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Dances with Wolves (Special Extended Edition) Customer Reviews (46 - 48 of 64 Reviews)

MYTHOLOGY
Indians are a favorite pet of the liberal establishment. "Dances With Wolves" is a fine movie. Most of them are. Nobody ever said these people are not brilliant. There is no real lie in "Dances" that I can see, but it does seem stylized. The Indians are pictured as peaceful, spiritual conservers of the land. Real-life Indians had every potential of being violent savages without anybody's prompting. Just ask the Mexicans who were systematically robbed by them every harvest until American mountain men with guns were recruited to provide a little security. The soldiers are dumbellionites, as are most of the whites that Kevin Costner "escapes" from in his effort to find the real West. While Indians certainly knew how to preserve the land, an act of necessity for them, they took plenty from it without replenishment. Whites stripped and mined the land, but they also came up with ingenious technologies that re-generated the land.

STEVEN TRAVERS
AUTHOR OF "BARRY BONDS: BASEBALL'S SUPERMAN"
STWRITES@AOL.COM

a worthy film to anyone's catalog
Whether Kevin Costner likes it or not, his career will be inexorably tied to this masterpiece of cinematography. Written as a novel basically just for this film's screenplay by Michael Blake, this is a journey for all ages to see. There are attempts to validate the accuracy of the history or intention of this movie. I believe it would be missing the point. There are no villains or heroes (though Dunbar may be tried to be portrayed in such a light), just a view of how people of a different ethos try to survive amongst each other where suspicions and distrust run high.
As an actor, this is Kevin at his best. Though solid in 'Open Range', Dance With Wolves gave Costner more of a spectrum of emotion to handle. He dealt with many situations here with a believable sense of drama. I do have one tiny detail with his character. He speaks his narration like he is proof-reading his junior-high school essay. Very flat and monotone. But maybe it done that way to enhance the onscreen action. Who knows?
An intergal element to the movie was to cast exactly the right people to support the film. And no film in recent memory in my opinion handled that privilege better than here. Everyone from Kicking Bird, Stands With a Fist, Wind in His Hair right down to characters such as Smiles-A-Lot, Corporal Spivey and Black Shawl performed without flaw. The script enabled everyone to let their roles come alive.
The extended scenes not in the original release, while not essential, do heighten what Blake tried to get across in the story. More importantly, I did not feel the movie dragging with the additions. I like to think of it a more movie for the dollar.
The extras on the DVD are standard fare and do not penalize one's interest in the film's production. The people interviewed were frank and fun to listen to. So go ahead and pick up Dances With Wolves. It's a well-paced movie that lets a spare four hours go by regretlessly.

One of the most provocative American movies ever
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.

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