Dances with Wolves
Dances with Wolves was a movie released in 1990, which starred Kevin Costner and the actor also directed the film. Prior to becoming a movie, the story existed as a book written by Michael Blake. The North Carolina born author wanted to write a novel that showed the struggles a white man had with adapting to the community life of the Native Americans and becoming one of them. Blake also wrote the screenplay and worked closely with Costner during the process.
The movie focuses on Officer John J. Dunbar, a soldier in the Union Army that tries to kill himself after learning that he needs to have his leg amputated. He somehow manages to become a hero and decides that he needs to move to the west. Eventually he lands at Fort Sedgwick and through circumstances becomes lost to the rest of the military.
Resources on the movie include:
- Michael Blake: focuses on the author of the original novel, which the movie was based on.
- Dances with Wolves: describes the movie including the actors, producers, quotes and release dates.
- Dances with Wolves Pictures: offers photographs and images from the movie.
- Tome on the Range: explains the process of turning the book into a popular movie.
Dunbar finds the Sioux tribe living nearby and encounters a maiden by the name of Stands with a Fist, who he discovers is actually a white woman raised with the tribe. He slowly begins to incorporate himself into their lives and even helps them when needed. Dunbar also befriends a lone wolf and when the tribe leader sees him playing, he decides to name him Dances with Wolves. Dunbar realizes that he fits in better with their tribe than he ever did in the white world.
Dances With Wolves shows the lives of the Native American people during the Civil War, an era that isn't always discussed. Instead of being shown as bloodthirsty people out to scalp the white man, they're shown as loving and kind people who took a straggler into their midst. The movie touched a lot of people and is routinely listed as one of the best 100 movies in the history of film.
