Dances with Wolves (film)
"Dances with Wolves," released in 1990, is an acclaimed film directed by and starring Kevin Costner. The narrative follows Lieutenant John J. Dunbar, a disillusioned Civil War hero who seeks solace on the Dakota frontier. As he becomes immersed in Lakota culture, Dunbar undergoes a profound transformation, ultimately rejecting his military background and embracing the community he comes to cherish. The film is noted for its sensitive depiction of American Indian culture, earning widespread recognition and seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director.
The movie also highlights environmental themes and is often referred to as the first "eco-Western." While celebrated for its portrayal of Native American characters and cultures, some critics argue that it romanticizes indigenous life and reinforces Hollywood tropes, primarily through the lens of a white male protagonist. Despite this contention, "Dances with Wolves" played a significant role in encouraging the production of more American Indian-themed films and increased the hiring of indigenous actors in Hollywood. The film's success resonated with audiences upon release, yet its influence on future cinema remains a topic of debate among scholars and critics.
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Subject Terms
Dances with Wolves (film)
Director Kevin Costner (1955- )
Date Released on November 9, 1990
A sympathetic treatment of Lakota (Sioux) culture, this film was one of the most successful Westerns of all time and sparked a revival of the genre during the 1990’s.
Debuting in 1990, Dances with Wolves was a Hollywood blockbuster, earning $184 million domestically and $424 million worldwide. The movie won seven Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Director. Its sensitive portrayal of American Indians and environmental themes proved a winning combination with audiences and critics.
The film centers on Costner as Lieutenant John J. Dunbar, a disillusioned Civil War hero who flees to the Dakota frontier. Stationed alone in the wilderness, the lieutenant begins a journey of self-discovery and metamorphosis as he gradually “goes native,” rejecting American society in favor of the Lakota culture he sees as more spiritual, life-affirming, and in tune with nature. As the story progresses, Dunbar sheds his Army blue, takes a white Sioux captive as his wife, and becomes a respected leader of the Sioux band. He is branded a traitor by his Army colleagues, portrayed as villainous savages in the movie. In expert detail, Costner allows audiences to experience Lakota culture, witness a dramatic buffalo hunt, and cheer as Dunbar’s Lakota brothers rescue him from captivity. The film ends with the lieutenant and his wife leaving their beloved tribe to its unhappy fate; an epilogue notes the Sioux’s ancient way of life is destined for destruction and disappearance.
The epic’s beautifully rendered landscape scenes, sensitive American Indian characters, and antimilitary theme stuck a chord with 1990 moviegoers. Native Americans and critics hailed Dances with Wolves for overturning negative Hollywood stereotypes of American Indians, while animal rights activists and environmental groups applauded it as the first “eco-Western.” Costner attempted to portray American Indian culture accurately, utilizing Lakota language and indigenous actors, including Graham Greene, who secured an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor. Although the film was a hit with critics, many academics and American Indian scholars were not so kind to the movie, claiming the film provided an unrealistic, romantic portrayal of Native American life that substituted the old ecologically minded “noble savage” stereotype for the “blood-thirsty savage” of classic Westerns. Far from revolutionary, the film stuck more closely to Hollywood formulas than first acknowledged, critics argued, having a white male as its central character, telling the story from a nonindigenous viewpoint, and setting the tale on the frontier among classic movie Indians, the Sioux.
Impact
Dances with Wolves spawned a number of American Indian-themed movies and documentaries that followed its lead in hiring indigenous actors and striving for cultural authenticity. Its box-office success also sparked a slew of successful gunslinger movies. The genre, however, failed to mount a lasting comeback. In particular, films with Native American leads set in modern times bombed at theaters, proving that American audiences still preferred some variant of the classic Hollywood Indian.
Bibliography
Aleiss, Angela. Making the White Man’s Indian: Native Americans and Hollywood Movies. Westport, Conn.: Praeger, 2005.
Kilpatrick, Jacquelyn. Celluloid Indians: Native Americans and Film. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 1999.