Dances with Wolves is a 1990 epic film based on the book of the same name which tells the story of a Civil War-era United States Army lieutenant who travels to the American frontier to find a military post. He eventually befriends a local Sioux tribe.[1] Developed by director/star Kevin Costner over five years, the film (released November 9, 1990) has high production values[1] and won 7 Academy Awards and the Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture - Drama.[2] Much of the dialogue is in the Lakota language with English subtitles. It was shot in South Dakota and Wyoming.
In 2007, Dances with Wolves was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant."[3]
Synopsis
The film opens during the American Civil War. In a United States Army Field Hospital, First Lieutenant John J. Dunbar (Kevin Costner) learns that his injured leg is to be amputated. Seeing the plight of fellow soldiers with amputated legs, Dunbar leaves the hospital, steals a cavalry horse, and attempts suicide by riding across the no man's land between the opposing Union and Confederate positions. His action unexpectedly rallies the Union soldiers, who storm the distracted Confederate defenses to win the battle. Impressed by Dunbar's actions, the commanding general of the Union forces, Lieutenant General Tide (Donald Hotton), summons his personal surgeon to save Dunbar's leg. Tide declares Dunbar to be a hero and awards him Cisco, the horse who carried him in battle as well as offering Dunbar his choice of posting. Dunbar requests a transfer to the western frontier, and soon after his leg heals he arrives at Fort Sedgwick, where he begins to record his frontier experiences in a journal, read in voice over. He meets first with Major Fambrough, (Maury Chaykin), who has slipped into alcohol-fueled delusions of grandeur (apparently believing he is a king and Dunbar a medieval knight). Fambrough scribbles out Dunbar's barely legible orders (report to Captain Cargill at Fort Sedgwick) and pairs him off with an uncouth drayage teamster named Timmons (Robert Pastorelli), who is to convey him to his post. Fambrough tells Dunbar he has urinated in his trousers. After they depart, Fambrough shoots himself in the head with his Army revolver.
After a journey through the plains and breathtaking Badlands of South Dakota, Dunbar and Timmons arrive with fresh supplies at the desolate Fort Sedgwick. Timmons urges Dunbar not to remain at the deserted fort, but the lieutenant insists. Timmons leaves, and Dunbar is by himself apart from a lone wolf that he befriends and dubs Two Socks from the coloring of its front legs. Lonely and bored of waiting for reinforcements to arrive, Dunbar sets in order the deserted post, left in complete disarray by its previous occupants. Meanwhile, Timmons, while returning to their point of departure, is ambushed by Pawnee Indians and scalped by their leader (Wes Studi). Timmons' death and the suicide of the major who sent them there prevents Union officers from knowing of Dunbar's assignment to the post, effectively isolating Dunbar. Dunbar remains unaware of the full situation and its implications. He notes in his journal how strange it is that no more soldiers join him at the post. Dunbar initially encounters Sioux neighbors when the tribe's medicine man, Kicking Bird (Graham Greene), happens upon the fort while Dunbar bathes out of sight, and assuming it abandoned, attempts to capture Cisco but is scared off by Dunbar's unexpected reappearance. Some of the tribe's youths (Nathan Lee Chasing His Horse and Michael Spears) attempt to capture Cisco, but the wily horse pulls on the rope that holds him, causing the youth leading him to fall from his horse; a later attempt by the tribe's mature warriors, led by an aggressive warrior named Wind in His Hair (Rodney A. Grant) who declares that he is not scared of the white man, is likewise thwarted. The Sioux decide Cisco is not worth the effort and leave him alone, and Cisco returns to Dunbar's fort.
Having had enough of these stressing relations, Dunbar seeks out the Sioux camp. On his way, however, he comes across Stands With A Fist (Mary McDonnell), the white adopted daughter of Kicking Bird and a recent widow who has slit her wrists. Dunbar returns her to the Indian camp to be treated. The Sioux' attitude about Dunbar changes dramatically upon his deed, prompting them into a more peaceful approach. Eventually, Dunbar manages to establish a rapport with Kicking Bird, though the language barrier frustrates them; but eventually this is overcome with the help of Stands With A Fist, who reluctantly acts as a translator. Her fluency in English has suffered as she has not used it since she was a little girl. Moreover, since her parents were slaughtered by the Pawnee, she has been completely assimilated to Sioux culture and is terrified that Dunbar will try to return her to the whites. Instead, Dunbar finds himself drawn to the lifestyle and customs of the tribe, and constantly looks forward to their company. He becomes a hero among the Sioux and is accepted as an honored guest after he locates a migrating herd of buffalo, which the Indians depend upon as a source of food, material, and clothing. During the ensuing buffalo hunt, he saves Smiles A Lot from a rampaging bull, and at last Wind In His Hair accepts him as a friend.
Upon returning to the soldier fort, Dunbar finds his thoughts wandering more and more to the Indian camp. Renovating the fort no longer interests him. He makes an impromptu visit, but is dismayed to find Two Socks following him. Irritated, he dismounts and orders the wolf to return home, but Two Socks playfully trips him up. The exchange is observed by Kicking Bird, Stone Calf, and Wind in His Hair, who decide to name him Šuŋgmánitu Tȟaŋka Ob'wačhi (the eponymous "Dances with Wolves". Šuŋgmánitu Tȟaŋka literally large coyote, Lakota for wolf). Dunbar finds that most of the warriors in the camp are preparing to go on a raid against a rival Pawnee Indian tribe. Kicking Bird refuses to admit him into the war party, but leaves him behind to care for his family. During this time, Stands With A Fist tutors him in Lakota and they fall in love. Unfortunately, the relationship is made taboo by the recent death of Stand's With A Fist's husband, so they consummate it in secret.
As the weeks wear on, the war party still has not returned, but scouts pick up word of a large Pawnee war party approaching the camp. No longer worried about maintaining the army's stockpile of rifles, Dunbar opens his surplus stores of ammunition to defend the settlement against a Pawnee raiding party. Kicking Bird and Wind In His Hair return to find that the tribe has accepted Dunbar as a full-fledged member of the tribe. With this accomplished, Dances With Wolves eventually wins Kicking Bird's approval to marry Stands With A Fist, and he abandons Fort Sedgwick forever. Dunbar's idyll ends when he tells Kicking Bird that white men will continue to invade their land in "numbers like the stars." They tell Chief Ten Bears (Floyd Red Crow Westerman), who decides it is time to move the village to its winter camp. As the packing finishes, Dunbar realizes that his journal, left behind at the deserted fort, is a blueprint for finding the tribe, revealing that he knows far too much about their ways. He returns to retrieve it, but finds Fort Sedgwick is re-occupied by reinforcing Army troops, who shoot and kill Cisco. As Dunbar weeps over the body of his fallen horse, the soldiers kick and beat Dunbar, arresting him as a traitor.
In an abusive interrogation, Dunbar explains to the villainous Major (Wayne Grace) in command and Lt. Elgin (whom Dunbar met earlier in Maj. Fambrough's office) that he had a journal with orders about his posting to Fort Sedgwick. 1st Sergeant Bauer (Larry Joshua) hits Dunbar with a rifle butt. One of the soldiers that first arrived at the fort, Corporal Spivey (Tony Pierce), denies the existence of the journal, but actually carries the journal in his pocket. After Dunbar declares in the Lakota language that he is now Dances With Wolves, Army officers and troops set off to deliver Dunbar from Ft. Sedgwick to Fort Hays, Kansas for execution on a charge of treason. When they happen upon Two Socks, Sergeant Pepper (Tom Everett) and the men shoot at the wolf, who refuses to leave Dunbar alone out of loyalty. Sgt. Pepper mortally wounds Two Socks. Despite Dunbar's attempts to intervene, Two Socks is killed by Pepper. Before Pepper can go to the dead wolf, Lt. Elgin tells Pepper and the other to return, and the convoy moves off. The Sioux braves are just under the crest of the hill, beneath the remains of Two Socks.
Soon after, Wind In His Hair and other warriors from the tribe attack the column of men, rescuing Dunbar. The officers and men in the detail to Fort Hays, are all killed. Dunbar kills Spivey with his shackles. Sgt. Bauer tries to escape in the stream, he is killed by a hatchet. Smiles A Lot retrieves Dunbar's journal floating in a stream. After returning to the winter camp, Dunbar realizes that as a deserter and fugitive, he will continue to draw the unwelcome attention of the Army and endanger the welfare of the tribe if he stays with the Sioux. Despite the protests of his Sioux friends, Dunbar decides that he must leave the tribe, saying he must speak to those who would listen. His wife decides to accompany him. Before they depart, Smiles A Lot returns his journal but runs off before Dunbar can say anything, Smiles A Lot finding himself too emotional to bid farewell. Dunbar and Kicking Bird exchange gifts meaningful to each of them as remembrances of their important friendship.
As Dances With Wolves and Stands With A Fist leave the camp, Wind In His Hair cries out that Dances with Wolves will always be his friend, in contrast to their first meeting. Soon after, a column of US Cavalry and Pawnee army scouts arrive to find the former Sioux camp site empty. On the screen before the end credits, it is noted that a few years later the last remnants of free Sioux were subjugated to the U.S. Government and ended the conquest of the Western frontier states.
Cast
Production
Originally written as a spec script by Michael Blake, it went unsold in the mid-1980s. It was Kevin Costner who, in early 1986 (when he was relatively unknown), encouraged Blake to turn the screenplay into a novel, to improve its chances of being adapted into a film. The novel manuscript of Dances with Wolves was rejected by numerous publishers but finally published in paperback in 1988. As a novel, the rights were purchased by Costner, with an eye to his directing it.[4] Actual filming lasted from July 18 to November 23, 1989. Most of the movie was filmed on location in South Dakota, but a few scenes were filmed in Wyoming. Filming locations included the Badlands National Park, the Black Hills, the Sage Creek Wilderness Area, and the Belle Fourche River area. The buffalo hunt scenes were filmed at the Triple U Buffalo Ranch near Pierre, South Dakota, as were the fort Sedgwick scenes, the set being constructed on the property.[5]
Because of budget overruns and production delays, and after the fiasco of Michael Cimino's Heaven's Gate, then considered one of the most mismanaged Westerns in film history, Costner's project was satirically dubbed "Kevin's Gate" by Hollywood critics and skeptics during the months prior to its release.[4]
The language spoken in the film is a fairly accurate, although simplified[citation needed], version of the actual Lakota language. Lakota Sioux language instructor Doris Leader Charge (1931—2001) was the on-set Lakota dialogue coach and also portrayed Pretty Shield, wife of Chief Ten Bears, portrayed by Floyd Red Crow Westerman.[4]
Russell Means commented on this movie as follows. "Remember Lawrence of Arabia? That was Lawrence of the Plains. The odd thing about making that movie is, 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 Indians and Kevin Costner were speaking in the feminine way. When I went to see it with a bunch of Lakota guys, we were laughing. "
According to the "Making Of" documentary on the Special Edition Dances With Wolves DVD, not all of the buffalo were computer animated and/or puppets. In fact, Costner and crew employed the largest domestically owned buffalo ranch, with two of the domesticated buffalo being borrowed from Neil Young, and used the herd for the hunting scene. The hunt chase was filmed live and Costner did his own stunts for the shots. The only computer animation and puppetry special effects that were used were for the shots of the buffalo falling.[citation needed]
Despite portraying the adopted daughter of Graham Greene's character Kicking Bird, Mary McDonnell, then 37, was actually two months older than Greene, and less than two years younger than Tantoo Cardinal, the actress playing her adoptive mother. In addition, McDonnell was extremely nervous about shooting her sex scene with Kevin Costner, requesting it be toned down to a more modest version than what was scripted.[4]
Reception
Dances with Wolves was extremely popular, garnering $184 million in U.S. box office sales, and $424 million in total box office sales worldwide.[6] The film is often praised for its humanistic portrayal of American Indians. However, some critics pointed out that it was too kind in its depiction of the Sioux, who were one of the most warlike tribes in the West. Because of the film, the Sioux nation adopted Costner as an honorary member.[7] In 2007, the Library of Congress selected Dances with Wolves for preservation in the United States National Film Registry.[3]
Awards and honors
Won:
Nominated:
American Film Institute recognition
Sequel
The Holy Road, a well-received sequel novel by Michael Blake, the author of both the original Dances With Wolves novel and the movie screenplay, was published in 2001.[8] It picks up eleven years after Dances 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. As of 2007, Blake was writing a film adaptation, although Kevin Costner was not yet attached to the project.[9] In the end, however, Costner stated he would not take part in this production.[citation needed] Viggo Mortensen has been rumored to be attached to the project, playing Dunbar.[10]
Historical References
St. David's Field, Tennessee does not exist nor did it in 1863. As the opening battle is a minor portion of the film, it was considered undesirable to name an actual historical battle, which might result in knowledgeable viewers taking exception to fictional events which never happened.
Fort Sedgwick, Colorado was erected as Camp Rankin and renamed for General John Sedgwick (1813-1864). General Sedgwick was killed May 9, 1864 at the Battle of Spotsylvania Court House, Virginia. Fort Sedgwick served as an Army post from July 1864 to May 1871. John Sedgwick did erect a fort in Kansas in 1860.
Fort Hays, Kansas was named for General Alexander Hays (1819-1864). General Hays was killed May 5, 1864 in the Battle of the Wilderness, Virginia. Fort Hays served as an Army post from October 11, 1865 to November 8, 1889.
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 a First 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.[11].
Versions
Laserdisc
Laserdisc Versions
The first Laserdisc release of Dances with Wolves was on 15 November 1991 by Orion Home Video on a 2 disc extended play laserdisc set.
- Theatrical version
- 1.33:1 Aspect Ratio (Pan and Scan)
- 2.35:1 Aspect Ratio (Letterbox)
- 4 sides (2 discs)
- English
- NTSC
- Sound Encoding CX
- Digital Track was Dolby Surround
- Analog Track was Dolby Surround
- 181 Minutes
The second release was in 1992.
- Theatrical version
- 2.35:1 Aspect Ratio (Letterbox)
- NTSC
- Sound Encoding was CX
- Digital Track was Dolby Surround
- Analog Track was Dolby Surround
The third release was in 1993.
- This is the director's cut.
- 2.35:1 Aspect Ratio (Letterbox)
- 4 sides (2 discs)
- PAL
- Sound Encoding was CX
- Digital Track was Dolby Surround
- Analog Track was Dolby Surround
- 224 Minutes
The fourth release was in 1994.
- Included a featurette "The Making of Dances with Wolves"
- Coffee table book: "The Illustrated Story of the Film"
- CD Soundtrack and Six theater lobby cards.
- 2.35:1 Aspect Ratio (Letterbox)
- 6 sides (3 discs)
- Sound Encoding was CX
- Digital Track was Dolby Surround
- Analog Track was Dolby Surround
- 236 Minutes
The fifth and final release was in 1996.
- Theatrical version
- Included the featurette "The Making of Dances with Wolves".
- 2.35:1 Aspect Ratio (Letterbox)
- 5 Sides (3 discs)
- Sound Encoding was CX
- Digital Track was Dolby Surround
- Analog Track was Dolby Surround
- 236 Minutes
VHS
The first Dances with Wolves VHS version was released in 1991.
VHS Versions
Dances with Wolves has been released to several VHS versions.
Limited Collector's Edition Version
This set comes with two VHS tapes, six high gloss 14" x 11" Lobby Photos, Dances With Wolves The Illustrated Story Of The Epic Film book, and an organized collectors edition storage case.
DVD
Dances with Wolves has been released to DVD on four occasions. The first on November 17, 1998 on a single disc. The second on February 16, 1999 as a two disc set with a DTS Soundtrack. The third was released on May 20, 2003 as a two disc set (Special Extended Edition). The fourth was released on May 25, 2004 as a single disc in full frame.
1998 Release (1 disc)
Disc 1: Movie
- Format: anamorphic, closed-captioned, color, THX, wide screen, NTSC
- Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
- Run Time: 181 minutes
- Audio Tracks: English (Dolby Digital 5.1), English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround)
1999 Release (2 discs) (DTS)
Disc 1 & 2: Movie
- Format: anamorphic, closed-captioned, color, wide screen, NTSC
- Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
- Run Time: 181 minutes
- Audio Tracks: English (DTS), English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround)
- Commentary by: director Kevin Costner and Jim Wilson
2003 Release (2 discs) (Special Extended Edition)
Disc 1: (2 sided) Movie
Disc 2: Special Features
- Format: anamorphic, closed-captioned, color, THX, wide screen, NTSC
- Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
- Run Time: 236 minutes
- Audio Tracks: English (Dolby Digital 5.1), English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround)
- Commentary by: Kevin Costner and producer Jim Wilson, director of photography Dean Semler and editor Neil Travis
- New extended version with never-before-seen additional scenes (236 minutes)
- New "The Creation of an Epic" retrospective documentary
- Original making-of featurette
- Original music video
- New Dances photo montage with introduction by Ben Glass
- New Poster gallery
2004 Release (1 disc)
Disc 1: Movie
- Format: closed-captioned, color, NTSC
- Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
- Run Time: 181 minutes
- Audio Tracks: English (Dolby Digital 5.1), English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround)
2004 Release (3 discs) (Special Edition - Director's Cut)
Disc 1 & 2: Movie
Disc 3: Special Features
- Run Time: 236 minutes
- Audio Tracks: English/Lakota
- Commentary by the Director (K.Costner)
- New "The Creation of an Epic" retrospective documentary
- Original making-of featurette
- Original music video
- New Dances photo montage with introduction by Ben Glass
- New Poster gallery
Blu-ray
Dances with Wolves has been released on Blu-ray in Germany on the 5th of December 2008, in France on the 15th of April 2009 and in the UK on the 26th of October 2009. Although not advertised as such, the German release is the Director's Cut version of the movie with a run time of 236 minutes. The French Blu-ray release is the Extended Cut of the movie with a run time of 224 minutes, while the UK release features the theatrical cut with a run time of 181 minutes.
2008 German Release (1 disc)
Disc 1: Movie
- Format: color, wide screen, 1080p
- Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
- Run Time: 236 minutes
- Audio Tracks: German DTS 7.1, English DTS 7.1
- Subtitles: German, English (Foreign parts only)
2009 French Release (1 disc)
Disc 1: Movie
- Format: color, wide screen, 1080p
- Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
- Run Time: 224 minutes
- Audio Tracks: French DTS 7.1, English DTS 7.1
- Subtitles: French
2009 UK Release (1 disc)
Disc 1: Movie
- Format: color, 16:9, 1080p
- Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
- Run Time: 181 minutes
- Audio Tracks: English Dolby TrueHD 7.1
- Subtitles: English
Soundtrack
- For more information: Dances with Wolves (soundtrack).
John Barry composed the Award-winning score, which became a very popular film score. It was issued in 1990 initially and again in 1995 with bonus tracks and in 2004 with the score "in its entirety."
Peter Buffett scored and choreographed the "fire dance" scene.
Pope John Paul II once referred to it as among his favorite pieces of music.
Bibliography
References
- ^ a b "Dances with Wolves: Overview" (plot/stars/gross, related films), allmovie, 2007, webpage: amovie12092.
- ^ "Dances with Wolves" (overview), IMDb, 2007, webpage: IMDb-99348.
- ^ a b 2007 list of films inducted into the National Film Registry
- ^ a b c d ""Dances with Wolves"". IMDB. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0099348/. Retrieved 2008-03-13.
- ^ "Dances with Wolves" - Southdakota.midwestmovies.com
- ^ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0099348/business
- ^ Svetkey, Benjamin (1991-03-08). ""Little big movie"". Entertainment Weekly. http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,313535,00.html. Retrieved 2008-03-13.
- ^ Blake, Michael (2001). The Holy Road, Random House. ISBN 0-375-76040-7
- ^ Blake, Michael. ""The official website of Michael Blake"". Danceswithwolves.net. http://danceswithwolves.net/bio.php. Retrieved 2008-03-13.
- ^ ""Hollywood.com"". Hollywood.com. 2008. http://www.hollywood.com/news/Viggo_Mortensen_Leading_the_Charge_for_Dances_with_Wolves_Sequel/5232851. Retrieved 2008-05-11.
- ^ US Army Institute of Heraldry - History of Officer Rank Insignia
External links
