Dances with Wolves Movie Review

Dances with Wolves (1990)

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Written by: Michael Blake
Directed by: Kevin Costner
Starring: Kevin Costner, Mary McDonnell, Graham Greene, Rodney Grant
Rated: PG-13
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Plot
A lieutenant assigned to a remote Civil War outpost starts questioning his purpose after making contact with a neighboring Sioux settlement.

Verdict
It's a culture clash between a Union soldier and the Sioux. Dunbar befriends and eventually joins the Sioux, appreciating their views and way of life and abandoning the military. This isn't a white savior trope, as Dunbar isn't trying to take over. He finds a sense of belonging he never had. Looming over this plot, is that we know eventually the military subjugate the Native Americans. The cooperation and appreciation between Dunbar and the Sioux will end at some point. Until that happens, Dunbar has found his people. This is a great example of someone finding where they belong.
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Review
This was Costner's passion project and his directorial debut. He even kicked in his own money to make it happen, and critics were predicting this would flop, but it defied preliminary expectations.

This jumps right into it with doctors assessing John Dunbar's (Kevin Costner) injuries and whether to amputate his leg. When the doctors leave Dunbar pulls on his boot and scrambles away. He'd rather die in battle than due to injury, riding across enemies lines unarmed. Defying all odds he survives and gets his choice of posting, choosing the west as he wants to see the frontier before it's gone.

I've seen this type of movie before, a soldier that's just a bit different. The movies that come to mind first, The Thin Red Line and Avatar, both released after this.

Kevin Costner plays John Dunbar

Dunbar gets stationed at a deserted fort, and it's not much of a post. He decides to stay anyway though not many people would. He wanted to see the frontier, and this is it. Dunbar's first encounter with Sioux occurs when one of them tries to steal his horse. Dunbar seeks peace and rides to the Sioux camp. Not many soldiers would do that, and the Sioux realize that he's different and could be an ally. Their communication is primitive, but Dunbar makes an effort to learn.

Dunbar waits at his post for reinforcements, unaware that no one is coming. He's lonely, earning trust by informing the Sioux of a buffalo herd. The buffalo hunt is impressive, both the scope and scale of it. He becomes a celebrity in the tribe, an outsider that isn't trying to manipulate them. Dunbar is committed, hunting and fighting with them. He even falls for a woman in the tribe. He appreciates their ideals and way of life. He's stuck at this outpost by himself, and he finds people that think like him, care about the world and others in the same way he does. It's a contrast to the military and that way of life. The military is happy to shoot first. Dunbar seeks to understand.

Mary McDonnell, Kevin Costner play Stands With A Fist, John Dunbar/Dances With Wolves

The Sioux chief pulls out a two to three hundred year old conquistador helmet, telling Dunbar about the people that have attempted to end them. The Sioux have fought the Spanish, Texans, and Mexicans. The Americans seek to destroy the Sioux, the land, the ecosystem. While the Sioux cohabitate with nature and preserve the world for the future, Americans seek to strip and destroy. Americans take more than they need, disinterested in preservation. The last third of the movie shows the contrast between Dunbar and the military. The military kills for sport instead of need. Dunbar respected the balance the Sioux kept with nature, and he realizes that his presence will always be trouble. He can only help them by leaving, and even that only delays the inevitable.

While this is a story I've seen before, the movies that come to mind are borrowing the plot from this one. Even being familiar with the basic plot, this does an excellent job in making us understand Dunbar and his appreciation for the Sioux. We understand why he deserts the military, and knowing what happens to the Sioux only makes the entire story demoralizing.