FILM ESSAY PAPER 2 CRITIQUE AND REVIEW DUE IN 24 HOURS

Running head: Dances with Wolves 1

Paper #2

“Dances With Wolves” (1990)

Daisy Bett

ARTH 334 7387

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Kevin Costner’s film Dances with Wolves (1990) successfully reinstates the popularity of

the western genre at a time when they were not the most sought-after choice. The film is so

victorious in fact that it becomes the first western since 1931 to win the Best Picture Academy

award among seven other awards (Film History of the 1990s, n.d.). Dances with Wolves is one of

the films that captures not only the attention but the heart of the audience as well. Kevin Costner

as director and main character Lieutenant John Dunbar, delivers a fresh different perspective of

Native American communities with plenty of visually enjoyable shots in this entertaining film.

The three-hour feature film may seem to some viewers today too long to watch but I would argue

that it is worth every second with its convincing storytelling, well placed sound, great editing,

realistic special effects and cinematography.

The story of Dances with Wolves is told through the life of Lt. John Dunbar, a soldier

injured during the Civil War who turns suicidal after believing he would have to amputate his

leg. In a twist of events, Lt. John’s suicide attempt results in him being a decorated soldier, he

receives treatment for his injured leg from the Major’s surgeon and is given the freedom to

choose his next post. Lt. John chooses to go as far away from the east as possible and heads

towards the frontier. The audience takes this adventurous journey with the Lieutenant through

the sea of prairie and mountains to the frontier which is still considered Native American

territory. Here we get to witness the beautiful and sometimes comedic coming together of two

different cultures. Lieutenant John isolated from any other people seeks solace in the Lakota

Indian community, he is eventually accepted as one of their own and named the one who Dances

with Wolves.

One can easily see why the film won the Best Cinematography award by just watching

the first few minutes of the film. The gruesome scene at the beginning of the film shows the dire

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and unsanitary conditions of one of the soldiers’ hospitals during the American Civil War. Close

ups are used during the first few scenes to express the anguish and the pain that Lt. John Dunbar

experiences after injuring his leg or foot. Without much dialogue, the camera tells us that Lt.

John decides against amputation of his leg as the camera shifts from his face then to the soldier

whose leg has been amputated, to the doctor’s tools which we see are several sharp instruments

typically used for cutting and then to the boots by his bedside. This is followed by the

excruciatingly painful scene where John puts his boot back onto the injured leg, this scene was

so convincing that I found myself wincing at the thought of how much pain he was in. The

technique where the camera does the storytelling is used in several scenes throughout the film,

especially as the Lieutenant meets the Lakota Indians and communication between them is

limited. I believe the use of this technique made it more believable to the audience since a

struggle in communication is expected in the beginning.

Another close-up seen further along in the film is when Lt. John makes first contact with

Kicking Bird played by Graham Greene. After taking a swim the Lieutenant completely

unguarded walks from the waters bank to see Kicking Bird looking through his belongings, the

close-up shows John’s face completely stunned as he realizes the precarious situation he is in.

Fortunately, Dances with Wolves mostly features cinematography that gives more pleasant

experiences to the audience. Some of this is seen in the long shots of the landscape and scenery

captured throughout the film especially as John takes the journey to his post in the frontier. The

audience can easily get lost in all the splendor of the vast displays of multiple landscapes. The

one that stood out to me the most was the scene where Lt. John Dunbar and the Lakota Indians

lay stalking the massive herd of buffalos in the plains.

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The breathtaking scene with the buffalos was a mystery to me and raised several

questions, where did all the buffalos come from and were any of them actually harmed? After

doing some research I learnt that some of the buffalos were from a ranch in South Dakota while

others, the ones shot down in the film were mechanically built props. The scene where a buffalo

comes charging toward the young Indian boy, Smiles A lot was actually accomplished using a

domesticated buffalo that had a great affinity for Oreos. This genius use of special effects is what

makes this film a cut above the rest. Continuity editing is used in the film during the journey that

Lt. John takes to the frontier to emphasize the distance taken to reach it and the intensity of the

journey. The cuts dissolve into each other as Lt. John and Timmons take the tedious journey

through the prairie, mountains and plains.

Non diegetic sound is used as Lt. John settles into his new post, Fort Sedgwick, while he

sleeps we hear what sounds like footsteps around the mud house. These footsteps are later

revealed to be those of his horse Cisco. The mysterious sound of footsteps makes the viewer pay

attention as well as builds suspense and anxiety. Eerie or suggestive music is also used in

multiple scenes during the film to accomplish the same effect. The music is used in the process

of storytelling, as we hear the same instrumental swell up during Lt. John’s journey to the

frontier. Sound effects are used in the film as well, the clear buzzing sound of flies is heard

whenever showing or describing a dirty environment or unkempt character like Timmons.

Kevin Costner does a brilliant job both behind and in front of the camera. As director he

pays attention to seemingly trivial details like showing some blood on the horse during the

Lieutenant’s suicidal attempt. He takes the time to develop and show the personalities of even

the minor characters like Timmons and Major Fambrough. Kevin Costner as the main character,

Lt. John Dunbar pulls off the perfect expressions and attitudes for a distressed lonely soldier is

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who meets a people he has been taught to fear but realizes they are not who they were described

to be.

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References

Film History of the 1990s. (n.d.). www.filmsite.org. Retrieved April 22, 2021, from

https://www.filmsite.org/90sintro2.html

Henrikson, C. (1991, March 8). Filming the “‘Dances With Wolves’” stampede [Review

of Filming the “‘Dances With Wolves’” stampede]. Explore Entertainment.

https://ew.com/article/1991/03/08/filming-dances-wolves-stampede/