Lt. John Dunbar is sent to an abandon fort on the frontier. While at this outpost he begins a journey of his spirit. He becomes friends with the local Indians and eventually becomes one of them. He meets and marries a white woman called "Stand with fist" whose family was killed by another tribe. She wonders into their tribe and is adopted by the Village chief. Stand with fist becomes a translator between Dunbar and the Native Indians (eventhough she has not spoken these words (English) since she was two).
John Dunbar begins a transformation were he begins to see these native indians not as savages but as fellow human beings. One day the native people see him Dancing with wolves around a campfire. They then give him his tribal name "Dances with wolves". Overtime Lt. Dunbar becomes completely assimilated into their culture.
Granham Green gives an outstanding performance as the chief. Graham Greenbecomes the first Native American to be nominated for an Academy Award (Best Supporting Actor). Granham also gives a fine performance as Ishi in the movie "Last of his tribe".
One reviewer wrote that this movie tends to romanticize the Indians by portaying them as saintly people. I have had courses in American Indian Studies and I have to confess that it is true. Native Americans have been romanticized in our popular culture. Dances with wolves portray the Indians as good guys and white people as bad guys. This portrayal tends to be one sided. Not all white people were bad. Many wanted to help the Indians. But, because of their short sightedness and lack of understanding of Native American culture, many of their programs ended up hurting the native people. While many movies portray Native Americans are portrayed as Savages, Many Native Americans are also falsley portrayed as great evironmentalists. In fact Native Americans were just as exploitive of their resources as white people. They just didn't create an impact because their numbers were small and their population size was controlled by the carrying capacity of the environment. Many Native American tribes were aggressive and did kill white people with out provocation. Dances with wolves does tend to be one sided and is just as false as any other western that portray Indians as blood thirsty savages.
The story telling was very good and the cinematography was fantasic. The movie really showed the beauty of the western frontier. One needs to look at this movie not as a portrayal of white people or of Indians but, as the Journey of one man's soul.
Lt. John Dunbar is sent to an abandon fort on the frontier. While at this outpost he begins a journey of his spirit. He becomes friends with the local Indians and eventually becomes one of them. He meets and marries a white woman called "Stand with fist" whose family was killed by another tribe. She wonders into their tribe and is adopted by the Village chief. Stand with fist becomes a translator between Dunbar and the Native Indians (eventhough she has not spoken these words (English) since she was two). John Dunbar begins a transformation were he begins to see these native indians not as savages but as fellow human beings. One day the native people see him Dancing with wolves around a campfire. They then give him his tribal name "Dances with wolves". Overtime Lt. Dunbar becomes completely assimilated into their culture. Granham Green gives an outstanding performance as the chief. Graham Greenbecomes the first Native American to be nominated for an Academy Award (Best Supporting Actor). Granham also gives a fine performance as Ishi in the movie "Last of his tribe". One reviewer wrote that this movie tends to romanticize the Indians by portaying them as saintly people. I have had courses in American Indian Studies and I have to confess that it is true. Native Americans have been romanticized in our popular culture. Dances with wolves portray the Indians as good guys and white people as bad guys. This portrayal tends to be one sided. Not all white people were bad. Many wanted to help the Indians. But, because of their short sightedness and lack of understanding of Native American culture, many of their programs ended up hurting the native people. While many movies portray Native Americans are portrayed as Savages, Many Native Americans are also falsley portrayed as great evironmentalists. In fact Native Americans were just as exploitive of their resources as white people. They just didn't create an impact because their numbers were small and their population size was controlled by the carrying capacity of the environment. Many Native American tribes were aggressive and did kill white people with out provocation. Dances with wolves does tend to be one sided and is just as false as any other western that portray Indians as blood thirsty savages. The story telling was very good and the cinematography was fantasic. The movie really showed the beauty of the western frontier. One needs to look at this movie not as a portrayal of white people or of Indians but, as the Journey of one man's soul.