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Dances With Wolves

Play trailer Poster for Dances With Wolves PG-13 1990 3h 0m History Drama Western Play Trailer Watchlist
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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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Dances With Wolves

Dances With Wolves

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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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Critics Reviews

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Pauline Kael The New Yorker Nov 8, 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. Go to Full Review Bob Thomas Associated Press Nov 8, 2022
Even with its flaws, Dances With Wolves is cause for celebration, a haunting elegy to the end of the Great Plains wilderness. Go to Full Review Bob Fenster Arizona Republic Nov 8, 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. Go to Full Review Matt Brunson Film Frenzy Oct 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. Go to Full Review Mark Johnson Awards Daily Jun 14, 2023
An exquisitely shot Western epic with majestic landscapes detailing the crimes against indigenous people and the final years of the American West. Go to Full Review Bruce R. Miller Sioux City Journal Nov 8, 2022
4/4
Dances With Wolves is Costner's crossroads. Amazingly, he emerges from it a better actor and an extremely good director. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Brian S @RT50360722 Sep 9, 2026 One of the best Kevin Costner movies best Western I have ever watched See more Christina D @NinaNinaBobina Aug 19, 2026 One of the all-time best western movies! See more Amy M @RT20448805 Aug 10, 2026 Excellent movie. Everyone should see it See more Wayne F @wfisher Aug 9, 2026 A dull slog with a wooden performance from Costner. See more Diogo D @diogodantas Aug 2, 2026 I remember going to the cinema. And really liked it. But now I'm old and can't stand more than 5 minutes. See more Robert H @Rwhobbs198 Aug 1, 2026 Dances with Wolves is a true classic and one of Kevin Costner's finest performances. Whether every aspect of the story is historically accurate or not, it captures the spirit of the American frontier in a way that very few films ever have. The vast plains, the isolation of frontier life, and the evolving relationship between Lieutenant Dunbar and the Lakota create a thoughtful, immersive experience rather than a typical Western. It is undeniably long and deliberately paced, but that's exactly what allows you to feel the passage of time in the lonely cabin and witness the fading of the Old West before it disappears forever. Beautifully filmed, emotionally powerful, and deeply memorable, this remains one of my favorite movies of the genre and a landmark in the history of the Western. See more Read all reviews
Dances With Wolves

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Cast & Crew

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Kevin Costner

Director

Kevin Costner

Lieutenant John Dunbar

Mary McDonnell

Stands With a Fist

Graham Greene

Kicking Bird

Rodney A. Grant

Wind in His Hair

Floyd "Red Crow" Westerman

Ten Bears

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Dances With Wolves

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Movie Info

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)
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