Dances with Wolves, directed by Kevin Costner, was based on the book of the same name by Michael Blake, who thereafter wrote the screenplay for the film. The plot takes place during the American Civil War when a brave lieutenant John Dunbar finds himself in an abandoned fort and infiltrates Native American society. Even though the director’s crew extensively obtained guidance from historical consultants, for example, Doris Leader Charge, Lakota language instructor, it did not save the film from historical criticism. Dances with Wolves can be considered as ambitious and outstanding debut work of an inexperienced director who treated the image of indigenous Indians carefully and competently conveyed it in his project.
The communal life of indigenous Indians has been portrayed accurately enough for a film not based on real events. The film was actively praised for the fact that Costner managed to resist the typical portrayal of Native Americans and not limit the characters to simplified caricature. Most of the minor inaccuracies presented in the film did not significantly impact the understanding of the overall picture. Russell Means noticed mistakes in the use of the Lakota language when some of the male-Natives were speaking in the feminine way. Historian Joseph Roquemore also noted that the Sioux tribe’s attitude to weapons was misinterpreted to emphasize people’s traditional way of life (StudyMoose 2020). The movie’s historical inaccuracies were caused not only by the difficulty of portraying the Lakota culture but also by the biases of Costner and his desire to convey a certain image of the tribe. Despite such mistakes, the director’s approach to portraying history was responsible, which helped him eliminate the stereotype of a noble savage in the image of a Native American.
Kevin Costner’s love of Native American history was evident long before his directing of Dancing with Wolves, and at the age of 35, he decided to revive the Western with his project. He sought to overcome human prejudices about savage Indians in order to renew long-forgotten ties. Costner depicted the Indians not as a general group of people but as individuals to humanize them as much as possible. His desire to revive the interest and impact of peoples understanding the culture and life of indigenous peoples brings the Native Americans to the central plan.
The cinematic techniques of Dances with Wolves play a huge role in the hidden influence on the viewer. Dean Semler as a cinematographer shot the film in color and actively used lighting to add opposite tones to the overall mood. In the scene where the main character is preparing to leave the tribe, the general mood is sad, but the bright light hints at the possibility of a happy future. The main musical theme is a straightforward trumpet-led melody, quite pretentious and anticipating, though fading against the background of brighter musical pieces, such as the bass-heavy The Death of Timmons or The Buffalo Hunt written for the film specifically (D’Amata 2020). In general, the cinematic picture had a huge impact on the film’s overall impression, making it so memorable and stand out.
On a scale of one to five, I would rate the film 4 points on the scale of historical value and 4 points on the scale of entertainment value. The historical component expanded the understanding of the average person about Native Americans. Nevertheless, some minor inaccuracies, sometimes even made to create a certain image of the tribes, do not allow me to rate the film at 5. The entertaining component of the film can also be appreciated highly because the film has gained great popularity and received critical acclaim. Nevertheless, I would dare to withdraw the score for the timing, which could spoil the impression for some viewers.
References
D’Amata, Stephani, Anne. A Case Study of Indigenous Representation in Film Music: Smoke Signals and Dances with Wolves. 2020. Web.
Dances with the Facts: The Historical Accuracy of Dances with Wolves. StudyMoose, 2020. Web.
Dances with Wolves. Directed by Kevin Costner. 1990. Orion Pictures.