Rating: 
Summary: Enjoyable But Extremely Long
Review: Highly touted as a "revisionist western" that captures the reality of Native Americans and the old west, DANCES WITH WOLVES is beautifully photographed, ably performed, and rife with good intentions. Unfortunately, it is also a rather slow moving film that never quite manages to meet its self-imposed expectations. Costner's own performance is satisfactory, and Mary McDonnell's less so, but the real joy of the film are the Native American actors, who play with great sincerity and integrity. Even so, the sheer length of DANCES WITH WOLVES gives it a rather tepid quality that will make you want to hit fast forward more than once.
Rating: 
Summary: They hand in hand with wand'ring steps and slow
Review: Costner created a beautiful and stirring epic with this film, and it really is a shame and something of a mystery that he should have produced such monstrous flops in his subsequent efforts. Certainly there are flaws in this film; the reduction of the whites to cartoon villains is one of the most egregious, but it may help if you accept that this film is mythology, and prepare to immerse yourself in it is such. It is the myth-making of a late 20th-century American, longing for reunion with physical and animal nature, longing for the simple life free of materialist clutter and greed. It affirms that the image of the noble savage still resonates in our breasts. It is the attempt to answer the anguished question of when America lost its promise--when the hopes of a new order on a new continent free from the nightmare of history were dashed to pieces.Kicking Bird was to me the most interesting figure in this drama, and I wish his character had been more deeply explored. He alone appears to perceive that the restlessness of Dunbar's soul, no matter how pure his heart, makes him in a way more one with the grasping whites he has fled than he himself can realize. That his kind will never become Sioux is his curse to bear, and the curse of the Sioux (as only Kicking Bird fully perceives) is to be their victims. However you interpret the film, undeniable is the breathtaking beauty in its scenes of the vast skies and prairie of the American plains. The score is gorgeous too, and complements the several moods of the film. And the final scene, of the two exiles cast into the frozen wild with neither sure futures nor anyone to rely on but each other, is as memorable and powerful as the close of _Paradise_Lost_.
Rating:
Summary: extended version
Review: Personaly, I thought the movie was the best Costner has done yet, he needs to direct more like it. The reason I didn't give it a 5 rating is they need to bring out the extended version of Dances With Wolves, because it gives more detail of some of the things that happened and gives a better explanation of some of the events that happened in the movie.
Rating: 
Summary: Legend of the Fall
Review: Having seen so seemingly few of Kevin Costner's films, and not thinking much of the ones I had, I wasn't expecting much before sitting down to watch Dances with Wolves. But I can say now without doubt that it's the best film of his I have ever seen and only left me wondering if he can make a film like this, why his most recent ones have been so awful. Maybe he has bad judgement. Set in 1865, Costner plays John Dunbar an infantry solider in the US army who requests to be sent to the frontier after an act of suicide is mistaken for an act of heroism. Stationed all alone in a deserted outpost with nothing more than a horse, wolf and journal for company he soon finds that there are Indians aware of his presence. These Indians try and steal his horse on many occasions until he is left tied of waiting for the confrontation that is bound to come and makes his way to the Indians camp to introduce himself, from which point forth he makes leaps and bounds. This is at heart, a deeply moving tale and one that holds much prevalence when you think of how the Indian's have had their name dragged through the mud with the westerns of years gone by, portraying them more like wild packs of dogs than human beings. This film helps to re-address the balance, with scenes of the Indian's gathering round having a meeting to decide what to do about the white man's presence helping to show that they can think as well as act menacing. Of course a big factor that holds the story together is that Dunbar is open minded and essentially a forward thinker, because with a shoot first and ask questions later attitude I doubt he would have lasted 5 minutes. Their were flaws in the film that I noticed, mostly that his change of allegiance and belonging from the army to the Indian's I found rather too quick and unconvincing much like his relationship with Stands With a Fist (a woman). I also thought the ending was a little too ambiguous as well but I won't dwell on that so as not to spoil it for those that haven't seen it. Although I'm usually disingenuous when it comes to Oscar winners, I believe this film was a fully deserved winner. And that as frustrating as it is seeing Costner living in a self imposed exile of playing the role of the loner, this is worth seeing because not only is it a battle of mind over body but also a fight of the few against the might of the many. A sacrifice that too few of us are willing to make these days.
Rating:
Summary: What else can you say about this film....
Review: Which hasn't been said before. It's a film that Costner should be pround of. He told a story that a large film audience and the Academey of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences liked and was given the oscar for many acheivements. The music score by John Barry is the best that he's ever composed for any film. That's the good news. The bad news is that only this film and Field of Dreams have been any good. The films Kevin has done since then have been completely forgetable.
Rating:
Summary: one of the most beautiful landscape films ever made
Review: This is by far my all-time favorite western, although not a shoot-em up type western, it definately has a western feel to it. the story is set during the civil war where Lt. John Dunbar (Kevin Costner)is given a post of his choosing after a heroic display, he chooses a far outpost & begins a personal journey of self discovery that evolves into him befreinding the Sioux, a tribe of indians not far from his post. Kevin Costner who starred & directed in this brought the film in at 3hrs.&50min., unfortunately he had to make cuts in the film to get it shown in theaters, now that this film is no longer being produced, i can only hope it will be rereleased in full form, Costner trimmed 50min. of footage that he reinserted on the Laserdisc version, I hope he will do the same for DVD, the deleted scenes add more scope the this great film, we learn in these scenes why the post was abandoned as well as Stand With Fists recent widow state, we see more landscapes as well, we also see one of the Generals seen at the end in the beginning, I hope Costner will take this into consideration, he did for Laserdisc, hopefully he will for DVD.
Rating:
Summary: Indians have never been portrayed so affectionately
Review: Many films have tried, but nothing like "Dances With Wolves" has succeeded in capturing the truth about the Native Americans and their culture. Kevin Costner might not be popular for that flop "Postman" but this is a film to commend him on. He created a portrait of heroism for the Sioux Indians, and showed the much feared vision of Native Americans: The Pawnee. It gives the audience a real look of the time and the people. Great acting from actors and actresses. Great directing. A truly great film.
Rating:
Summary: a film of incredible truth and beauty.....
Review: It would be convenient to bash Costner for his self-indulgent appearances in this or any other film; but it might also reflect a bit of envy.... He is number one in this film. But what a film! The scene near the start where he rides his horse between Union and Rebel lines of battle, suicidal, hands thrown back, anticipating the hail of bullets....what a moment, unforgettable--and unforgettably ironic in that he gives his future enemies, the Union Army, their chance at glory. This film is full of such ironies, such stabs at integrity and the perverse consequences of breathtaking chances taken in good faith. If one man on an ego trip could finally dip down into the sources of real creativity and produce something wonderous, Costner did it here, dancing with wolves and with the wilderness so ably framed throughout the film. More than cinematic, more than a love story, more than the tale of Sioux in retreat and an Everyman figure in his own retreat from the civilization that betrays everything for money and power, the dance herein traces the lineaments of a new kind of life, a life lived close to the natural fiber of things. It's a possibility raised for whatever reasons. Sometimes an actor is so obnoxious a person that discounting his creations is relatively easy, William Shatner being an obvious example. I beg to disagree on the grounds of the fictional presence such actors create. For I don't believe in fiction. One person in so-called real life, they lend to us in the realm of imagination their very noblest selves. In their productions, in their roles: this is who they truly are! Their essential tragedy is in not living that creative boldness off-stage. But it is their tragedy and not ours.
Rating:
Summary: Hauntingly beautiful
Review: With so many reviews given before me, I will then go straight to the point about this movie. For me, I admit that I am bias when movies are concern, bias in a sense that, no matter if the movie is from USA, China, Japan or Russia, aside from good script, good story line ,good characterization and free of unwanted prejudices and bashings, it must have GREAT CINEMATOGRAPHY! And to me,at least, Dances with the Wolves can be consider a buffet. Pick of your choice, its all there and eat all you can. It is this sumptuous. Another thing, me personally at least, as an Asian viewer, who not only love and live along with different ethnicities, horse herders, nomads , farmers and aborigines along with modern cities and ancient villages, the main interesting point in watching Dances with the wolve is like watching a beautiful live documentary about the history of various Indian tribes and the Western Frontier period drama. Historical figures. Also,it is like putting me with its various people on the other side of the planet in the historical past. Then , this movie to me , is very special in that sense. I realized that the story of the movie may be fictatious, but the scenery and panoramas of the great frontier, the prairie , the buffalo hunts are visually stunning and the lifestyle and the costume of the Indians are amazingly beautiful, complicated and yet very very human, I dont know how accurate this movie is in term of costumes and language and all, perhaps my American counterparts can tell me. But knowing Spielberg, the highly acclaimed director and his reputation, I can safely said I believe the authenticities he put into his movies. Some of my most favourite scenes are vista and the surrounding, so peaceful and quiet, when Kevin Costner in that long bouts of silent comtemplation, the Indians on the horizon line on horses, the stray lonely wolf that followed the lone soldier everywhere and the frustration and barrier of communication as well as the exchanging of gifts are inspiring, comical as well as touching. Genghiz Tanghe
Rating: 
Summary: Great Movie, but...
Review: I loved the movie when I first saw it at the theater back in 1990. When I purchased this movie I was expecting to see the whole movie on ONE disc. With the technology available to transfer a movie longer than 181 min. on a singe side (dual layered) one would think that this movie would be given the same treatment. NOT! It is a 2 disc set with 17 chapters on disc one and 8 chapters on disc 2. Bummer. I loved the DTS sound. But I am very dissapointed in the way the company released this DVD. Buyer Beware! I thought I was getting a good deal, but when one has to get up and switch out the disc in mid movie you loose interest.
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