer
Porcupine Singers .... performers: traditional music
Tom Boyd .... musician: oboe soloist (uncredited)
David Foster .... music producer (uncredited)
Mark McKenzie .... additional orchestrator (uncredited)
Malcolm McNab .... musician: solo trumpet (uncredited)
James Thatcher .... musician: French horn (uncredited)
James Thatcher .... musician: french horn (uncredited)
 
Transportation Department
J. Wesley Adams .... driver (as James Wesley Adams)
J.R. Allen .... driver
Dan Dooley .... driver
Bernie Duffy Jr. .... driver
Dana Duffy .... driver
Courtney Field .... driver
Ron M. Field .... driver
Phil H. Fravel .... driver
Carter Hanner .... driver
Craig M. Hofstrand .... driver (as Craig Hofstrand)
Wayne Jones .... transportation co-captain
Scott Kelly .... driver
Jolene Kusser .... driver
Todd A. MacDonald .... driver (as Todd 'Dumbo' MacDonald)
Brian Maguire .... driver
Ron R. Merritt .... driver
Robert Molitor .... driver
Michael Nielsen .... driver
Matt O'Toole .... driver
Jim Petti .... driver (as James Petti)
Jonathan A. Rosenfeld .... transportation captain (as Jonathan Rosenfeld)
Gary Shuckahosee .... driver (as Gary Shuckhosee)
David Siegel .... transportation coordinator
Brian Steagall .... driver
William Robert Stevens .... driver (as William Robert 'BS' Stevens)
Chris Summerell .... driver
 
Other crew
David L. Aaron .... title designer
Terry Albright .... production assistant
Scotty Augare .... wrangler
Gregory Avellone .... assistant: Kevin Costner
Larry Belitz .... technical advisor
Tom Byrnes .... production assistant
Andy Cannon .... historic re-enactment coordinator
Brenda J. Carroll .... stand-in
Allison Conant .... assistant: Kevin Costner
Cindy Costner .... wagon master
R.L. Curtin .... wrangler
Thomas A. Davila .... assistant accountant
Lynda Donahue .... production assistant
Alune DuBray .... additional wolf trainer
Fred Dubray .... additional wolf trainer
Mark Eilers .... production assistant
Bob Erickson .... wrangler
Tutt Esquerre .... craft service (as Tutt A. Esquerre)
Jan Evans .... script supervisor
Lynne Ferry .... assistant production coordinator
Edward Gorsuch .... production assistant
Peter Haas .... unit publicist (as Peter W. Haas)
Doris Hartley .... production coordinator
Stacy Hartley .... production secretary (as Stacey Hartley)
John T. Haun .... production accountant
Rusty Hendrickson .... head trainer
Rusty Hendrickson .... head wrangler
Tim Hill .... craft service
Chris A. Hipple .... assistant location manager
Roy Houck .... consultant: bison
Beth Ann Irion .... production assistant
Jay Ivers .... first aid
Kymberly Jenkins .... production assistant
Jacqueline C. Johnson .... production assistant
Jay Johnson .... title designer
Sean Kavanagh .... staff assistant
Duane Lammers .... consultant: bison
Doris Leader Charge .... dialogue coach
Doris Leader Charge .... translator: Lakota
Alvin William 'Dutch' Lunak .... wrangler (as Dutch Lunak)
Moira McLaughlin .... production assistant
Tim Merrill .... video documentaries
H. Jane Nauman .... assistant location manager
Gary E. Pfaff .... helicopter pilot
Gayle Phelps .... wolf trainer
Paul 'Sled' Reynolds .... wolf trainer
Rhonda S. Richards .... production assistant
Angela Robinson .... script supervisor: second unit
Don Robinson .... stand-in
Chris Romberg .... post-production accountant
Donna Bond Sanders .... production assistant
Dawn Renae Schmitz .... assistant accountant
Ingrid Semler .... wrangler (as Ingrid 'Tilly' Semler)
Burton Sharp .... group adr coordinator
L. David Silva .... staff assistant (as David Silva)
S. Fox Sloan .... animal wrangler: small animals
Cathy Smith .... technical advisor
Chris Summerell .... shotmaker operator
Mark Thomason .... stand-in
Roy Vavra .... wrangler
Richard Wagner .... first aid (as Dr. Richard Wagner)
Fran L. Wells .... production assistant
Dan Wesson .... animal wrangler: small animals
Tristan Whalley .... international publicist
Albert White Hat .... dialogue coach
Albert White Hat .... translator: Lakota
Tim Wilson .... location manager
Rick Wyant .... wrangler
Steve Zukowski .... craft service (as Steven Zukowski)
Frans J. Afman .... financial services (uncredited)
Michelle Hartly .... assistant production coordinator (uncredited)
Dane Pizzuti Krogman .... technical advisor (uncredited)
Robert Lamkin .... caterer (uncredited)
Steve Martin .... animal trainer (uncredited)
Robert Zarem .... publicist: Zarem Inc. (uncredited)
 
Thanks
Roy Houck .... special thanks: Triple U Standing Butte Ranch
Kay Ingles .... special thanks: Triple U Standing Butte Ranch
Gary Keller .... special thanks: South Dakota Film Commission
Bill Lindström .... special thanks
Linda Mickelson Graham .... special thanks (as Mrs. George S. Mickelson)
George S. Mickelson .... special thanks (as Honorable Governor George S. Mickelson)
Kevin Reynolds .... special thanks
 
Crew verified as complete


Production CompaniesDistributorsOther Companies
Create a character page for: ?

Additional Details

Also Known As:
See more »
Parents Guide:
View content advisory for parents
Runtime:
181 min | USA:224 min (extended version) | USA:236 min (director's cut) | (None):236 min (DVD special edition)
Country:
USA | UK
Language:
English | Sioux | Pawnee
Color:
Color
Aspect Ratio:
2.20 : 1 See more »
Sound Mix:
70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) | Dolby SR (35 mm prints)
Certification:
Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Belgium:KT | Finland:K-16 | Germany:12 | Norway:15 | Peru:14 | Portugal:M/12 (Qualidade) | Singapore:PG | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | USA:PG-13 | 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 | Sweden:11 (cut) (1991)
Filming Locations:
Badlands National Park, Interior, South Dakota, USASee more »
Company:
Tig ProductionsSee more »

Did You Know?

Trivia:
The very last scene shot in the film was the one where Kevin Costner rides in to tell them the buffalo had arrived, one of the few out-of-sequence shots in the film. While the cameras were on him, riding only in pants and a shirt, the cast and crew were in heavy coats because of the freezing weather.See more »
Goofs:
Continuity: The canteen tied to Cisco's saddle.See more »
Quotes:
Sgt. Bauer:[to Dunbar] Turned injun, didn't yeh?See more »
Movie Connections:
Referenced in "Top of the Heap: Behind the Eight Ball (#1.2)" (1991)See more »
Soundtrack:
Fire DanceSee more »

FAQ

When John Dunbar is sent to Fort Hays after his suicide attempt, what is the meaning of his senior officer saying to him "I have just pissed in my pants and nobody can do anything about it."
What are the differences between the Theatrical Version and the Extended Version?
See more »

User Reviews

   (Review this title)
110 out of 140 people found the following review useful.
A story of a lost way of life., 8 August 2002
Author: Craig-95 from Valdez, Alaska

`Dances With Wolves'

When I first saw the movie Dances With Wolves several years ago the story affected me in a heavy way, so much so that I decided that it would be a long time before I watched it again. The story is not entertainment. It is a lesson. Last week I watched the movie again with a new understanding. Many of the published reviews seem to dislike the movie for various reasons. They are the ones that missed the point of the story.

The story is, of course, fiction based on a novel by Michael Blake. Fortunately, Michael Blake also wrote the screenplay for the movie insuring fidelity with his vision. To the credit of Kevin Costner, who was one of the producers and the director, he allowed the story to be what Michael Blake had originally created. Costner showed great sensitivity in not only capturing the personalities of all the major characters, but making the land itself (in this case South Dakota) one of the major players.

The land was not just a backdrop or playing field. It was the main character and very much alive. The cinematography was some of the best I've ever seen and in the tradition of the great movie director, John Ford. Ford had an ability to present the land in all its beauty, which also just happened to have a story occurring on it.

In Dances With Wolves, the land of South Dakota might initially appear to be a bleak place, but as Lieutenant Dunbar (Costner) spends more time at his isolated fort, he somehow slowly merges his soul with the surrounding territory. The life on the land eventually stumbles onto his location, including a wolf and a tribe of Sioux. The Sioux and Dunbar mistrust each other initially but through curiosity learn how to communicate with each other, however painfully slow. The wolf too was curious about the soldier, but kept his distance for a while. Finally, the wolf trusts Dunbar enough to play with him on the prairie. The Sioux see them playing. Here was a white man not killing the animals. He had earned a new name: Dances-With-Wolves.

The main difference between this movie and a John Ford movie was the way Costner humanized the Sioux characters. In a John Ford movie, most Indians were the enemy. The only 'good' Indians were the cavalry scouts, but we never really met these scouts as people. John Ford hired Navaho people to play the parts of Indians in his cavalry trilogy, Fort Apache, She Wore a Yellow Ribbon and Rio Grande, which were filmed in Monument Valley on the Navaho Reservation. Years later, Ford attempted to humanize the Native Americans in a movie called Cheyenne Autumn, but by then Ford was an old man and had lost most of his creative genius. It is a hard movie for me to watch.

Costner's movie takes great pains to allow us to know the Sioux characters. The story is about them as seen through the eyes of a perceptive white man, who had been given a new life by the gods when his attempt at suicide ended with his recognition as a war hero.

What I see when I watch the movie: I see ten thousand years of evolution and experience of a human tribe on the North American continent with the most recent characters at the leading edge of the current (1860) time. The character's lives are so well presented that I sense the history of their past In other words, I understand why they do what they do. What depresses me about the movie is that I know the ending but the characters don't. I know that their natural way of life is coming to an end. The characters don't know. To me, the movie is a story of the 4 billion, six hundred million years of natural evolution which is about to meet technology. Technology will be as devastating to this tribe and the land as if an asteroid had hit the earth.

The beauty of the Sioux life is so precisely shown in this movie. Their everyday routine of just living off the land is seen the same way as a buffalo eating the grass. The Sioux adapted to the land the way it was. You see the grass move in waves like the ocean does when the invisible winds touch the surfaces. You see the effects of the same winds that blow across the face and hair of Stands-With-a-Fist. You hear the same winds. The same winds take the smoke from the lodges away from the village. The land and air and life merge in a poetic movement.

The horses seem more natural and free in their herd next to the village. They are part of the tribe. You can see the magnificence of the Sioux riders as they become one with the horse as they hunt the buffalo. I suppose, in a way, the horse was a step in technology for the Sioux since they didn't have the horse until the Spanish Conquistadors brought them. But when they adapted their life to the horse, they became a great people. I look at it as a step in evolution, not a step in technology.

We find that the holy man, Kicking-Bird, played by Graham Green, was a hen-pecked husband, something we can all identify with no matter what race or ethnic group. His wife saw more than he did, especially the budding love between Lieutenant Dunbar and Stands-With-a-Fist, who was played by the heavy-duty stage actress Mary McDonnell. She is important to our story because we understand the Sioux from her translations. As an actress, she was so convincing in her struggle to remember long forgotten English words from her childhood, from the time before she came to live with the Sioux. Kicking-Bird on the other hand represented the soul of the Sioux People. He was patient and was the type of person you would want as a friend.

We have Rodney Grant playing the part of Wind-in-His-Hair, the warrior who was quick to anger but was smart enough to listen to his elders and not kill the white soldier. Rodney Grant represented the beauty and pride of the Sioux People. He speaks the last relevant words in the story by proclaiming that he is the friend of Dances-With-Wolves. Before Dunbar became Dances-With-Wolves, Wind-in-His-Hair would have been happy to kill him.

`Red Crow' Westerman played the part of the chief, Ten-Bears. We've seen him play the part of a shaman in other movies. He represented the wisdom and of the Sioux People and was also their prophet.

What movie about Native Americans could be told without Wes Studi? In this movie he plays the enemy Pawnee so convincingly that you really hate him. Not only is he the enemy to the white man but the Sioux also. Wes Studi can be very intense in his savagery, but in the eyes of the Pawnee, he was only protecting his tribal interests.

So we see the Sioux and, to a lessor degree, the Pawnee in their soon-to-end natural states. We immediately feel at home with the Sioux. The Pawnee aren't quite as lovable, especially when we see Wes Studi scalping the muleskinner. The first disturbing scene is when the Pawnee attack the Sioux village and we see that to save themselves, the Sioux need the technology (the rifles) of the white soldier. The Pawnee were so fierce looking (again convincingly by Wes Studi) that we fear for the Sioux tribe but see that the rifles are out of place in this natural world. It is another technological step in the same magnitude as the horse. But for all their beauty and greatness, we know they cannot win the final battles with the white civilization because they are so grossly outnumbered.

There is the core of the problem. The over-population of the modern civilization overruns their own land so they come to the land of the Sioux and destroy without asking. You could see it in the face of every tribal member as they walked past dead and skinned buffalo which were left to rot in the sun after the buffalo hunters had skinned them for their hides. They were absolutely stunned and sick at the sight. Whoever did this had no soul. I extend the message of this movie to today and see population running amuck, stripping the land of resources and changing the atmosphere. It is too painful to contemplate.

To emphasize the loss and waste of the beautiful prairie life, near the end of the movie we see the soldiers shooting at the wolf for fun. The wolf is confused and doesn't understand that bullets are hitting near him. Eventually a bullet strikes the wolf and we hear him cry out. For me that was the most painful scene of all because I know that's what people do. I see people kill a beast for the trophy. They take it home and hang it on the wall. The soul of that animal has been cast aside by a human, which has no soul.

The beauty is not in the trophy. The beauty is in the life. The ending for the wolf represents the ending for the Sioux and all the other tribes that lost the natural way of life. Therefore I am just as disturbed for the Sioux as I am about the wolf. I am disturbed for the future of the Earth.





Was the above review useful to you?
See more (340 total) »

Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for Dances with Wolves (1990)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
Which version is better, Theatrical or Directors cut? al-blaze67
Mary ruins this film for me.... john-maxfield
Why so blurry??? mebdejong-527-388267
Why did they have to shoot Two Socks? steagle
Concussions: How many can a normal human sustain? moran75316-1
Need your thoughts *SPOILERS* hexedd
See more »

Recommendations

If you enjoyed this title, our database also recommends:
- - - - -
Avatar The Last Samurai The Last of the Mohicans The Searchers They Died with Their Boots On
IMDb User Rating:
 IMDb User Rating:
 IMDb User Rating:
 IMDb User Rating:
 IMDb User Rating:
Show more recommendations

Related Links

Full cast and crew Company credits External reviews
News articles IMDb Adventure section IMDb USA section

You may report errors and omissions on this page to the IMDb database managers. They will be examined and if approved will be included in a future update. Clicking the 'Edit page' button will take you through a step-by-step process.