DANCES WITH WOLVES (1990) | FIRST TIME WATCHING | Reaction & Commentary | So BEAUTIFUL!!
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- Опубліковано 20 тра 2024
- This weekend we're watching DANCES WITH WOLVES!! Wow just wow. What an epic story, so beautifully shot and told. Comment below where were you when you first caught Dances with Wolves!!
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Time Codes:
00:00 - Intro
02:12 - Start Watching
47:42 - Wrap it up!
History Buffs pointed out one of the greatest feats of this movie... thanks to not only having her as coach for the cast's Lakota language skills, but by giving her a small speaking role... the late Doris Leader Charge speaking 100% authentic Lakota will be forever preserved on film... for me that's the real tear dropper of this movie.
I seem to recall reading an interview with Doris Leader Charge shortly after the movie came out. She was very happy to get the bit part in the movie, she said she would be able to buy a new refrigerator for her family.
@@larrybell726I just bought a new fridge for my family. It cost a month of wages.
@@opiniondude1 Riveting.
Not only that but History Buffs also went into the history of the Sioux history up to the Keystone protest
FYI:
Keep in mind. Many indigenous languages are gender based. When the Lakota watched the film, they laughed because everything spoken was spoken as a female.
In the ending scene when Wind in His Hair yells from the cliff top "Do you see I am your friend", coming full circle from "Do you see I am not afraid of you" gets me choked up every time. One of my favorite cinematic moments.
Every time.
I agree, it’s what I think about when I think of this movie.
For me it's the wolf howling when the soldiers find the abandoned Souix camp.
The Prairie version of "screaming it from the rooftops"
This is one of the most emotionally powerful scenes I've seen in any movie (and I've seen a lot, believe me - including a ton of Bergman, Fellini, Antonioni, Truffaut, Godard, Kurosawa, Tarkovsky, Welles, Kubrick and so on). The emotion it generates in the audience is totally earned. It's a masterclass in how to really build things up, instead of relying on cheap tricks to lead the audience. This whole movie is a masterpiece, and this particular scene is, together with the buffalo hunting sequence and Two Socks accepting food for the first time, among its top highlights.
Pauline Kael once said that only real life Grumpys would fail to love the 1937 Disney's Snow White. I venture to say that only souless people would fail to get teary-eyed when Wind in His Hair yells from the cliff top.
I always tear up at the end when Wind in his Hair is telling Dances with Wolves he is his friend too Shanelle. So good.
That was the first scene in any movie EVER, that made me cry, at the age of 19. To me, it was a somewhat movie "coming of age," for me, because i realized I was moved by emotion and cinematic art, not hollywood manipulation.
Sincerely. Every single time.
Yep, kills me every time too. Shouting forever friendship from a ridgetop...
"if he loses this horse by the end...so help me God, I will cry."
I'm pretty sure that won't be the only moment you'll cry in Shanelle.
The voice-over is that of him (in his mind) WRITING in his journal. When you write, it is matter of fact. The emotion comes at the reading.
Also: some people talk like that.
I seriously can't with millennials, pretend to be so into "diversity" but then can't understand or handle *_anything_* different from their basic b***h friends repeating the same exact programmed sound-bytes with rising intonation.
@@pistonburner6448amen. Think it’s more the younger generations than millennials…maybe a few millennials trying to fit in with the young. But they’re all used to do much slang, atrocious grammar, etc that I’ll call it, pure dialect sounds strange to them.
Okay sure, but is that the best way to tell the story of the film? Debatable, but I’d say it could use a bit of an emotional punch-up.
Take The Last Samurai, which is basically the exact same plot as this movie. Tom Cruise’s character is also narrating from his journal, but he puts a lot more heart into the delivery, and it pays off.
@@pistonburner6448
What does the voiceover have to do with diversity? hahaha. We know he doesn’t just “talk like that” because we hear Kevin Costner emote a lot more in the dialogue scenes of the movie.
Aren’t people supposed to age with grace? You sound bitter!
Kevin Costner has a very matter-of-fact way of acting, but it's carried by the sincerity behind it, rather than outright emotionality. Maybe it's growing up in the 90s, but he's just got one of those wholesome, comforting presences.
This is one of those movies that NEEDS to be seen on a big screen.
we kinda had it back then, my big bros 600 dollar sorround sound, a 52 inch farkin heavy tv that had to run about 3-4 minutes before the colours were right!plenty of soda and candy that night!amazing movie
@@johnbernhardtsen3008lol old school TVs we’re heavy af
I saw this one, Dead Poets Society, Last of the Mohicans and Glory all on the big screen as a 12-13 year old kid. Absolutely life changing movies for me still to this day!
Yep.
I remember seeing it with my Dad when it came out. First "grown up" movie he took me to, and it was just the two of us. Just a couple of guys at the movies. I was 10 years old and I still remember it vividly.
"Many times I had felt alone, but until this afternoon I had never felt completely lonely." That line I have remembered since the first time watching this movie.
Jeremiah Johnson with Robert Redford is a master piece , and Little Big Man with Dustin Hoffman is great as well
Definitely +1 on both of those. Classic masterpieces.
My dad MADE me watch Jeremiah Johnson when i was very young.. now I have to watch it when it comes on.. just wish he was hear, so I could watch it with him
"Windwalker" (1981) is said to be as poetic and beautiful as "Jeremiah Johnson", but from the Native American side.
@@Brandon-th4xx:hugs:
This film holds a special place in my heart. It was the movie I saw on my first date with my husband of 31 years. What a way to start a relationship! Thanks Kevin Costner!
Winner of 7 Oscars including Best Picture!
One of the greatest epic westerns of all time!
The Buffalo Hunt Sequence is one of my favorite scenes in the movie!
The anti-open-borders education film, which too few learned from.
The buffalo chase scene, with its incredible mix of music and visuals is just legendary filmmaking. Kevin Costner is an American treasure.
Great reaction, Shannelle! As a 16 year old indigenous youth growing up in New York when this was released, it was amazing to see natives depicted in such a wonderful way on the big screen. And this movie gave rise to short burst of movies where indigenous characters were presented as lead characters in movies, including “Last of the Mohicans” and “Thunderheart”, both of which are great movies worth checking out.
I love Thunderheart soooo much!!! Graham Greene & Val Kilmer were the best together, the whole movie is just so amazing. Loved Grandpa, too, and John Trudell. I love watching Reservoir Dogs because so many of these great Native American actors are in it. Wes Studi's character goes against his film type as a tough guy, he's so funny and intellectual with string theory. Of course Graham Green is in it, too, among other greats (& new wonderful actors). .
It also gave rise to the documentary series 500 nations, produced and narrative by Kevin costner himself
The extended director's cut gives a lot more back story on the soldiers who left Fort Sedgewick and the commanding officer at Fort Hayes who was insane. Helps explain a lot.
A film in the same vein is "Little Big Man" (1970), starring Dustin Hoffman and Faye Dunaway.
Costner's story of the screenplay writer is pretty amazing
i love the contrast between "can you see that i am your friend?" at the end and "can you see that i am not afraid of you?!" at the start
This is really one of the best movies ever made, and the story behind the script is more amazing. As a person born and raised for 16 years in South Dakota and traveling to the reservations makes this hit so much harder. The scenery of South Dakota is beyond amazing to anyone who has never seen such a beautiful site
You should check out the 2017, semi-biographical film "The Rider" by Chloe Zhao - it's a small, independent film, but filmed on the Pine Ridge Reservation. IMO, better than "Nomadland" which was an Oscar winner for best picture.
The soundtrack is just amazing. This is one of the earliest Hollywood movies where Native Americans are portrayed in a more realistic setting with their actual languages are used as opposed to the usual Hollywood butchery of using extras just making whooping sounds or talking English like Tarzan.
"Little Big Man" from 20 years earlier (1970) did all that very well.
@@johannesvalterdivizzini1523 Better and more interestingly, with a great Dustin Hoffman performance, IMO. And as far as I can tell, no one has reacted to it :(
By far one of the greatest films ever made. A timeless classic.
Yep.
Wes Studi the "Bad" Pawnee won an honorary Oscar for lifetime contributions. This was his first stand out role.
52:50 _During the musical recording in post-production, composer John Barry was reportedly so moved by the film's final scene that he broke down in tears while conducting that section of the score._
YES! YES! YES! I've written trivia on IMDb for like 10-15 movies that you've reacted to so far, Shan, and this is the FIRST time that you read one that I wrote in your reaction. Only took three years. So stoked...😂
When you think about it, composer John Barry would've been the first person to actually watch the ending of the film WITH the score. The edit of the film would've been playing on a big screen on the wall in front of him, while the orchestra would've had their backs to the screen while he conducted. Barry would've been watching the film while conducting so that he could accurately control the rhythm and tempo of the score.
I used to contribute to IMDB before it became so heavily subscriber based... Now I don't bother. :( It's no longer a community.
@@The-Cosmic-Hobo What do you mean by _"before it became so heavily subscriber based"?_ The thing I miss the most about IMDb is the discussion boards.
@@rustincohle2135 I miss the discussion boards, too. I mean - once upon a time there was no "Pro" paid version of IMDB. I'm not going to provide information for free to a service that is then going to charge people for that info.
yeah screw the subscription model. all it is does is separate people and society and destroy communities.
yes.... being a sensitive person is indeed a wonderful thing sometimes.
I feed a squirrel and 3 crow’s every day at my house. They come every day. I love this film it made me cry the first time I watched
Amazing how Clint, Mel and Kevin can star in and direct such epic films, thanks Shanelle!
Tarantino as well, definitely a lost skill
Warren Beatty also And they won for best directing
Mel Brooks?
@@Doutsoldome: LOLS GIBSON BRO, GIBSON😁😋 WELL YEAH ACTUALLY MEL BROOKE'S CAN ALSO BE INCLUDED IN THE LIST TOO ACTUALLY! 😂😂😆😆
One of my favorite movies of Kevin Costner's. One movie that I would recommend if you like this one is "Quigley down under" Starring Tom Selleck.
I’ve always liked the somewhat emotionless voiceover reading what he has written in his journal. I think it captures the stoic, just-the-facts tone of the entries made by a military man documenting his time on post.
I take his voice over as reading his journal. It has that matter-of-fact feel to it, like we're reading it, as opposed to him telling his story within a conversation with someone.
Also, I see this movie as a civil war drama, not a western. I guess horses means western.
Shanelle: "I don't know why I feel emotional."
Get ready for the rest of the movie Shanelle.
Your reaction was EVERYONES reaction the first time they see this. An EPIC film and an incredible accomplishment for Kevin Costner in his directorial debut. Everything seemed to come together perfectly for this film which went on to sweep the Oscars that year. The unsung hero of this picture is John Barry who went on to win the Oscar for film score. Watch the making of it! FYI… kicking Birds wife, played by Tantoo Cardinal, appears in KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON as Lily Gladstones mother and the young actor who plays SMILES ALOT was recently arrested for running a sex trafficking cult…
This movie was good but the first half of it before he meets the Indians was boring as hell
@@nsasupporter7557 Maybe for you it was. For others, great storybilding.
Thanks so much for reacting to this movie. This was filmed in South Dakota. I worked with a non-profit in the mid-2000s on Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, home of the Oglala Lakota people, aka the Sioux. I knew some of the people who were extras in Dances With Wolves. One man, whose name was John Her Many Horses, was a Pow-Wow dancer in the scene where Kevin Kostner's character rides in to announce the Tatanka (Buffalo) John said they pulled him off his horse much harder than was expected. Also, there is a male and female dialect in the Lakota language, and at times, the men are speaking in the female dialect. It was a running joke on the Rez.
OPEN RANGE is a must watch, one of the best westerns ever, in my opinion. Costner and Robert Duvall are absolutely brilliant, and it's another beautifully directed Costner film. The Postman you can probably skip. 😂
I second that, I forgot about that when I was providing options for other westerns. Open range is one of my favorites. It's just such a realistic story. I even remember my dad hating sheep because they graze to the ground. They eat the grass to the ground making it hard for any other animals to eat. I don't know how much that's true, but I'm pretty sure it derived from cattlemen hating sheep herders and my dad being a lifelong Montanan.
The story of how this novel was written is a journey in itself. Costner recounts the story on the Graham Norton Show.
A friend of Kevin, who was struggling as a Hollywood writer ended up crafting this story after Kevin gave him a bit of a career wake up call - and they had a falling out.
Kevin ignored the story for a while - then on finally reading it told his buddy he was going to film it.
It made Blake's career.
Edit: they both won an Oscar
“He was working in a Chinese restaurant, killing raccoons“ 😂
The funniest part of that interview was Ricky Gervais saying “wow that’s an amazing story, because I never help anyone. “
@@AndyJayroe lmao yes 😅
In the context of this story, the Pawnee are the aggressors, but in real life, the Sioux, who were originally from Canada and Minnesota, displaced the Pawnee and conquered most of their territory for their own.
The Sioux were a huge and powerful confederacy of tribes, and when they moved onto the plains, they caused a huge butterfly effect that ended up causing multiple smaller tribes like the Pawnee, Kiowa, Shoshone, and Crow to lose their lands.
Thank you for clarifying that. I only learned about it in an Anthropology course, and there are a lot of details about the tribes that history classes don't teach
@@jesusleyva4386 It's a shame more people don't know much about the history of Native cultures.
Most people think they were all pretty much the same, smoking peace pipes, and singing songs to cuddly forest creatures.
They were a continent spanning patchwork of unique civilizations with their own hostory, politics, alliances, and conflicts.
However the word Sioux is a frenchified ojibwa word meaning Enemy, when the true name is Lakota, wich means friend
@@marcusfridh8489 What about the Dakota and Nakota?
Perhaps Kostner was speaking like an undereducated, plain spoken man of the 1860’s might have spoken. Thank you for reacting to this, Shanelle. You are good at this!
He was an officer, and not likely undereducated
It is good to see the movie have the same effect across the generations. I saw this on the big screen and in the ending scene, when Wind In His Hair is calling out to Dances With Wolves, most of the people were crying. PS you should do the Postman. Another great film that will leave you in tears.
I feel like The Postman has gotten an undeserved bad rap. I thought many parts were pretty moving, myself. Also, the late one and only Tom Petty has one of his few movie roles.
If you want a earlier, true western, that has a younger Kevin Costner in it, watch "Silverado", from 1985. It has a amazing cast and story.
Open Range is very good, too. Again, lots of great landscape shots. Like this one, it is also an unusual Western, but in a different way.
If you wanna keep on with this Western kick, Graham Greene is in another good one: MAVERICK. It's a really fun movie with a stacked cast including Mel Gibson (who you referenced here), Jodie Foster, James Garner, and Alfred Molina.
I love Maverick it's such a great movie with a great cast
That movie is totally fun. It’s a little cheesy but so was the TV show.
If you only know Jodie Foster from her more serious work, you’ll enjoy her having a blast being sexy and funny and brash.
I always recommend the 1939 John Ford-directed Stagecoach, which launched John Wayne into the stratosphere. The entire movie is fantastically written and directed, with a very exciting action scene towards the end. It really was the prototype for all future feature-film Westerns.
If you want another really good western, you could try 'Lonesome Dove'. Miniseries, UA-cam, 6 hours, 4 parts. I've only seen one reactor do it.
Shanelle, Dances with Wolves is a beautiful movie. You should look up the story of Costner talking about how the story came to be a movie. I love westerns. I used to watch them with my dad so I am kind of sentimental about it. The following are a few favorites that you might want to check out.
Open Range
Jeremiah Johnson
Outlaw Josey Wales
Pale Rider
True Grit (the remake)
Butch Casidy and the Sundance Kid
Legends of the Fall is another movie like this. It sounds like a western in setting and story moments but it’s really a character study of a man dealing with a changing world.
Yes, that was the movie that put Brad Pitt on the map. I mean, he was already pretty known before after he did Thelma and Louise but Legends of the Fall was what really shot him to super stardom. Unfortunately, it aged pretty badly though
Shanelle, your reaction to this is basically the same as mine when I first saw this as a teenager. So many great emotional moments, the score goes straight to the heart, and the flat narration a big distraction. But over time I have just come to appreciate this as one of the best movies of the last 50 years, there is so much heart in the story and it speaks to really important themes, as you noted at the end. By the way, no need for John to have a particular accent, as he was an officer and therefore an educated man from the north. And even if you fucked up, your hair looks great! Absolutely rocking those colors
Kevin Kostner shared his personal story of how he came to direct Dances with Wolves on the Graham Norton show. You can probably find the clip.
Yeah, he really gave his friend the business...but it worked 😅
I saw this movie at the cinema, it was so long the cinema split into 2 parts with an intermission. Later on after afew years it was released with an extended version. It was beautifully shot movie, won many academy awards.
This film is so soft spoken, about the campaign leading to the near Extinction of the American Plains Bison, and the total anihalation of the plains people, and it makes me totally cry.
LOL, I forget how blessed I've been growing up in the West learning about the Indian tribes, animals and the life they led. Seeing Lady Shanelle watch this movie and realize how much is no longer being shared and passed down about Americas past saddens me. The land has had such rich history for various peoples who lived here and most movies are about the future, wars, crime, romance and clever fantasy and yet there is so much we can tell about history that is just as fascinating.
Thank you so much for your honest, cogent reaction to such a great film. I love how Smiles A Lot becomes a pivot for spinning the story. He is the first to attempt to steal Cisco. Dunbar saves him from the buffalo. He helps Dunbar find the guns to help protect the Lakota camp. He becomes a warrior when he buries the tomahawk in the Sergeant's sternum. Finally, he returns the journal. Great film making and deserving of the Oscar for Best Movie.
At the time of this film's release, the American Western genre of film had all but died. It was 'Dances with Wolves' that single-handedly restored an interest and an audience for such motion pictures. This production was also one of the first films to portray the indigenous tribes as protagonists as opposed to protagonists!
As opposed to antagonists*.
Open Range is a must see. A true masterpiece of western life in the time it is set in.
Another great, but often overlooked, Kevin Costner film is The Postman. You should check that one out too.
The first encounter Costner has with Wind In His Hair is interesting - the warrior is doing something called “counting coup”, in which a warrior would get close enough to an enemy to touch them, without harming them, as a way of humiliating the enemy’s pride and demonstrating bravery.
I love the bit where Costner gives Kicking Bird the spyglass and he reacts with amazement. It mirrors the moment in Robin Hood where Morgan Freeman does the same for Robin.
I think it’s a great idea to start exploring Westerns, and I would like you to add Silverado to your list of possibilities. It’s one of Kevin Costner’s early, early roles and it’s a really fun movie. I always enjoy watching a film with you, well done! Peace …
Thanks for reacting to this one Shanelle. I love, love, love this movie. It's so epic and they don't make movies like this anymore. Watching this is like rewatching it for the first time for me. All the feels, great movie, great reaction. I'm glad you enjoyed it.
As usual you are always so good with your reactions. I love your trivia section. I feel like I am learning with you. I saw this in the movie theater in 1990. I remember walking out and feeling heartache about what did to the native Americans. Even to this day it still breaks my heart,
Ugh, what a gorgeous movie! I'm so glad you finally watched it! The story, the music, the cinematography, the acting, a timeless classic! That's why I always recommended this one, along with just about everybody else, since...what, Avatar? Maybe even before that. And no, this certainly DOES COUNT AS A WESTERN. They not strictly cowboys shooting at each other, high noon duels, and hangings. Other things that fit are plots involving american indians, as well as being set west of the Mississippi and during the 19th century.
So this one I watched on cable in 1993...I think. And I rewatched it every time it was on. I mean, you just watched it. How could I not? Like, DUH! Hadn't seen it in a long time. Good excuse for yet another rewatch! Man after that trivia You realize just how far Kevin Costner has come since his start in Troma films back on Long Island.
Sucks that I'm such a BAMF (broke-ass mother fucker), I can't join the community on Patreon. 😢But I can comment, so hope that makes up for it. 😊
Despite the fact that Kevin Costner's character voice is generally the same whether he's playing an early American soldier, Robin Hood, a seafarer or a post-apocalyptic postman, I would suggest you check out The Postman (1997), Waterworld (1995) and Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991) for future reactions.
👍
Yep. Costner just doesn't do accents. Although he did hick it up a little in Swing Vote. He can pass for Robin Hood, but not for drunken trailer trash.
@@billtisch3698in JFK he did a bit of Oklahoma accent
@@lexkanyima2195 OK (npi LOL) But I didn't watch that. I'm allergic to conspiracy theories.
Excellent film. Since you love this: “ LITTLE BIG MAN” is a BRILLIANT film that is very similar in many ways. GREAT acting by a young Dustin Hoffman. Western, Native Americans… and a terrific story. You’ll LOVE it.
The move “Open Range “ also stars Robert Duvall. Another good western. This one does have shot em ups
You would really like Open Range. It has Robert Duvall, Annette Bening, Diego Luna, Michael Jeter and James Russo! It is more of a traditional western and also beautifully shot!!
Costner also directed the excellent "actual" Western Open Range. Beautiful reaction. Your hair looks great. Oh, and I actually like Cistner's narration. They say Abraham Lincoln had a similar speaking tone. A kind of determination with a longing for innocence.
This masterpiece is mostly setup. We literally spend almost all of the movie setting up the ending and our reaction to the ending. The score is fantastic. For the budget, the cinematography is fantastic. The acting is PHENOMENAL, even from the animals. Dances With Wolves is more proof that the 1990s is one of the greatest decades in film history. But a lot of people prefer the other masterpiece that year by Martin Scorsese, Goodfellas.
Oh, I think _Goodfellas_ is overrated. It's obviously a good movie - I wouldn't deny that -, but I don't rate it even among Scorsese's best. The guy made three perfect movies and absolute masterpieces, in my estimation: _Taxi Driver, Raging Bull_ and _After Hours,_ with _The Color of Money_ and _The Temptation of Christ_ coming next as pretty excellent, but not as flawless as those other three. _Goodfellas_ is rather low in my list.
Costner may not have directed many movies and I'm not a particular fan of his other two ones, but I do rate _Dances with Wolves_ higher than most of Scorsese's films, way above _Gooefellas,_ although not as high as those three perfect ones I mentioned.
@@Doutsoldome I can respect that. I disagree.
@@LukeLovesRose Fair enough.
Graham Greene was the actor who portrayed the "holy man" he played another detective in Die Hard 2, he also played an indigenous person in the film "Maverick", the Chief was portrayed by Floyd "Red Crow" Westerman. I only know him elsewhere from the TV series Walker, Texas Ranger, where he portrayed the original "Uncle Ray" Both great actors
Costner directs himself with more period "realism" in the fine western "Open Range"
Dances with Wolves is one of my favorite epics! I enjoyed how Dunbar became enamored with the Sioux culture. Largely, this was possible because he and Kicking Bird saw the value in trying to overcome the language barrier. The friendship between those 2 characters is what leads to his joining the tribe. It's a very powerful story.
Kevin Costner has a new western film that he stars in and directs coming out next year and it's called horizon: an American saga and it's in 2 parts. Also shanelle if you like Kevin Costner films you should check out: a perfect world directed by and also starring Clint Eastwood. It's a wonderful film but sad towards the end.
I think his voice is of an everyman from the Midwest, modest, humble & earnest, not partial to making things emotional, just dealing with what's at hand. I never had a problem with his voice & have watched this movie since it was released. It's got Oscars & was the movie everyone was talking about at the time.
Listening to the wind scream heartbreakingly always makes me cry, not because they are friends, but because it is clear that you should never despise people because of their appearance, they overcame the differences of race, language and beliefs and ended up being best friends dance with wolves will always have a privileged place in my heart
Yay!! It's about time Shanelle. I've been waiting for this reaction. I know you're gonna love it.
Open Range is amazing and gives me high hopes for his upcoming western Horizon.
i love the tone of the narration, it keeps the listener knowing who he is
My favorite film score of all time. Made before Braveheart. Best picture 1990. Costner also gave a wonderful performance in Silverado, another great western.
Great reaction, I enjoy the facts/trivia section also. I think you would like Open Range, to fit your more typical western movie genre. Costner also did his version of 'Wyatt Earp' , during the same time as Tombstone. Both were the result of competing productions with a different take of the same story. I like them both for different reasons, I would like to hear Shanelle's take on which one she prefers and why.
I agree!! Me too!!
Since you already checked out Tombstone with Kurt Russel playing Wyatt Earp, you should also check out Kevin Costner’s other “Dances with Wolves” style film called “Wyatt Earp” with an all star cast as well. It was like Tombstone meets Dances with Wolves. A really great film! 👍
Tears = Human. Dustin Hoffman made a film called "Little Big Man" which was the last film before this one that told the story of the American Indians from the Indian perspective. When "Dances with Wolves" came out - everyone thought Costner was crazy - a three hour western from the American Indian perspective? He was right. I'm not sure how much is said about it these days but it stands on its own as an epic from the 1990s - timeless from anytime. I cannot remember the last time I watched this or a reaction here to it and not cried. Why? I think there is a beauty to it; a true myth about the American west. I think we also rightly mourn what we did to a people and place so pure - as we look back. The tears are in our DNA as a country and when we cry we know it's true. After Ferguson - Director Spike Lee produced an ESPN 30 for 30 at the university of Missouri about the football coach who listened to his players and let them protest as well. At the University in an auditorium of college students - Spike Lee talked bout the project but refused to answer any questions. I love the guy. I think it was his way of saying - "I have already answered your questions - if you don't understand what I have worked so hard to say in my films, the problem is not with me but with you. There is nothing else I can say or do that I have not already tried to say before." That is what Costner did in "Dances with Wolves" and I believe this is why we cry.
Great Reaction....
The "Button-Holder" is a plate that goes around the Brass Buttons to allow you to Shine/Polish the buttons without getting the cleaning/polishing paste on the material and discoloring/damaging the fabric....
There is "Making of" footage showing how they did the buffalo hunt, using animotronics.....
Graham Greene, Rodney A Grant, Floyd "Red Crow" Westerman, Tantoo Cardinal, and Wes Studi are awesome Native Actors......
I saw this movie in the theatre 4 times. I’d watch it on the big screen again if I could.
I’ve never met Kevin Costner, but he and I came very close to being literal classmates. The sadness at seeing dead buffalo is not just because they are dead, as they would be no less dead no matter who killed them. The problem is that white hunters would not have performed the ceremonies necessary to maintain the covenant between humans and animals that ensures that buffalo will return annually and make themselves available.
It was cool that he did the hits… the Untouchables, Robin Hood and Dances with Wolves. But he went downhill when he did the tankers Waterworld and Postman
When you have time you should give the 4-hour extended cut a watch. One of the things I loved about DWW is that it immersed me in a time and place that I will never be able to see and the extended cut provides you with more time to bask in and long for its glory.
4:56 - And it's not just a stylistic choice either (although he could've gone that route and it would've been just fine), it actually makes sense in the context of this movie. You'll see. 😉
Fantastic movie. Loved your reaction. Cute you always say you are getting emotional for no reason…but it’s exactly what the movie was trying to do.😊
I always wondered about accents with movies set in this time period (1860). They probably didn’t sound like modern day American english. There’s some old recordings of people born in the mid 1800s and they all have a very distinctive way of speaking and it’s not a 1990 Costner accent.
This is the one!
During the 13 years I was stationed in South Dakota, they filmed this movie near my base. I cannot watch this movie without missing the plains and the Black Hills....such a beautiful place.
I'm glad I saw this in the theatre. up on the huge screen the outdoor shot were so moving. on anything else it's never felt the same again.
Woohoo, it finally came up! What ahappened, I thought you were gonna split it in 2 parts? I thought you would because of the poll. Then, when it didn't come up on Thursday I thought you either had issues uploading part 1 or wouldn't end up splitting it...or you meant uploading it next Thursday, I don't know! Anyway, its up so I'm a happy camper. 😃
I am a historian, bachelor's degrees in history, economics and government, as well as a master's degree in history.
You can imagine I had to study a lot as a triple major, the soundtrack for this film was my primary go-to music in the background. Just a fuel me as I tried to get through books on 3 hours of sleep a night for 6 years.
The only soundtrack I enjoy more than this one is last of the Mohicans which is my favorite.
While violence may have varied from tribe to tribe, a few things I would like you to know.
First, every single treaty that was broken was broken by the United States, not the native Americans. When they gave their word it was their bond. Every time we wanted their land we just took it.
Scalping started with the Spanish, and then native Americans started to do it and then the Americans started to do it. But it was not an initiated by native Americans.
Women had more rights in the plains Indians, then women did in the United States. Women actually owned all the property and were the only ones who got to vote. The exact opposite of the so-called civilized world. They could actually remove a chief if they didn't feel he was leading them well and elect a new one. It did not go down ancestral lines, it was voted on by the women.
An interesting side note, I live near Spokane which is where the Spokane Indians were from. And when I was reading a book about the region, a long time ago and I don't remember much from that book, I do remember that one of the things native Americans took great pride in was getting a good deal.
So when Graham Green says good trade to get his hat back, that always reminds me of that line from that book. They would literally rather walk 100 mi to sell their pelts or whatever to get a slightly better deal than they would for taking the lesser deal where they were. It was a source of pride for them.
If you want other westerns to check out, the Jack Bull is one of my favorites, that was written by John Cusack's father, both were in the movie. His father is the jury foreman towards the end of the movie. It also has a cameo by John Goodman that is brilliant.
Another great film is Last of the Mohicans, French Indian War. Daniel Day-Lewis is extraordinary in that film and it is a must listen to soundtrack. It. Also, has Madeleine Stowe looking as gorgeous as she ever has.
And one that has humor and is a western and is one of my favorites is paint your wagon which is a musical, it has Marvin Lee and Clint Eastwood, and for all posterity they sing.
I forgot one important thing, a lot of westerns have native Americans attacking and killing settlements. A little bit of that happened, maybe a few thousand people were killed that way over a 50 year. But that's a maximum number. Not a minimum number. The vast majority of conflict and fatalities was the other way around. America was brutal to native Americans and it was a genocide. A massive genocide that is greater than the Holocaust. By greater. I don't mean good, I mean a much much larger number.
Some numbers place it as high as 56 million, not just American but European, Spanish, French and English/ American.
Some people rank it lower, but we also spread disease to them intentionally because they didn't have natural immunity. We laced blankets that were given to needy native Americans with smallpox. Intentionally exposing them. Biological warfare, primitive but still evil.
I don't want to tarnish the joy you got from this movie, but when he was reluctant to tell them about the Americans coming, it was because he knew how horrible we could be. His experience in the Civil War would have definitely provided him with that aspect of understanding.
You are amazing, I love watching your reactions. I don't see you as a reactor, I see you as a director. Let's hope You get that opportunity someday, your vision is exceptional.
The famous words of Tatanka Iyotake "what treaty to white man did my people ever brake, not one. What treaty to my people did white man ever kept, not one"
I remember watching this as a kid..I cried hard. Every angle of it broke my ❤.
I've been waiting for this one.❤ And you may want to check out a perfect world. That is also a pretty good Kevin Costner movie.
He actually dances with a bunch of wolves
One of the few westerns I LOVE! Kevin Costner really did EVERYTHING he could to save the budget in this epic movie. Oscar was well-deserved. We played the music my senior year in high school.
As a young Native American kid. I remember this movie being huge on vhs on the rez 😂 It was a double tape set. I also remember the bar jokes. "My Native name tonight? It's Dances with Cougars!"
The Captain who shoots himself in the book has advanced Syphilius and is losing his mind.
He was a Major. A Captain would have never been in full command of a Fort.
If you liked this, check out "Little Big Man" (1970).
Damn good flick. I'm becoming increasingly surprised at how many people haven't seen it. Guess I'm getting old : (.
This was filmed near where I live. I took a bunch of Lakota classes in college. I was two credits short of a minor in Lakota. Only because they did not have enough classes to qualify a minor degree. From not using it since the mid 90s my Lakota is so rusty. But, I can pick out every third or fourth word being said.
Thanks for your reaction, Shanelle! I always enjoy your insightful comments. I saw this movie in the theater when I was 18, and it had a huge impact on me. It was my favorite movie until I saw Almost Famous in 2000. :D I totally get what you're saying about Costner's very flat delivery in his narration. I do think it detracts a little from the movie. But overall it's such a beautiful film, I can't help loving it.
Getting ready to watch this with you, it's truly epic. I would suggest Little Big Man and Thunderheart also. Both great movies that would fit in well with your current viewings. Thanks Shanelle!
Yes, Little Big Man. Such a one of a kind movie.
Epic. And Beautiful. And Sad. Seeing it in the theater was something else. If you ever get to see a showing somewhere, it is worth it.
This is probably one of my favorite movies. Not only because of the movie itself but because it hits so close to home. Grew up in western SD, so not only filmed there but the story based there...and the story actually being respectful and accurate! Most other westerns could never!
I have only watched a few seconds and I just have to say your reaction is one of only a handful I wasn't nervous for. So much to appreciate in this.
I know you'll probably not see this, so for anyone else reading. The big wide landscape shots that are just so beautiful...that's some of the ignored beauty of this specific part of the country. Its easy to miss, but once you see it is so hard to deny. Yea the politics here usually suck. But even the most bullheaded western south dakotans still typically appreciate how special it can be here. Okay, on to the reaction. I'M EXCITED!
Cosner do an accent lol I guess she hasn't seen Prince of Thieves 😂
I’m a 100% with you on Costner and the voiceover. The first time I saw the movie I was so put off I stopped it. But I’ve come to appreciate and enjoy the movie. Costner as robinhood is also a classic…