Wikipedia

Dances with Wolves

For the novel by Michael Blake, seeDances with Wolves (novel).For The song by Mount Eerie, seeMount Eerie Dances with Wolves.

Dances with Wolvesis a 1990 Americanepic Westernfilm starring, directed, and produced byKevin Costnerin his feature directorial debut. It is afilm adaptationof the 1988 novelDances with Wolves,byMichael Blake,that tells the story ofUnion ArmyLieutenant John J. Dunbar (Costner), who travels to theAmerican frontierto find a military post, and who meets a group ofLakota.

Dances with Wolves
Theatrical release poster
Directed byKevin Costner
Screenplay byMichael Blake
Based onDances with Wolves
by Michael Blake
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyDean Semler
Edited byNeil Travis
Music byJohn Barry
Production
companies
Distributed byOrion Pictures
Release dates
  • October 19, 1990(1990-10-19)(Uptown Theater)
  • November 9, 1990(1990-11-09)(United States)
Running time
181 minutes[1]
CountryUnited States
Languages
Budget$22 million[2]
Box office$424.2 million[2]

Costner developed the film with an initial budget of $15 million.[3]Much of the dialogue is spoken inLakotawith English subtitles. It was shot from July to November 1989 inSouth DakotaandWyoming,and translated by Doris Leader Charge,[4]of the Lakota Studies department atSinte Gleska University.

The film earned favorable reviews from critics and audiences, who praised Costner's directing, the performances, screenplay, score, cinematography, and production values. It was a box office hit, grossing $424.2 million worldwide, making it thefourth-highest-grossing film of 1990,and is the highest-grossing film forOrion Pictures.The film was nominated for 12 awards at the63rd Academy Awardsand won 7, includingBest Picture,Best Directorfor Costner,Best Adapted Screenplay,Best Film Editing,Best Cinematography,Best Original Score,andBest Sound Mixing.The film also won theGolden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – Drama.It is one of only four Westerns to win the Oscar for Best Picture, the other three beingCimarron(1931),Unforgiven(1992), andNo Country for Old Men(2007).

It is credited as a leading influence for the revitalization of the Western genre of filmmaking in Hollywood. In 2007,Dances with Wolveswas selected for preservation in the United StatesNational Film Registryby theLibrary of Congressas being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".[5][6]

Plot

edit

In 1863, 1st Lieutenant John J. Dunbar—serving with theUnion Army—is wounded in battle at St. David's Field inTennessee.The surgeon intends to amputate his leg. Choosing death in battle instead, Dunbar steals a horse and rides in front ofConfederatelines. The Union Army takes advantage of the distraction to mount a successful attack. Dunbar is given medical care that saves his leg and is awarded "Cisco", the horse he rode during his suicide attempt, along with his choice of posting. He requests a transfer to theAmerican frontierso he can see it before it disappears.

Dunbar arrives atFort Hayswhere its commander, Major Fambrough, assigns him to the furthest outpost under his jurisdiction:Fort Sedgwick.Fambrough, who is mentally ill, kills himself after Dunbar departs. Dunbar travels with Timmons, a mule-wagon provisioner, and finds the fort deserted. He decides to rebuild the fort, recording his observations in his diary. Timmons is killed by a band ofPawneewhile returning to Fort Hays. The deaths of Timmons and Fambrough leave the army unaware of Dunbar's assignment, so no other soldiers arrive to reinforce the post.

Dunbar encounters hisSiouxneighbors when they attempt to steal his horse and intimidate him. Wanting to make peace, he seeks out the Sioux camp.En route, he comes acrossStands with a Fist,awhite ethnicSioux woman who was adopted as a girl by the tribe's medicine man,Kicking Bird,after her family was killed by Pawnee. She is mutilating herself in mourning for her late Sioux husband. Dunbar brings her back to the Sioux to recover. Though the tribe is initially hostile, Dunbar gradually establishes a rapport with them, particularlyKicking Bird,the warriorWind in His Hair,and the youthSmiles a Lot.Stands with a Fistacts as an interpreter, speakingLakotaand English.

Dunbar comes to respect and appreciate the Sioux. He is accepted into the tribe after he tells them of a migrating herd of buffalo and participates in the hunt. He also befriends a wolf he dubs "Two Socks" for its white forepaws. Observing Dunbar and Two Socks chasing each other, the Sioux give him the nameDances with Wolves.Dunbar learns theLakota language,forges a romantic relationship withStands with a Fist,and supplies the tribe with firearms to defend them from the rival Pawnee tribe. He eventually earnsKicking Bird's approval to marryStands with a Fist.

Because of the threat of encroaching white settlers, ChiefTen Bearsdecides to move the tribe to its winter camp. Dunbar decides to accompany them but first goes to retrieve his diary from Fort Sedgwick, as it would help the U.S. Army locate the tribe. When he arrives, he finds the fort reoccupied by the army. Because of his Sioux clothing, the soldiers open fire, killing Cisco before capturing Dunbar. He cannot prove his story, as one of the soldiers stole his diary. Refusing to help the army hunt down native tribes, he is charged with desertion and transported back east as a prisoner. Two Socks attempts to follow Dunbar but is shot dead by the soldiers.

The Sioux track the convoy, killing the soldiers and freeing Dunbar. At the winter camp, he decides to leave withStands with a Fistbecause his presence would endanger the tribe. As they leave, Dunbar andKicking Birdexchange parting gifts;Smiles a Lotreturns the diary, which he recovered during Dunbar's rescue;Wind in His Hairproclaims his everlasting friendship to Dunbar.

U.S. troops search the mountains but cannot locate Dunbar or the tribe. The epilogue text says that the last of the free Sioux surrendered atFort Robinson,Nebraska,thirteen years later.

Cast

edit

Production

edit

Originally written as aspeculative scriptby Michael Blake, it went unsold in the mid-1980s. However, Kevin Costner had starred in Blake's only previous film,Stacy's Knights(1983) and encouraged Blake in early 1986 to turn the Western screenplay into a novel to improve its chances of being produced.The novelwas rejected by numerous publishers, but finally was published in paperback in 1988. The rights were purchased by Costner, with an eye on directing it.[7]

Costner and his producing partner, Jim Wilson, had difficulty in raising money for the film. The project was turned down by several studios due to the Western genre no longer being popular, following the disastrous box office ofHeaven's Gate(1980), as well as the length of the script. After the project languished at bothNelson EntertainmentandIsland Picturesdue to budget reasons, Costner and Wilson enlisted producerJake Ebertsto manage foreign rights in several countries for Costner to retain final cut rights.[8]The two then made a deal withOrion Pictures,in which the studio would distribute the film in North America.[8]

Actual production lasted from July 17 or 18 to November 21 or 23, 1989.[9][10]Most of the movie was filmed on location in South Dakota, mainly on private ranches nearPierreandRapid City,with a few scenes filmed in Wyoming. Specific locations included theBadlands National Park,theBlack Hills,the Sage Creek Wilderness Area, and theBelle Fourche Riverarea. The bison hunt scenes were filmed at theTriple U Buffalo RanchoutsideFort Pierre, South Dakota,as were the Fort Sedgewick scenes on a custom set.[7]

Reception

edit

Dances with Wolvesproved instantly popular, earning $184 million in the US and Canadian box office and $424 million in total worldwide.[11]As of 7 December 2023,the film holds an approval rating of 87% onRotten Tomatoes,based on 131 reviews, with an average rating of 8/10. The website's critical consensus reads: "Dances with Wolvessuffers from a simplistic view of the culture it attempts to honor, but the end result remains a stirring western whose noble intentions are often matched by its epic grandeur. "[12]Metacriticgave the film a score of 72 out of 100 based on 20 critical reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[13]CinemaScorereported that audiences gave the film a rare "A+" grade.[14]

Dances with Wolveswas named one of the top ten films of 1990 by over 115 critics and was named the best film of the year by 19 critics.[15]

Because of the film's popularity and lasting impact on the image of Native Americans, members of the Lakota Sioux Nation held a ceremony in Washington, D.C., "to honor Kevin [Costner] and Mary [McDonnell] and Jim [Wilson] on behalf of the Indian Lakota nation", explainedFloyd Westerman(who plays Chief Ten Bears in the movie).Albert Whitehat,a Lakota elder who served as a cultural adviser on the film, adopted Costner into his family, and two other families adopted McDonnell and Wilson. Westerman continued, that this is so "They will all become part of one family."[16]At the63rd Academy Awardsceremony in 1991,Dances with Wolvesearned 12 Academy Award nominations and won seven, including Best Writing, Adapted Screenplay (Michael Blake), Best Director (Costner), and Best Picture. In 2007, the Library of Congress selectedDances with Wolvesfor preservation in the United StatesNational Film Registry.[17]

Some of the criticism of the film centered on the lack of authenticity of theLakota languageused in the film, as only one of the actors was a native speaker of the language.Oglala Lakotaactivist and actorRussell Meanswas critical of the film's lack of accuracy. In 2009, he said, "RememberLawrence of Arabia?That was Lawrence of the Plains. The odd thing about making that movie is that they had a woman teaching the actors the Lakota language, but Lakota has a male-gendered language and a female-gendered language. Some of the Natives and Kevin Costner were speaking in the feminine way. When I went to see it with a bunch of Lakota guys, we were laughing. "[18]

Michael Smith (Sioux), the director of San Francisco's long-running annualAmerican Indian Film Festival,said that despite criticisms, "There's a lot of good feeling about the film in the Native community, especially among the tribes. I think it's going to be very hard to top this one."[19]However,Blackfeetfilmmaker George Budreau countered, "I want to say, 'how nice',... But no matter how sensitive and wonderful this movie is, you have to ask who's telling the story. It's certainly not an Indian."[19]

Though promoted as a breakthrough in its use of an indigenous language, earlier English-language films, such asEskimo(1933),Wagon Master(1950), andThe White Dawn(1974) also have native dialogue.[20]

David SirotaofSalonreferred toDances with Wolvesas a"white savior" film,as Dunbar "fully embeds himself in the Sioux tribe and quickly becomes its primary protector". He argued that its use of the "noble savage"character type" preemptively blunts criticism of the underlying White Savior story ".[21]

Accolades

edit
Main article:List of accolades received by Dances with Wolves

In addition to becoming the first Western film to win an Academy Award for Best Picture since 1931'sCimarron,[22]Dances with Wolveswon a number of additional awards, making it one of the most honored films of 1990.[23]

Home media

edit

The film was released on home video in the United States in September 1991 byOrion Home Videoand beat the rental record set byGhost,at 649,000 units.[24]The extended Special Edition was released on DVD on May 20, 2003, in a two-disc set.[25][26]Dances With Wolveswas then released onBlu-rayand DVD on January 11, 2011, and was re-released on Blu-ray on January 13, 2015, and again on November 13, 2018.[27]

Cancelled sequel

edit

The Holy Road,a sequel novel byMichael Blake,the author of both the original novel and the movie screenplay, was published in 2001.[28]It picks up 11 years after the events ofDances with Wolves.John Dunbar is still married to Stands with a Fist, and they have three children. Stands with a Fist and one of the children are kidnapped by a party of white rangers, and Dances with Wolves must mount a rescue mission.

Salvador Carrascowas attached to direct the sequel, but the film was not realized.[29][30]As of 2007, Blake was writing a film adaptation.[31]However, Costner stated in a 2008 interview that he would "never make a sequel".[32]A third book titledThe Great Mysterywas planned, but Blake died in 2015.

Historical references

edit

Judith A. Boughter wrote: "The problem with Costner's approach is that all of the Sioux are heroic, while thePawneesare portrayed as stereotypical villains. Most accounts ofSioux–Pawnee relationssee the Pawnees, numbering only 4,000 at that time, as victims of the more powerful Sioux. "[33]

The history and context of Fort Hays is radically different from that portrayed in the movie. Historic Fort Hays was founded in 1867, with theiconic stone blockhousebeing built immediately.[34]Its predecessor, Fort Fletcher (1865–1868), was abandoned for a few months and then relocated a short distance away in 1866.[35]Fort Hays was founded inCheyenneterritory rather than Sioux. Rather than a desolate site, the fort was host to thousands of soldiers, railroad workers, and settlers from the start. TheKansas Pacific Railwayand the settlements ofRomeandHays Citywere built next to the fort in 1867; each was a perceived violation of Cheyenne andArapahoterritory, resulting in immediate warfare with theDog Soldiers.[36]The fort wasSheridan'sheadquarters at the center of the 1867–1868 conflict. A historic seasonal Pawnee tipi village had been located only 9 miles (14 km) from Fort Hays, but the Pawnee had been excluded from it by other dominant tribes for some time by the 1860s.[37][38]

A Christian missionary namedJohn Dunbarworked among the Pawnee in the 1830s and 1840s, and sided with the Native Americans in a dispute with government farmers and a localIndian agent.[39]According to screenwriter Michael Blake, the film character's name was chosen at random from lists of Civil War veterans and was merely coincidence.[citation needed]

The fictional Lieutenant John Dunbar of 1863 is correctly shown in the film wearing a gold bar on his officer shoulder straps, indicating his rank as afirst lieutenant.From 1836 to 1872, the rank of first lieutenant was indicated by a gold bar; after 1872, the rank was indicated by a silver bar. Similarly, Captain Cargill is correctly depicted wearing a pair of gold bars, indicating the rank of captain at that time.[40]

Author and screenwriter Michael Blake said that Stands with a Fist was actually based uponCynthia Ann Parker,the white girl captured byComanchesand mother ofQuanah Parker.[41]

Extended version

edit

One year after the originaltheatrical releaseofDances with Wolves,a four-hour version of the film opened at select theaters in London. This longer cut was titledDances with Wolves: The Special Edition,and it restored nearly an hour's worth of scenes that had been removed to keep the original film's running time under three hours.[42]In a letter to British film reviewers, Kevin Costner and producer Jim Wilson addressed their reasons for presenting a longer version of the film:

Why add another hour to a film that by most standards pushes the time limit of conventional movie making? The 52 additional minutes that represent this "new" version were difficult to cut in the first place, and... the opportunity to introduce them to audiences is compelling. We have received countless letters from people worldwide asking when or if a sequel would be made, so it seemed like a logical step to enhance our film with existing footage... making an extended version is by no means to imply that the originalDances with Wolveswas unfinished or incomplete; rather, it creates an opportunity for those who fell in love with the characters and the spectacle of the film to experience more of both.[43]

The genesis of the four-hour version of the film was further explained in an article forEntertainment Weeklythat appeared ten months after the premiere of the original film. "While the small screen has come to serve as a second chance for filmmakers who can't seem to let their babies go, Kevin Costner and his producing partner, Jim Wilson, hope that their newly completed version will hit theater screens first."

"I spent seven months working on it", Wilson says of the expandedWolves.He's quick to defend the Oscar-winning version as "the best picture we had in us at the time", yet Wilson also says he's "ecstatic" over the recut. "It's a brand-new picture", he insists. "There's now more of a relationship between Kevin and Stands with a Fist, more with the wolf, more with the Indians—stuff that's integral all through the story." Of course, exhibitors may not want a longer version of an already widely seen movie, but Wilson remains optimistic. "I don't think the time is now", he acknowledges, "but ideally, there is a point at which it would come out with an intermission, booked into the very best venues in America."[44]

Costner later stated that he did not work on the creation of theSpecial Editionat all.[45]

Soundtrack

edit
Main article:Dances with Wolves (soundtrack)
  • John Barrycomposed the Oscar-winning score. It was issued in 1990 initially and again in 1995 with bonus tracks and in 2004 with the score "in its entirety".
  • Peter Buffettscored the "Fire Dance" scene.

See also

edit

References

edit
  1. ^"Dances with Wolves".British Board of Film Classification.Archived fromthe originalon September 25, 2015.RetrievedJuly 29,2015.
  2. ^ab"Dances with Wolves (1990)".Box Office Mojo.RetrievedJuly 29,2015.
  3. ^"Dances with Wolves: Overview" (plot/stars/gross, related films), allmovie, 2007, webpage:amovie12092
  4. ^Miller, Steve (February 19, 2001)."Lakota teacher Leader Charge dies".Rapid City Journal.RetrievedMay 22,2021.
  5. ^"Librarian of Congress Announces National Film Registry Selections for 2007".Library of Congress.RetrievedJune 4,2020.
  6. ^"Complete National Film Registry Listing".Library of Congress.RetrievedJune 4,2020.
  7. ^ab"Dances with Wolves".South Dakota Midwest Movies.Archived fromthe originalon February 15, 2006.RetrievedAugust 1,2018.
  8. ^abDutka, Elaine (November 4, 1990)."COSTNER TAKES A STAND: He's Made a Western. It's Three Hours Long. It Has Subtitles. And He Likes It Like That".Los Angeles Times.RetrievedJuly 4,2020.
  9. ^"Dances with Wolves, History".AFI Catalog of Feature Films.American Film Institute.RetrievedOctober 4,2021.Although an 8 Jan 1989 LAT brief reported that principal photography would begin in Mexico in Mar 1989, filming did not take place in Mexico and the start date was pushed back to 17 or 18 Jul 1989, as noted in various sources including production notes in AMPAS library files, the 7 Jun 1989 HR and DV, and the 7 Jul 1989 HR.
  10. ^"Dances with Wolves, Details".AFI Catalog of Feature Films.American Film Institute.RetrievedOctober 4,2021.17 or 18 Jul--21 or 23 Nov 1989
  11. ^Commercial statistics for "Dances with Wolves" at imdb.com
  12. ^"Dances with Wolves(1990) ".Rotten Tomatoes.Fandango Media.RetrievedDecember 7,2023.
  13. ^"Dances with WolvesReviews ".Metacritic.CBS Interactive.RetrievedMarch 1,2018.
  14. ^"CinemaScore".CinemaScore.RetrievedMarch 1,2018.
  15. ^"Best Movies of 1990".CriticsTop10.RetrievedAugust 5,2020.
  16. ^Weinraub, Judith (October 20, 1990)."Costner's Sioux Ceremony".Washington Post.RetrievedOctober 6,2021.
  17. ^"2007 list".National Film Registry.Library of Congress.December 27, 2017. Archived fromthe originalon January 31, 2008.RetrievedAugust 1,2018.
  18. ^"Russell Means Interview with Dan Skye ofHigh Times".Russell Means Freedom. Archived fromthe originalon July 15, 2011.RetrievedMarch 2,2011.
  19. ^abAleiss, Angela (2005).Making the White Man's Indian: Native Americans and Hollywood Movies.Westport, Conn./London: Praeger. p.146.ISBN027598396X.
  20. ^Aleiss, Angela (2005).Making the White Man's Indian: Native Americans and Hollywood Movies.Westport, Conn./London: Praeger. p.165.ISBN027598396X.
  21. ^Sirota, David(February 21, 2013)."Oscar loves a white savior".Salon.RetrievedJuly 11,2013.
  22. ^Angela Errigo (2008). Steven Jay Schneider (ed.).1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die.London: Quintessence. p. 786.ISBN978-0-7641-6151-3.{{cite book}}:|work=ignored (help)
  23. ^"The 63rd Academy Awards (1991) Nominees and Winners".oscars.org.RetrievedOctober 20,2011.
  24. ^Berman, Marc (January 6, 1992). "Rentals Reap Bulk of 1991 Vid Harvest".Variety.p. 22.
  25. ^ManaByte (May 23, 2003)."Dances With Wolves: Special Edition".IGN.RetrievedJanuary 6,2023.
  26. ^"Dances with Wolves DVD (Special Edition)".Blu-ray.com.RetrievedJanuary 6,2023.
  27. ^"Dances with Wolves DVD Release Date".DVDs Release Dates.RetrievedFebruary 25,2021.
  28. ^Blake, Michael(2001).The Holy Road,Random House.ISBN0-375-76040-7
  29. ^"The Other Conquest Conquers America".alibi.com. May 3, 2007.
  30. ^"Interview with director Salvador Carrasco".Indie Cinema. August 19, 2017.
  31. ^Blake, Michael."The official website of Michael Blake".Danceswithwolves.net. Archived fromthe originalon October 11, 2007.RetrievedMarch 13,2008.
  32. ^Ebert, Roger (July 3, 2008)."Kevin Costner:" I'll never make a sequel. "".Roger Ebert.RetrievedJuly 3,2008.
  33. ^Judith A. Boughter (2004). "The Pawnee Nation: An Annotated Research Bibliography".Scarecrow Press. p.105.ISBN0810849909
  34. ^"Fort Hays - Exhibits".Kansas Historical Society.RetrievedNovember 1,2019.
  35. ^"Fort Hays".Kansapedia.Kansas Historical Society.November 2019.RetrievedNovember 1,2019.
  36. ^Collins.Kansas Pacific.p. 13.[After Fort Hays, it] would then enter the country of three nomadic Indian tribes: the Cheyenne, Arapahoe and Kiowa.... mile and a half per day.... Then the Indian raids began.
  37. ^Howard C. Raynesford (1953)."The Raynesford Papers: Notes- The Smoky Hill River & Fremont's Indian Village".Archived fromthe originalon January 23, 2003.RetrievedAugust 12,2018.
  38. ^Carson Bear (April 4, 2018)."A Nearly Pristine Pawnee Tipi Ring Site Preserved for More Than a Century".National Trust for Historic Preservation.RetrievedAugust 12,2018.
  39. ^Waldo R. Wedel,The Dunbar Allis Letters on the Pawnee(New York: Garland Press, 1985).
  40. ^"History of Officer Rank Insignia".US Army Institute of Heraldry.Archived fromthe originalon May 4, 2006.RetrievedAugust 1,2018.
  41. ^Aleiss,Making the White Man's Indian: Native Americans and Hollywood Movies,p. 145.
  42. ^Dances with Wolves (Comparison: Theatrical vs. Extended Version).Movie-Censorship.com
  43. ^Gritten, David (December 20, 1991)."Dances with Wolves - TheReallyLong Version ".Los Angeles Times.RetrievedJanuary 23,2017.
  44. ^Daly, Steven (August 30, 1991)."Dances With Wolves:Director's cut ".Entertainment Weekly.Archivedfrom the original on August 1, 2020.RetrievedNovember 22,2022.
  45. ^Willman, Chris (January 23, 2004)."True Western".Entertainment Weekly.RetrievedDecember 25,2021.

Further reading

edit
edit
Wikiquote has quotations related toDances with Wolves.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Dances_with_Wolves&oldid=1234190949"