Dances with Wolves
American Civil War movies are true American classics, with there being hundreds of movies
existing within this highly-acclaimed theme. These movies are brand marked by their typical
Western elements: beautiful wide shots of nature and their drama and adventure packed
plot. Even though there being a great number of these type of movies, they always appear to
cover the same old story of the ‘heroic’ Union soldier dressed in dark blue uniform, covered
in the dark red blood of their enemies trying to save his ‘civilized’ nation. As beautifully
directed as these movies are, the plot gets repetitive and outdated. If only there was a
Western-styled Civil War movie offering a different plot and perspective, while staying true to
their Western elements…
Well, this type of movie actually exists. ‘Dances with Wolves’ is an American Western Civil
War movie released in 1990, written by Michael Blake and directed by Kevin Costner.
Costner also plays the main character, John Dunbar, a Union lieutenant integrating in Native
American society & culture. The supporting roles are carried out by Mary McDonell (Stands
with a Fist), Graham Green (Kicking Bird) and Rodney A. Grant (Wind in His Hair). The
runtime is 3 hours and 1 minute. The movie won 7 Oscars and has an IMDb rating of 8 out of
10 (Author Unknown, Date Unknown).
The movie takes place during the American Civil War, and follows the story of Union
lieutenant John Dunbar. After performing a heroic act during the war, Dunbar gets to choose
his own post. He chooses a post in the quiet West, as he wants to experience its beauty
before it gets destroyed by the consequences of war. Arriving at his post, he is immediately
sent on a mission to find an abandoned fort, the exact purpose of this mission stays unclear.
At the fort he comes in contact with the Sioux, a Native American tribe, who reside nearby.
At first, both Dunbar and the Sioux are very cautious of each other, as they view each other
as enemies. It is suggested by one of the tribes greatest warriors, Wind in His Hair, to kill
Dunbar. Yet one of the holy members of the tribe, Kicking Bird, insists on trying to
communicate with Dunbar, sensing he means no harm and can inform the tribe about a
possible Union invasion. Communication is difficult due to the language barrier. This problem
is later solved by Kicking Bird convincing one of the tribe members, named Stands with a
Fist, to translate between English and the Sioux language. Stands with a Fist was adopted
into the tribe at a very young age, but is originally comes from a white family, hence her
being able to speak English. Dunbar falls in love with her and simultaneously integrates
more and more within Sioux society and culture. He even gains the name ‘Dances with
Wolves’, referring to a moment where he was seen playing around with a wolf. Dunbar
realises the Native Americans are not the ‘savage’ people as they are described by white
Americans, but are actually very friendly people with a strong sense of community.
What makes this movie so interesting is the way it distances itself from the typical Western
or Civil War movies, and the ignorant view of Native Americans. Where war in general, or
the Union army specifically, is glorified in these type of movies, ‘Dances with Wolves’ shows
that there isn’t much to glorify about the Union army, considering all the harm they cause to
people, animals and nature. It also offers a different perspective on Native Americans, who
were at the time in 1990, by many still seen as ‘savage’ or ‘uncivilized’. The movie shows
that this is not the case, that Native Americans are actually very friendly people with a strong
sense of community. They just simply have a different culture.
