Dances With Wolves [20th Anniversary] [2 Discs] [Extended Cut] [Blu-ray]

Overview

A historical drama about the relationship between a Civil War soldier and a band of Sioux Indians, Kevin Costner's directorial debut was also a surprisingly popular hit, considering its length, period setting, and often somber tone. The film opens on a particularly dark note, as melancholy Union lieutenant John W. Dunbar attempts to kill himself on a suicide mission, but instead becomes an unintentional hero. His actions lead to his reassignment to a remote post in remote South Dakota, where he encounters the Sioux. Attracted by the natural simplicity of their lifestyle, he chooses to leave his former life behind to join them, taking on the name Dances with Wolves. Soon, Dances with Wolves has become a welcome member of the tribe and fallen in love with a white woman who has been raised amongst the tribe. His peaceful existence is threatened, however, when Union soldiers arrive with designs on the Sioux land. Some detractors have criticized the film's depiction of the tribes as simplistic; such objections did not dissuade audiences or the Hollywood establishment, however, which awarded the film seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture.

Product Details

Release Date:	01/11/2011
UPC:	0883904221784
Original Release:	1990
Rating:	PG-13
Source:	Mgm (Video & Dvd)
Presentation:	[Wide Screen]
Sound:	[Dolby Surround]
Language:	English
Time:	3:54:00
Sales rank:	11,596

Special Features

Disc 1:; Audio commentary with Kevin Costner and producer Jim Wilson; Audio commentary with director of photography Dean Semler and film editor Neil Travis; 2 exclusive blu-ray in-feature experiences:; Military Rank and Social Hierachy Guide and Real History or Movie Make-Believe?; Disc 2:; A Day in the Life on the Western Frontier; Original Making-of Dances With Wolves; The Creation of an Epic: a retrospective documentary; Dances photo montage with introduction by photographer Bill Glass; Original theatrical trailer

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Kevin Costner	Lt. John Dunbar,Christine
Mary McDonnell	Stands with a Fist
Graham Greene	Kicking Bird
Rodney A. Grant	Wind in His Hair
Floyd 'Red Crow' Westerman	Chief Ten Bears
Tantoo Cardinal	Black Shawl
Robert Pastorelli	Timmons
Maury Chaykin	Maj. Fambrough
Charles Rocket	Lt. Elgin
Jimmy Herman	Stone Calf
Michael Spears	Otter
Nathan Lee Chasing His Horse	Smiles A Lot
Jason R. Lone Hill	Worm
Tony Pierce	Spivey
Doris Leader Charge	Pretty Shield,Pawnee
Tom Everett	Sgt. Pepper
Larry Joshua	Sgt. Bauer
Kirk Baltz	Edwards
Sheldon Wolfchild	Sioux Warrior,Sioux No. 2/Warrior No. 2
Wayne Grace	Major
Donald Horton	General Tide
Conor Duffy	Willie
Elisa Daniel	Christine's Mother
Percy White Plume	Big Warrior
John Tail	Escort Warrior
Steve Reevis	Sioux No. 1/Warrior No. 1
Donald Hotton	Gen. Tide
Wes Studi	Toughest Pawnee
Buffalo Child	Pawnee
Clayton Big Eagle	Pawnee
Redwing Ted Nez	Sioux Warrior
Marvin Holy	Sioux Warrior
Raymond Newholy	Sioux Courier
David J. Fuller	Kicking Bird's Son
Ryan White Bull	Kicking Bird's Eldest Son
Otakuye Conroy	Kicking Bird's Daughter
Maretta Big Crow	Village Mother
Steve Chambers	Guard
William H. Burton	General's Aide,General's Aide
Bill W. Curry	Confederate Cavalryman
Nick Thompson	Confederate Soldier
Carter Hanner	Confederate Soldier
Kent Hays	Wagon Driver
Robert Goldman	Union Soldier
Frank P. Costanza	Tucker
James A. Mitchell	Ray,Ray
R.L. Curtin	Ambush Wagon Driver
Chad Dowdell	Young Cavalry Soldier (uncredited)

Technical Credits

Michael Blake

Kevin Costner	Director,Producer
Michael Blake	Screenwriter
Jim Wilson	Producer
Jake Eberts	Executive Producer,Producer
Norman L. Howell	Stunts
Robbie Knott	Special Effects

Editorial Reviews

Rather than play it safe for his directorial debut, Kevin Costner tackled an epic tale in a moribund genre, playing a U.S. Cavalry soldier who heads West to find himself in Dances With Wolves (1990). Shooting on location in South Dakota, Costner marshaled glorious vistas of open landscapes and a buffalo stampede to capture the mythic purity his Lt. Dunbar hopes to find at the frontier. Harking back to the cycle of revisionist westerns from the 1950s through the 1970s, Dunbar's intimate relationship with the Lakota Sioux tribe reverses Western stereotypes of "savage Indians" and "civilized whites"; Costner's attention to Sioux rituals and subtitled Lakota dialogue mirrors Dunbar's cultural conversion. Rather than becoming a Western hero because he brings civilization to the wild west, Dunbar's heroism lies in his "going native"--but even he is powerless in the face of encroaching white brutality. Overcoming negative publicity and mixed reviews that ranged from comparisons to John Ford to outright disdain, Dances With Wolves became a surprise hit, and received twelve Oscar nominations. With the Academy opting for New Age western myths over Goodfellas' gangster brutality, Costner beat out critical favorite Martin Scorsese for Best Director and Dances With Wolves became one of the few oaters to win Best Picture, spurring on the 1990s revival of the western as a viable Hollywood genre.

All Movie Guide - Lucia Bozzola