| When I picked up this movie from my basement shelf, I didn't really know what to expect. It had been part of our video collection for more than five years, and I had never seen it. I didn't really want to see it, because of its length, but since it received the Best Picture award, I decided to give it a try. Even in the first few minutes, I could see that this was a massive motion picture. The pure beauty of this film belied the fact that this was Kevin Costner's directorial debut. The cinematography by Dean Sember is some of the most breathtaking work I have ever seen. The musical score by John Barry was haunting, and enhanced every scene. The story is entertaining and a great spectacle. It is also a western story turned upside down (You'll find out what I mean later). The movie begins in St. David's Field, Tennessee. The story is about Lieutenant John Dunbar (Kevin Costner), who is sent to a post that has been abandoned by a northern regiment. Since he is alone, he befriends a wolf that keeps watch over him. He is observed by a tribe of Sioux Indians, and gradually gains their trust and friendship. He discovers that, contrary to what he has been led to believe from other white men, the Indians are a caring and intelligent group of people. He begins to live with them, and they give him the Indian name, Dances with Wolves. He marries the only white woman in their tribe whose name is Stands with a Fist. After he is married, he lives with the Sioux. He hunts with them and joins in their battles for survival. The reason this is a western turned upside down is because the story sides with the Indians, which is almost unheard of in most westerns. When John Dunbar goes back to his post one day, cowboys that have finally arrived, see him, and mistake him for an Indian because of the Indian clothing he was given. They severely beat him, because of the fact that he befriended Indians. The film is criticized for being too preachy about the final fate of native Indians, but unjustly. The film is just presenting a story from a side that is hardly ever taken, and winning us over to that side. At one point in the movie, they are in the middle of a herd of stampeding buffalo. Dunbar and the Indians are trying to hunt the buffalo. This scene turns into the films very best scene. This is one of the most memorable scenes in any film throughout history. Everything soars to its absolute best here. The cinematography is some of the best ever put together. The photographer makes the camera shake with the vibration of the stampeding buffalo, yet doesn�t make us dizzy. It captures the beautiful wildlife that it needs to, and also gives a great sense of grandeur, and spectacle. The editing is meticulous, and doesn�t let us miss anything. The score is the most triumphant here than in any other part of the film. The buffalo hunt can be described simply as breathtaking, beautiful, and soaring. In no way is the buffalo scene the only memorable memento from the film. There are too many to mention. Two constantly memorable things that stood out to me were its spectacular cinematography (quite possibly the best of the nineties along with �Goodfellas�), and its musical score. It looks like David Lean rose from his grave and directed this film from a photographic point of view. Some of the shots have �Lean� written all over them. The long pullbacks of the camera that reveal nothing but a beautiful landscape of canyons, and sometimes plains; the way the sun is used as a canvas all resemble the best of David Lean. Now on to the quite possibly even more majestic score. I saw a post one time on a movie website where someone said that the score to �Dances With Wolves� is probably their favorite of all time. The more I think about it and hear the score, the more I tend to agree. Listening to almost any score from John Barry is like hearing music straight from heaven itself. The melodies of �Dances With Wolves� are the best I�ve ever heard. They can carry the entire film at points because they are so powerful. Along with two other composers, John Williams and James Horner, John Barry is one composer that I can think of that can move me to a point of almost crying and to a point of total joy simply by his scores. Costner�s performance never falters. He makes us sympathize with his character, and is believable enough. Costner, in my opinion, is not a great actor. He has never really been the reason a film gets critical acclaim. I will admit, however, in this film, he does give us something to hold on to. It is the performance of his career. There are no low points in this movie. The Cinematography, the score the story, and the casting are excellent. This is one of the best films of its genre, if not the best. |
| Dances With Wolves |
| United States, 1990 U.S. Release Date: October 1990 Running Length: 3:03 (long version: 3:44) MPAA Classification: PG-13 (Violence, animal deaths, discreet sex & nudity) Theatrical Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 Cast: Kevin Costner, Mary McDonnell, Graham Greene, Rodney A. Grant, Floyd Red Crow Westerman, Tantoo Cardinal, Robert Pastorelli, Charles Rocket, Maury Chaykin, Jimmy Herman, Nathan Lee Chasing His Horse Director: Kevin Costner Producers: Jim Wilson and Kevin Costner Screenplay: Michael Blake, based on his novel Cinematography: Dean Semler Music: John Barry U.S. Distributor: Orion Pictures |