From the Internet Movie Database website (
http://www.imdb.com) :
"Plot Summary for Dances with Wolves (1990): Lt. John Dunbar is dubbed
a hero after he accidentally leads Union troops to a victory during the
Civil War. He requests a position on the western frontier, but finds it
deserted. He soon finds out he is not alone, but meets a wolf he dubs
"Two-socks" and a curious Indian tribe. Dunbar quickly makes friends
with the tribe, and discovers a white woman who was raised by the
Indians. He gradually earns the respect of these native people, and
sheds his white-man's ways. Summary written by Greg Bole
{bole@life.bio.sunysb.edu} ; or Having been sent to a remote outpost
in the wilderness of the Dakota territory during the American Civil War,
Lieutenant John Dunbar encounters, and is eventually accepted into, the
local Sioux tribe. He is known as "Dances with Wolves" to them and as
time passes he becomes enamoured by the beautiful "Stands With a Fist".
Not soon after, the frontier becomes the frontier no more, and as the
army advances on the plains, John must make a decision that will not
only affect him, but also the lives of the natives he now calls his
people. Summary written by Graeme Roy {gsr@cbmamiga.demon.co.uk}
There are several ways to look at this movie: just for entertainment, a
history lesson, social activism, beautiful scenery, a way to understand
Lakota society in the 1860s, and several others. Some Indian activists
have decried this movie as just another white man's attempt to exploit
American Indian culture. The main characters are the two white actors.
Some activists felt that the leads should have been Indians, with less
emphasis on Costner's character. Other Indians applauded the movie for
it more realistic approach in depicting Indians. The Indian characters
came in all varieties and were much more three dimensional that most
other movies. Many people gave Costner credit for teaching the
movie-going public more of the real story of what happened to the plains
Indians and how they lived.
The Lakota language was used throughout much of the movie. Doris Leader
Charge (who plays the character Pretty Shield) was the movie's Lakota
expert.
Michael Blake wrote the novel on which the movie is based. He also wrote
the screenplay. Like many people, he was highly influenced by Dee
Brown's "Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee." Blake said, ".I was stunned,
heartbroken, and enlightened." It is that spirit that he brought to the
story.
Originally, the story was set among the Comanche. One of the most
dramatic scenes in the movie is the buffalo hunt. The production company
began looking for actual herds of buffalos. They found one of the
largest private herds just outside of Pierre, South Dakota. The obvious
supply of American Indians in the area who could act as extras, the wide
open (and undeveloped) spaces made South Dakota the scene of the movie,
instead of Texas or Oklahoma. So, the tribe was changed to the Sioux
(Lakota). Even a non-expert can notice the differences between the
Pawnee and the Sioux in the movie. This is a definite plus for the
movie, in that everyone does not dress the same way.
There are two forts mentioned in the movie. Fort Hays was in Kansas. The
real fort's website says, "Generals George A. Custer, Nelson Miles and
Philip Sheridan, Major Reno, William "Buffalo Bill" Cody and James B.
"Wild Bill" Hickok are part of the history of this outpost. Established
in 1865 in the land of Cheyenne and Arapaho, Fort Hays protected
railroad workers and travelers on the Smoky Hill Trail." I visited this
fort when I was a teenager. The strongest memory I have was how high off
the ground the beds were in the commander's quarters. The website for
the real fort is at:
http://www.kshs.org/places/forthays/ . The other
fort that is mentioned is Fort Sedgewick. This fort was abandoned after
only seven years. It was located in the northeastern corner of Colorado,
near Julesburg.
Many people did not realize that several "Indian wars" were going on
during the Civil War. Some historians have felt that many of the
officers and soldiers who served on the western frontier during the
Civil War not of the highest caliber. Some of this is reflected in the
nature of the soldiers in the movie.
When Kevin Costner's character Lieutenant John J. Dunbar arrives at Fort
Sedgewick, it is abandoned. Even with enough game around that a buck was
found dead in the pond, the soldiers appeared to have barely survived
the winter. The Sioux even mention this. Some feel this symbolizes the
waste of the European culture. It also reflects poorly on those who
depict the Indians as socially inferior to whites.
One of my favorite lines in the movie can be paraphrased as "stories of
depredations spread faster than stories about kindness."
Wes Studi plays another "bad Indian" in this movie. He is making
something of a career playing the "heavy." He does a convincing job of
it. I found it interesting that his character's listed name was
"Toughest Pawnee."
One of the things I noticed about the movie was the number of times that
Kevin Costner's character falls down. I counted at least nine times that
he falls down or is knocked unconscious.
On Interstate 8 near San Diego, there is a Dunbar exit. I work in the
California Highway Patrol dispatch center. One of the problems commonly
faced by the dispatchers is difficulty in understanding people who are
calling us on cellphones or the emergency callboxes. Several times, I
have heard dispatchers repeating the word Dunbar while trying to
determine if that is where the caller was. Each time I have heard this,
I have been tempted to say, "Dun Bear." This is part of an exchange
between Dunbar and Kicking Bird as they try to learn each other's name.
I was very impressed by the acting by all of the characters in the
movie. While it is not perfect, I highly recommend it to people who have
never seen it. A new "extended" version is now available on DVD. It adds
another 30 minutes, which is used to help further define the characters.
Finally, I will repeat a story I believe I have mentioned here before.
My late wife Robyn took me out to see Dances With Wolves when it first
came out. She had expected me to be very excited about it if for no
other reason than the realistic way it showed the Indian characters. She
was surprised that I was not very talkative after the movie. I am almost
always talkative! I was almost sullen. She asked me why I was so quiet.
I told her that the movie had once again reminded me of what happened to
the native people of this hemisphere. I was angry at not only what had
happened in the movie, but about what had happened in real life.
You can buy a copy of this movie, or of the book, through the links below. Click on the title for information, click on "Buy" to order a copy.
Hardback
Paperback
Paperback
Soundtrack
VHS Video Cassette
DVD Special Edition
Click on one of the underlined phrases below to go to that page.
