"Of all the trails in life, there are some that matter most. It is the trail of a true human being. I think you are on this trail, and it is good to see."
- Kicking Bird, Dances With Wolves (1990)
Dances with wolves is a movie, directed by Kevin Costner, about an American who befriends the Red Indian Sioux tribe at a time when the American army was hunting them down. Upon receiving undeserving honour for a suicide-turned-heroic act Lieutenant John J. Dunbar (Costner) chooses reclusion and to see the frontier before it is taken by the Army. Being alone in the furthest outpost, Dunbar comes in contact with the Sioux and, despite communication barriers, befriends them. Then, Dunbar and his Sioux friends meet the social challenges of their new relationship like exchanging and understanding each other customs, dealing with the Pawnee enemy tribe, impending American army, and Buffalo hunting. A major element that this movie addresses is the language difficulties when people of two different cultures meet. Costner shows that not only is there difficulty in understanding and adopting the language, but also establishing trust.
In his directorial debut, Costner relied heavily on using voiceovers to follow Dunbar's thought process, which allows viewers clarity amidst his confusing actions. He also devoted much research into the relationships of the Sioux, Pawnee and Americans. He also was tactful in portraying the Sioux as long-lasting, wise and not an out-dated people. The scene where Ten Bears show a 18th century Conquistador helmet from a battle fought by his ancestors pays tribute to their legacy. Costner also literally spared no expense to provide authenticity to the film. The hiring of 3500 buffalos for the stampede scene made for an amazing shot of Dunbar and the Sioux's encounter with the unstoppable force which represented nature and change, of which both of them are ultimately subject to.
Personally it is a film that I have heard much of and had high hopes for. Nonetheless, I noticed that the length of the film (3 hours) affected my friends and I negatively. I feel that this is due in part to the long, scenic shots that Costner takes. With other films of similar length, like The Lord of The Rings, Saving Private Ryan, and The Patriot, I did not feel as lethargic. This is a testament to the change in moviegoers demands to be continually and quickly entertained.
Notably, the storyline is one that has been reused since its debut in Disney's Pocahontas, James Cameron's Avatar, and The Last Samurai. Given the expectations I held for this movie, I now wished to have enjoyed it before other movies with the same storyline. This jaded-ness of moviegoers is another aspect that affects the viewing pleasure of Dances With Wolves.
In his directorial debut, Costner relied heavily on using voiceovers to follow Dunbar's thought process, which allows viewers clarity amidst his confusing actions. He also devoted much research into the relationships of the Sioux, Pawnee and Americans. He also was tactful in portraying the Sioux as long-lasting, wise and not an out-dated people. The scene where Ten Bears show a 18th century Conquistador helmet from a battle fought by his ancestors pays tribute to their legacy. Costner also literally spared no expense to provide authenticity to the film. The hiring of 3500 buffalos for the stampede scene made for an amazing shot of Dunbar and the Sioux's encounter with the unstoppable force which represented nature and change, of which both of them are ultimately subject to.
Personally it is a film that I have heard much of and had high hopes for. Nonetheless, I noticed that the length of the film (3 hours) affected my friends and I negatively. I feel that this is due in part to the long, scenic shots that Costner takes. With other films of similar length, like The Lord of The Rings, Saving Private Ryan, and The Patriot, I did not feel as lethargic. This is a testament to the change in moviegoers demands to be continually and quickly entertained.
Notably, the storyline is one that has been reused since its debut in Disney's Pocahontas, James Cameron's Avatar, and The Last Samurai. Given the expectations I held for this movie, I now wished to have enjoyed it before other movies with the same storyline. This jaded-ness of moviegoers is another aspect that affects the viewing pleasure of Dances With Wolves.
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