Dances With Wolves

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Dances With Wolves

PG-13

1990

3h 0m

History

Drama

Western

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

87%

Tomatometer

132 Reviews

87%

Popcornmeter

100,000+ Ratings

A Civil War soldier develops a relationship with a band of Lakota Indians. Attracted by the simplicity of their lifestyle, he chooses to leave his former life behind to be with them. Having observed him, they give the name Dances With Wolves. Soon he is a welcomed member of the tribe and falls in love with a white woman who has been raised in the tribe. Tragedy results when Union soldiers arrive with designs on the land.

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Critics Consensus

Dances with Wolves suffers from a simplistic view of the culture it attempts to honor, but the end result remains a stirring western whose noble intentions are often matched by its epic grandeur.

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Pauline Kael

The New Yorker

11/08/2022

This epic was made by a bland megalomaniac (The Indians should have named him "Plays with Camera"). You look at that untroubled face and know he can make everything lightweight.

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Bob Thomas

Associated Press

11/08/2022

Even with its flaws, Dances With Wolves is cause for celebration, a haunting elegy to the end of the Great Plains wilderness.

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Bob Fenster

Arizona Republic

11/08/2022

5/5

It's difficult for any actor to direct himself effectively. It's amazing when someone does it in an epic that turns out as fine as this tale of the Old West.

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Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

10/10/2024

4/4

Forever known (and, in some circles, vilified) as The Movie That Beat GoodFellas For The Best Picture Oscar, Costner’s commercial and critical smash has seen its reputation diminish over the years -- an unfortunate development for a truly exemplary film.

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Mark Johnson

Awards Daily

06/14/2023

An exquisitely shot Western epic with majestic landscapes detailing the crimes against indigenous people and the final years of the American West.

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Bruce R. Miller

Sioux City Journal

11/08/2022

4/4

Dances With Wolves is Costner's crossroads. Amazingly, he emerges from it a better actor and an extremely good director.

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Ketemama B.

@Ketemama May 27

Visually stunning. Kostner is great. A must see. Action scenes are outstanding.

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Greg G

@frellus Apr 7

If you love westerns and the ideas of a wild, untamed frontier this is the quintessential movie - alongside Tombstone of course. The movie puts you into a first-person narrative as told by Lt. John Dunbar as a lone soldier posted on the frontier, like he was an other worldly alien by the natives. This movie opened my heart - they don't make them like this anymore. The score by John Barry is epic and makes you feel the openness of the frontier, along with the drama that unfolds. We don't have enough appreciation of the courage it took for people to really explore the unknown, confront dangers of an environment and hostiles who want to kill you at every turn. Highly recommended watch, but turn off the lights, turn the music up and just let yourself drift back in time for it and enjoy the ride. There's little antagonism until near the second half and even then it's not like modern movies (thank God). Enjoy!

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Stephen C

@bob25009 Mar 1

Success in 3 hours. The 1991 winner of Academy Awards for Best Picture and Best Director (Kevin Costner).

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rex W

@RT11010153 Feb 27

A slow-developing film that allows the viewer to get to know all the characters involved, including the horse and the wolf. I wasn't sure I liked the first 90 minutes of the film, but it picks up steam from the midpoint on.

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Michael A

@Tomato547 Jan 8

Here it is, Dances with wolves is tremendous in music terms, acting terms and entertainment terms. It's fantastic in every way. It really started the 90's I'll tell you that. If you actually hate this movie then you don't deserve to be a critic.

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judy b

@RT45753331 Nov 21

One of my top three movies and now I can’t even remember what the other two are! Getting ready to watch the four hour extended cut soon!

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Synopsis

A Civil War soldier develops a relationship with a band of Lakota Indians. Attracted by the simplicity of their lifestyle, he chooses to leave his former life behind to be with them. Having observed him, they give the name Dances With Wolves. Soon he is a welcomed member of the tribe and falls in love with a white woman who has been raised in the tribe. Tragedy results when Union soldiers arrive with designs on the land.

Director: Kevin Costner
Producer: Kevin Costner, Jim Wilson
Screenwriter: Michael Blake
Distributor: Image Entertainment Inc., Orion Pictures, MGM/UA Home Entertainment Inc.
Production Co: Majestic Film, Tig Productions
Rating: PG-13
Genre: History, Drama, Western
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Nov 21, 1990, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 29, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $184.0M
Runtime: 3h 0m
Sound Mix: Dolby SR, Dolby Digital, Surround
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)