Rating: 
Summary: A great, engrossing movie
Review: Some things I liked about the movie:* Many of the tableaux-like shots reminded me of the paintings of CM Russell, cowboy artist. * The observation by Costner's character that Dances With Wolves, his Sioux name, means something to him while he gets no such feedback from his given name, John Dunbar.
Rating:
Summary: One of the most provocative American movies ever
Review: In a word,this movie is wondrous. It gives a view of the Native American culture which used to rule this landmass with a perspicacity and verisimilitude never before seen in an American movie theater. This is truly a great American epic. Kevin Costner, who is normally as bland as the Sahara desert, delivers the best performance of his career. Although not the most exciting actor in cinema, Costner was nonetheless perfect for this part (just as William Shatner was perfect for Captain Kirk, despite his limited acting ability). Costner's direction, too, was impeccable. The rest of the cast, including Graham Greene and Mary McDonnel, team up to create an instant classic. The film takes place in the mid-1860s. The Civil War is winding down and the Union Army has begun its invasion westward into American Indian country. In other words, it takes place at an epoch that, looking back, would prove to be the beginning of the end for the Western American Indian way of life. This movie is about the last days of an extraordinary culture which would find its end all too abruptly. The story centers around a Union Army soldier named John Dunbar (Costner). He ends up on an abandoned outpost out in the middle of the plain states. During his pseudo-hermitage, he encounters a tribe of Sioux Indians. Luckily for him, they prove to be friendly and it is the forging of their relationship(s) with him that form the core of the movie's plot. This is an exceptional, powerful movie that is suitable for the entire family. It has a few scenes of mild violence, but is far less graphic than what is shown on Television series every night. The soundtrack, written by John Barry, is top notch and is integrated into the movie to an extent [both in emotional importance and in appropriate timing] that surpasses any movie score I've ever heard. This is a truly poignant film which can't help but move all who view it. As far as American movies go, this one is a must-see in my book.
Rating:
Summary: The best drama ever made!
Review: This film, unlike any westerns, made me like it.Personally, I hate old westerns, because they are rasict. They make the Americans look good and the Indians look bad. But not this film. This is the other way around. The Indians look noble,kind,and full of genorisity.The Americans,however,look bad,evil,and are full of their "white pride." Greedy Americans! This film could be the only film in my life that made me cry. And that's why I love it so much. The only problem in this film was Mary Macdonnel's hairdo. Here are the Indians, with their wonderful, art-like clothing, and Mary has this sort of 70's Fawcett hair. Weird,isn't it? Anyway, please see this film. Best western film ever!
Rating: 
Summary: Not laptop compatible
Review: Love this movie... Words can't describe it but my recently purchased DVD won't play on my new Gateway laptop. Something about some incompatible file???? This information should be made available to the buying public, by both distributor and the PC maker. Perhaps our technology isn't as great as some would have us think.
Rating:
Summary: DVD review
Review: A simple DVD as DVDs go. This DVD was surprisingly good considering the lack of extras. The picture and sound were excellent. Only filmographies of the cast were given, no biographies. A very good commentary from Costner and the producer. Costner didn't talk too much or though the scenes, but gave very interesting comments about the directing and acting. The producer doesn't say much other than to jog Costner's memory. This one seems ripe for a special edition and I'll probably have to replace it. If you love this movie, this is a excellent DVD to add to your collection even if it doesn't have a lot of bonus features.
Rating:
Summary: No words convey it, truly
Review: Still the best film I've yet seen. The film has so much in it, it is an experience rather than just a movie. There is much which helps this interpretation, the musical score which is simply astonishing, the scenery, incredible, the story itself, the sense of being there captured through the sound of crickets chirping, you can feel the hot sun beating down on the grass. The soldier who looks for a world where his fellow human beings are not ignorant savages escapes the war torn fields of the civil war through a crazy stunt and by travelling through beautiful wilderness encounters an abandoned fort which he rebuilds. Through the journals he keeps his humanity is divulged, the experiences decribed become real, his own meeting with a wolf and the feeling of communication between them totally silent whose sensitivity so rarely seen is something else. The meetings for the first time with the Sioux and the friendships he forms, this is what makes this film more than just a movie. There are few films like this, with Forest Gump, Dr Zhivago and a very few others which approach this raw sense of being there. No words convey it
Rating: 
Summary: 181 minutes is NOT the complete movie, but a shorter version
Review: Real Indians, real people. This is a story that runs right through your heart. A supperb movie displayed on a supperb stage. The only reason I rated this specific DVD 4 stars is that it is not complete! It is the movie-theater version. The complete version is the "Director's Cut". That's approximately 30 minutes extra movie!! For me, that extra part is essential to get the complete story telled in the right way.
Rating:
Summary: It's a good flick, but...
Review: The scenery, the directing, the acting, etc., are all very good and the movie is absolutely captivating. However, if you look underneath all of that, you've got to realize that Native Americans were not without their flaws and the White Man was not completely evil. "Dances with Wolves" lacks balance in the historical story telling of these two cultures. It's pretty one sided. However, that said, it is true that Native Americans always had a deep abiding love of nature, much more so than the average white man. But so little mention is given as to how "Stands with a fist" ended up living amongst the Sioux. I did enjoy the film and have watched it several times. Native Americans have been portrayed in Hollywood as "blood-thirsty savages" for so many decades and this film seeks to right that wrong. But rather than having this pendulum of public opinion swinging back and forth, we should find the truth which is somewhere in the middle. "Dances with Wolves" is a good flick and I did thoroughly enjoy watching it again and again.
Rating:
Summary: Quick note about the Region coding
Review: Just thought I would mention that the Region coding for this DVD is All Region as it states. I didn't believe this when I saw it and figured it was a misprint and my disbelief was confirmed when I saw other DVD retailers saying it was Region 1. I picked up the disc anyway since it didn't matter and was suprised to find out that the disc is indeed encoded for Regions 1 to 6. I confirmed it using a Region 4 player and it played flawlessly. Great movie by the way and I'm proud to have it in my collection.
Rating:
Summary: Dances With Wolves, Expanded 4-Hour VHS and DTS Versions
Review: I adore DANCES WITH WOLVES. It's my favorite film of all time, not only because it is a very moving story on many levels, but because it taught me something; it changed me. Our teachers lied in our high-school American History classes -- They fed us propaganda by representing us Americans as being the "good guys" and the Indians as the "bad guys." (And Columbus DIDN'T discover America!) Maybe I should have realized these things long before, but I hadn't really thought about them, and for that I am embarrassed. After seeing DANCES, I was ashamed, for the first time in my life, to be a European-descended white American. The Lakota Sioux were portrayed as being a clean, honorable, curious, reverent, and environmentally sensitive people, whereas the white soldiers were portrayed exactly the opposite. (The actor who played Spivey was perfectly cast -- he was so obnoxious that I could have strangled him with my own bare hands! ) Maybe that's what has captured so many who DID love this movie -- For once, someone (Kevin Costner) took a HUGE risk, bucked the Hollywood know-it-alls, and allowed the pendulum to swing the other way by depicting the Native Americans as being the antithesis of all the previous Hollywood portrayals (vicious murderers and plunderers of the whites). These outdated cliches are extremes, and maybe we needed a portrayal at the other extreme to bring our ideas of the Native Americans back toward center. As a result, we are left with a combination view that the Native Americans had their good sides AND their dark sides, which is probably more accurate anyway. DANCES wakes us all up to thinking about these issues in a new and non-Hollywood way. IT'S ABOUT TIME! And I applaud Michael Blake (author of the original book), Kevin Costner, Jim Wilson, TIG Productions, and Orion Pictures for bringing this story with its refreshing point of view to us. And it's a GREAT story, beautifully filmed -- movingly scored -- a Masterpiece! Who cares if it's not historically accurate! I am gratified for Kevin's sake that DANCES WITH WOLVES captured the 1990 Oscars that it so richly deserved. As for Kevin Costner himself, HE IS MY FAVORITE ACTOR, not because of his acting skills . . . (yes, he does have somewhat deadpan line-delivery habits, not enough variety in believable facial expression, and a vacuous stare when his character is mulling something over, but he is BRILLIANT on-screen in other ways, which I won't elaborate on here) . . . but because of his choices in the films he wants to do. This is a man who simply wants to tell great stories! His focus is not on delivering us any particular message . . . he's not trying to be politically correct . . . he's not into teaching us earth-shaking things or ramming new points of view down our throats . . . his viewpoint isn't even necessarily consistent from one film to another. He just knows a good story when he finds one and tries to bring it to us in the best way he can, using the considerable arsenal of movie-making talents that he has. THAT IS NOBLE! He is a very gifted storyteller! I have enjoyed nearly every one of his films, especially BULL DURHAM, FIELD OF DREAMS, TIN CUP, MESSAGE IN A BOTTLE, and FOR LOVE OF THE GAME. For me, these last two are close to the bone (due to sadnesses in my own life), and I have come to love this man (Costner) for what he has brought to me. It's a very personal thing! There's something in him that tells me he's a kindred spirit. Handsome? Definitely, but that's only skin deep. I would call him BEAUTIFUL, because that goes way deeper. THAT's why he's my favorite actor! If a character in a film attracts me, I find I'm attracted more to the person PORTRAYING the character than to the character him/herself. I wonder, "What is it about the ACTOR who brings something from him/herself to the role to make that character appealing to me?" Costner has strummed a deep personal chord in nearly every film he has done. I especially enjoy his sports movies, because he's naturally graceful and athletic -- he has excelled at baseball, golf, horseback riding, basketball, fishing, etc., in his own life. This gives him more credibility in such roles than perhaps any other actor in Hollywood. And I'm a sports nut in the very sports he likes to play. THAT's why he's my favorite actor! At the risk of sounding "over the top," I have studied Kevin Costner's life and career for the past 16-or-so years, ever since his FANDANGO days. I've dug in and read a lot. I know he has a hard-to-get-along-with reputation in Hollywood. He's even admitted he is "ferocious" when it comes to making movies. He's a purist, a perfectionist, and is just standing up for what he believes will make a great story FOR US ALL TO ENJOY. Who can help but appreciate a person who fights for our benefit like that! THAT's why he's my favorite actor! Before making any judgments about a person, I like to study his/her issues and try to get to the reasons why. If you take the time to find out about someone's motivations BEFORE you criticize, you might find out some interesting things about what he or she is trying to accomplish. Wouldn't you want to be treated the same way? SO . . . I will defend Kevin Costner, his ideas, his motivations, and the exceptional acting skills he DOES have, as well as his movie choices, to anyone who chooses to lambaste him! Kevin . . . if you're there . . . I don't know how to reach you, or even if I should try. But I hope you find this and read it! I hope it lifts your spirits whenever they are low.
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