Rating: 
Summary: Big, bold, audacious, brilliant!
Review: Seek out the extended version in the widescreen edition. It is worth the price you may have to pay. Settle for nothing less.Every so often there is a film/book/record that is imbued with something beyond itself that isn't apparent until it is finished. This is one of those rare gems. There is a 'spirit' to this film that moves on many different levels: visually, emotionally, intellectually and, yes, even spiritually. This movie provides another perspective on one element of America that is rarely seen: the perspective from those who are truly Native to this soil. The 237 minute version adds much depth and nuance to the characters and much of the plot (although the 181 minute version holds it own if you've never seen this version). The scenery is simply breathtaking and the characters come to life on the screen. If you are fascinated by the culture and really seek to understand a way of life too often stereotyped and almost forgotten (and may even have a guily conscious as to how it has gotten to this point), this is one you do not want to miss.
Rating:
Summary: Beautiful film of a bygone era
Review: Sumptuous, delicious, beautiful movie about a white soldier's journey of self-discovery with a Lakota Sioux tribe. Lt. John Dunbar, a Civil War hero by accident (he was trying to kill himself), gets a second chance at life when he's allowed to choose his next military assignment. He chooses to see the frontier--"before it's gone". Arriving at the fort, he finds it abandoned, disheveled, broken down. As he tries to rebuild the fort and enjoy the scenery, hoping to see buffalo, he befriends a wolf, Two Socks. Eventually the local Indians come to check him out, and Dunbar and his neighbors draw closer through a series of stop-and-start encounters. He draws close enough to become one of them--but then Army life intrudes into the near-idyllic scene. The details of the prairie and of Sioux village life are breathtaking. The music by John Barry is atmospheric and inspiring. I would hope those viewing the film will ask themselves what it would have been like to live an Indian village, if they would have been up to its demands and open to its possibilities.
Rating:
Summary: Spectacular western epic
Review: I always take my hat off to actors who are able to direct a movie as well act in it, and are able to pull it off sucessfully. To do this in Dances with Wolves as Costner has is sensational when you consider how much the lead role dominated this movie, and how good the movie turned out. Set against a spectacular western backdrop, Costner's normally drab acting style suits this role very well. Costner is a much maligned actor and sometimes the criticism is justified, but he should be applauded for his efforts in this atmospheric epic. If you are after an action packed western then this movie is not for you. If however, you want a fresh take on a western story, grand scenery, wonderful costumes, a nice love story, good photography and your prepared to invest some time in the movie then I highly recommend it.
Rating:
Summary: IT IS JUST AMAZIN...
Review: OHHH man am in love with kevin this man dont do any movies only the best movies he does.....wayy too am am in love with this man uhhhh...the movie is just breathtakin,amazin,outstandin,ohhh even more words cant give the movie what it deserves...ohhh the shootin effects the place where the movie where shooted,the sound effect ohh man it is woww amazin,IT REALLY SHOWS THE MEANIN OF LOVIN PPL,THE MEANIN OF FREINDS,THE MEANIN OF LOVE(((i want true love but guess only will find it in movies :( )))),IT SHOWS YA ALL THAT...ohhh god ,,YA THERE ALL I RECOMMEND YA ALL WATCH IT...oops forget one more thing the soundtrack wow wow wow m...it is wow......
Rating:
Summary: 5 Stars!
Review: This robust and yet tender tale of one Indian tribe's encounter with the white man is both entertaining and educational. Kevin Costner tells a very personal tale of an army man who comes to love a tribe of Dakota Indians. He sees them as people, not as the enemy. He shows them to have great dignity and compassion, while his fellow soldiers are portrayed as crude and barbaric. The music is wonderful, the scenery is beautiful, the story is heartbreaking. This is Kevin Costner's masterpiece.
Rating:
Summary: Costner's Best Performance!
Review: This movie was a personal triumph for Costner who put up his own money to see it got out. And lucky for us that he did. This is a classic western. Set during and directly after the Civil War. Costner is a war hero sent to a remote outpost and because of a death in the chain of command no one knows he is there. While there, alone, he tries to befriend the local indian tribe. He does this and begins communications with them. Thought of as savages this movie shows that they were actually, atleast some tribes, more civilized than the white man at that time. The friendship blossums and the Lt. becomes part of the tribal family. Moving and hunting with it and he has gained acceptance. Until the soldiers move into the fort and he is tried as a traitor to the U.S. and his new family must come to his rescue. An outstanding movie that was a risk for Costner and it turned out to a focal point of his career that he will be remembered for. Great scenery and many good actors. Given the fact that throughout much of this movie he is alone with only his thoughts, it does not drag that much for such a long running movie, over 3 hours. One worth watching!
Rating:
Summary: DTS Always
Review: Everyone knows that this movie is the winner of 7 Academy Awards to include Best Picture of 1990. No one has to be any type of "expert movie critic" to be able to tell quality in terms of substance of this movie. The storyline is very well orchestrated and reveals some deep cold realities of the Civil War; mainly the mind-set of the "whites" versus the natives. This of course is not to say that history is being factually told, but merely someone's portrayal of the Old West.
Now for my confession. I primarily purchased Dances with Wolves because of the DTS audio soundtrack. I know, shame on me, but I have read so many reviews about this movie's DTS audio that I had to have it. It took me awhile to find it and purchase it but in the end it paid off. The DTS audio in this movie is by far the best that I have experience. I have seen the Planet of the Apes, new version, a number of space-typ movies, the 13th Warrior, and none have the superb audio quality this movie has. This DTS audio track utilizes a perfect 5.1 channel mix consistently, and the bass (subwoofer) output is tremendous; you will have to reduce the bass! For all of you out there who primarily seek superb audio quality this movie is a must. I wonder if there is another movie out there somewhere with equal or greater audio quality that some of us don't know about.
Rating:
Summary: Magnificent performance by Mary McDonnell !
Review: why has nobody so far mentioned the outstanding feature of the film: the wonderful performance by Mary McDonnell as 'Stands With a Fist' ! A truly heartwarming film !
Rating:
Summary: "I want to see the Frontier...Before It's Gone."
Review: This tale of the frontier and the last days of native culture in the west is Kevin Costner's best film to date. It tells the story of Union army officer John Dunbar who, disillusioned with the bloody civil war in the east, requests to be posted to a remote western outpost. He arrives to find the fort totally deserted with no sign of the garrison. His only companions are his trusty horse Cisco and a unusually friendly wolf he names Two-Socks. He soon makes contact with a band of Souix Indians who are at first curious but highly suspicious of the lone white man in their land. He finally rides out to make formal contact with them which eventually leads to friendship and acceptance by the tribe. Over time, he develops close friendships with several members of the clan, particularly Kicking Bird, the village holy man, Wind In His Hair, a stoic and powerful warrior, and Stands With a Fist, a white woman raised by Kicking Bird's family. Dumbar undertakes a journey of self-discovery as he grows ever closer to his new Indian friends, accompanying them on a buffalo hunt, defending the village against a Pawnee attack, and eventually marrying into the tribe. Slowly but surely, he ceases to be what he has always been, a white soldier named John Dunbar until all that remians is a Souix named Dances With Wolves. In the end, he must make a choice to defend his new friends or return to his old life and assist in the decimation of the Indians and their land. Dances With Wolves is a beautiful film with strong characters and lush landscapes. Costner is in his element here as the soft spoken reluctant hero who must make serious life choices in the face of overwhelming odds. This movie definately embraces Rousseau's idea of the "Noble Savage" as the Souix are presented here as a proud and innocent people, unencumbered by vice, and threatened by an ever expanding flood of whites driven by the dreams of Manifest Destiny. Whether this is a factual depiction of the Indians is open to debate, but it cannot be denied that we are given a genuinely sympathetic picture of life on the plains and a desire to see Dunbar and his Indian allies hold back the inevitable...
Rating:
Summary: One of the best westerns
Review: It's one of the best westerns. THE GREATEST film study about Native Americans. Like Leonard Maltin said, the locations this great masterpiece was film on are breathtaking to say the least. But dont take my word for it, or Leonard's...you have to see it for yourself. I couldn't ever forget characters such as Stands With A Fist, Kicking Bird, Two Socks, Cysco and of course, Wind In His Hair... but most of all Dances With Wolves himself. Kevin Costner is not only a great actor in this, his direction behind the camera is remarkable and astoundingly beautiful. 10 years has past since this film was released, it becomes richer ands richer with each passing year.
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