Dances with Wolves

Name: Dances with Wolves
Genre: Adventure, Drama, Western
Released: November 9, 1990
Duration: 181 min
Rating: 72
Cast: Graham Greene, Kevin Costner, Mary McDonnell

1990

METASCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 20 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Universal acclaim based on 232 Ratings

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8.5

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8.5	User Score Universal acclaim based on 232 Ratings

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Dances With Wolves

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Movie Details & Credits

Orion Pictures Corporation | Release Date: November 9, 1990 | PG-13

Starring: Graham Greene, Kevin Costner, Mary McDonnell

Summary: Rewarded for his heroism in the Civil War, Lt. Dunbar (Costner) wants to see the American frontier before it is gone. He is assigned to an adandoned fort, where a sioux tribe is his only neighbor. Overcoming the language barrier and their mutual fear and distrust, Dunbar and the proud Indians gradually become friends. Eventually, he fallsRewarded for his heroism in the Civil War, Lt. Dunbar (Costner) wants to see the American frontier before it is gone. He is assigned to an adandoned fort, where a sioux tribe is his only neighbor. Overcoming the language barrier and their mutual fear and distrust, Dunbar and the proud Indians gradually become friends. Eventually, he falls in love with the beautiful Stands With a Fist (McDonnell), a white woman raised by the tribe. (MGM)… Expand

Director: Kevin Costner

Genre(s): Adventure, Drama, Western

Rating: PG-13

Runtime: 181 min

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Metascore

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Critic Reviews

100

Hal Hinson

A gigantic achievement, an endowment of riches. Read full review

100

Sheila Benson

A clear-eyed vision. Authentic as an Edward Curtis photograph, lyrical as a George Catlin oil or a Karl Bodmer landscape, this is a film with a pure ring to it. It's impossible to call it anything but epic [9 Nov 1990, Calendar, p.F-1]

Staff (Not Credited)

Costner's directing style is fresh and assured. A sense of surprise and humor accompany Dunbar's adventures at every turn, twisting the narrative gently this way and that and making the journey a real pleasure. Read full review

Marjorie Baumgarten

The film's politically correct repudiation of the familiar black-and-white characterizations of the white and red man is ultimately undermined, however, when the pendulum swings too far in the other direction. Read full review

Mike Clark

Ultimately, this film is more interesting than rousing; missing is a John Ford-ian wealth of idiosyncratic characters. [9 Nov 1990, Life, 4D]

David Sterritt

Smoothly directed by Kevin Costner, who also gives a sensitive performance in the leading role. The screenplay is often trite, however, and there's no reason for the picture's three-hour length. [9 Nov 1990, Arts, p.12]

Pauline Kael

The movie is childishly naïve... like a New Age social-studies lesson. It isn't really revisionist; it's the old stuff toned down and sensitized. [17 Dec 1990]

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User Reviews

Mustang25827

Jun 24, 2014

Dances with wolves is something that you don't see in movies now a days and it speaks to you In away that movies should this without a doubt one of my favorite movies of all time

2 of 2 users found this helpful20

gracjanski

Dec 30, 2020

What a beautiful epic movie. Dialogues full of wisdom, story with a big meaning, beautiful landscape and music. The movie shows a lot of indian culture and touched me, because I understand the ugly side of our "civilisation" very well and like the free spirit of the wild life. AnywayWhat a beautiful epic movie. Dialogues full of wisdom, story with a big meaning, beautiful landscape and music. The movie shows a lot of indian culture and touched me, because I understand the ugly side of our "civilisation" very well and like the free spirit of the wild life. Anyway sometimes the movie showed his antipathy towards the white culture too much.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

Naruto78909

Dec 10, 2017

Its a very good film it explains the civil war and how the civil war started its about how the Indians were mistreated and how 1 man becomes a traitor and joins the Indians and you learn how their people and not savages

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

MovieLonely94

Oct 31, 2010

its like Avatar with indians in this entertaining movie.

1 of 5 users found this helpful14

geewah

Jan 27, 2021

While it's a pretty good movie, how this won best Oscar over Goodfellas or even Awakenings is a surprise.
While the message being conveyed is an important one, it is done so in quite a simplistic manner.

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

clem666

Apr 13, 2021

A beautiful attempt to create a parallel story of the colonization of North America. Even if the storyline is quite predictable and similar to many Disney childish stories it remains interesting to witness the way things are arranged. 'Dances With Wolves' is a really long movie and thisA beautiful attempt to create a parallel story of the colonization of North America. Even if the storyline is quite predictable and similar to many Disney childish stories it remains interesting to witness the way things are arranged. 'Dances With Wolves' is a really long movie and this quality allows it to tackle many issues and craft deep and intricated characters. There are some fight scenes but it never falls in obnoxious violence. It is marvelous to see a movie like this that fully takes its time to show facial emotions, environment and animals. It does it in a such way that we actually can feel the loneliness of the main character, the amazement of the girl finding back her own roots or the doubt of a worried chief.

However if you manage to see American Indians differently as the plot moves forward you will quickly realize that White American settlers are almost all truly one-dimensional. You will probably also land on the conclusion that the lenght of the movie makes its pace inequal and unbalanced. The ending (no spoil) feels pretty rushed after all the time the movie demanded to set itself. I can totally understand why this movie is a classic for so many people but today we tend to feel all these years between its creation and us.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

Jan 30, 2007

This grossly overrated film works only if you live in some strange reality where being extremely naive and foolhardy doesn't get you immediately killed and poo-pooed at. The protagonist evokes neither awe nor sympathy, just sad pity for a deluded has-been. However, the cinematography This grossly overrated film works only if you live in some strange reality where being extremely naive and foolhardy doesn't get you immediately killed and poo-pooed at. The protagonist evokes neither awe nor sympathy, just sad pity for a deluded has-been. However, the cinematography is admittedly beautiful (but not stunning).… Expand

0 of 4 users found this helpful

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