No 75 - Dances with Wolves

Billy's review
Rating: 8.7

Phew. This is some movie. Somehow I’ve never seen Dances With Wolves, but I’m glad I finally managed to spare the three hours needed to relish this Civil War epic.

In the most engrossing performance of his career, film director Kevin Costner plays a decorated Union soldier who becomes increasingly imbued within the culture of a native Indian tribe.

Much of the story focuses heavily on the emotions that tremor through an indigenous people fighting for survival against an influx of white settlers. Of course, paralleling the Indians’ land-loving lifestyle next to the settlers’ brutal negligence of heritage and animals means you very quickly take sides.

But, there’s more here than just good guy bad guy. Much of the film explores how the different cultures handle the unknown: one with guns, the other with discussion.

How accurate it is, I’m not sure, but as a film that encapsulates the American Civil War Dances With Wolves is a powerful and moving affair.

Su's review
Rating 7.3

Boy does Kevin Costner like getting his hinny out in 90’s movies (remember the waterfall scene in Robin Hood).

Dances with Wolves is Costner’s best film, but I don’t know if it was because his acting was good or if the movie was so good it carried his acting. I wouldn’t say it’s the best movie I’ve ever seen but I liked insight into the Sioux tribal culture.

I hate that John Dunbar’s “best friends” the horse and the wolf are both killed by the end. Was that really necessary? I don’t mind dead people but do you really have to kill the nice animals. I guess they needed to show the vicious nihilistic attitude the “white men” carried for “lesser” races. Boo.

I love Graham Greene aka Kicking Bird. He has been on a ton of TV shows in the last decade but my favorite role of his was in Transamerica opposite Felicity Huffman’s woman playing a man playing a woman.

Overall it is a great movie but I think the subject, as a whole is better than one person’s performance.