Rated 4.3/5, This Kevin Costner Western Stands Unmatched 34 Years Later!

Warning, spoilers ahead! This article contains key details about “Dances with Wolves” (1990).

Kevin Costner is synonymous with the Western genre, and his latest series, Horizon, is a testament to that. Throughout his career, Costner has shone in the American West, from his early genre role in Silverado (1985) to the hit series Yellowstone, and including Wyatt Earp (1994), Open Range (which he also directed in 2003), the mini-series Hatfields & McCoys (2012), and of course his timeless masterpiece, “Dances with Wolves,” his directorial debut.

With this first directorial effort, Costner made a strong impression: the film received rave reviews from critics and audiences alike, who praised the new filmmaker’s direction, the performances of the cast, the screenplay, the music, the cinematography, and the quality of the production. “Dances with Wolves” also achieved massive box office success, grossing $424.2 million worldwide, making it the fourth highest-grossing film of 1990 and Orion Pictures’ most profitable film.

With a total of 12 Oscar nominations, “Dances with Wolves” ultimately won seven Oscars in 1991: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay (adapted by Michael Blake from his own 1988 novel of the same name), Best Cinematography, Best Music, Best Sound, and Best Editing.

The film is considered a major influence on the revival of the Western genre in Hollywood. In 2007, it was selected by the Library of Congress for preservation in the United States National Film Registry due to its “cultural, historical, or aesthetic significance.”

A Story Within History

Released in France in February 1991, “Dances with Wolves” is set during the Civil War. The film follows Lieutenant John Dunbar (Kevin Costner), hailed as a hero after a military feat, who is sent to the wilds of Dakota as a scout. There, he encounters the Sioux people and eventually forms a bond with them, despite initially knowing nothing about them.

Drawn to the simplicity of their lifestyle, he decides to leave everything behind to join them. He then becomes “Dances with Wolves” and quickly falls in love with a white woman raised within the tribe, named “Stands with a Fist” (Mary McDonnell).

Tragedy strikes when Union soldiers arrive with designs on the territory. John must then make a decision that will have consequences not only for himself but also for the people he now considers his own.

A Humanistic Classic

Portraying Native American culture in a way few films have before, with respect and accuracy, and calling for tolerance, “Dances with Wolves” is a significant work, whether one considers its extended version of 3 hours and 56 minutes or its “normal” version of 3 hours and 1 minute.

Although the protagonist is indeed a white man, the film is deeply humanistic and anti-colonialist. Here, the intimate direction reveals the complexity of a world under threat and nearly destroyed.

Due to the film’s popularity and its lasting impact on the portrayal of Native Americans, members of the Lakota Sioux nation organized a ceremony in Washington “to honor Kevin [Costner], Mary [McDonnell], and Jim [Wilson] on behalf of the Lakota nation,” explained Floyd ‘Red Crow’ Westerman (who plays Chief Ten Bears in the film).

Timeless and iconic, the film has made its mark in the history of Westerns, cinema, and indeed, in History with a capital H, quite simply.

“Dances with Wolves” is a must-see and worth revisiting, available on DVD and Blu-ray.

Rediscover the film’s trailer below: