Picture 63: Dances with Wolves (1990)

The 1990s arrive! Can the decade of Britpop and the Sega Saturn set a new standard? It will have to surpass all of the previous 7 decades including the 1970s which scored a record 8.5/10 on average. Good luck to actor-director Kevin Costner and his team.

Sadly Dances with Wolves is not available on any streaming platform so, for the second time, I have had to dig deep and find a DVD. I can only apologise to all of you blog fans out there for the delay.

Only the 2^rd Western to feature in this list after Cimarron (1931), we visit Tennessee in 1863. The American Civil War is raging and Lieutenant John J. Dunbar (Kevin Costner) is serving with the Union army of the North. After a series of wartime tragedies, Dunbar ends up posted alone at Fort Sedgwick. The Fort is the most remote outpost under Union control. West of this small fort is untouched, Native American land. Land that has belonged to the Native Americans for 20,000 years.

Dunbar has a peaceful time initially. He writes in his diary and documents his observations of the nearby Sioux tribe. Initially the tribe is vaguely hostile but, in time, common humanity prevails and Dunbar becomes an honorary new tribe member. The issue is not Lieutenant Dunbar, but the millions of European descendants who will soon follow him.

Dances with Wolves manages to engage the viewer in Native American life. The tribal world is harsh but it has a rich culture and history that suddenly seem so fragile. You find yourself mourning for this lost world as it collides with another.

The heart is stirred by some stunning landscapes and a plot just about strong enough to hold your attention over the full 3 hours. Skirmishes and unexpected romance unfold beneath the unstoppable machine of colonisation. However, at times, you are made to feel less like a concerned observer of history and a little more like Kevin Costner’s pen pal during his gap year.

Nevertheless, it tells an important story and entertains whilst doing so. Leads Kevin Costner, Mary McDonnell and Graham Greene are close to their best. A job well done and certainly worth a watch – it has done enough to make the top 40.  

Rating: 7/10

Reflection:

1.     Seismic changes to your way of life can always just be around the corner

Oscar Best Picture Rankings:

1. The Godfather (1972)

2. Casablanca (1943)

3. The Apartment (1960)

4. Rebecca (1940)

5. The Godfather: Part II (1974)

6. The Sound of Music (1965)

7. Ordinary People (1980)

8. A Man for All Seasons (1966)

9. Gandhi (1982)

10. The Deer Hunter (1978)

11. Lawrence of Arabia (1962)

12. Ben-Hur (1959)

13. The Last Emperor (1987)

14. Lost Weekend (1945)

15. Platoon (1986)

16. Gone With the Wind (1939)

17. Rocky (1976)

18. Annie Hall (1977)

19. Amadeus (1984)

20. All About Eve (1950)

21. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975)

22. Hamlet (1948)

23. How Green Was My Valley (1941)

24. Out of Africa (1985)

25. West Side Story (1961)

26. Mrs. Miniver (1942)

27. All Quiet on the Western Front (1930)

28. Wings (1928)

29. Mutiny on the Bounty (1935)

30. You can’t take it with you (1938)

31. Patton (1970)

32. Terms of Endearment (1983)

33. The Best Years of Our Lives (1946)

34. On the Waterfront (1954)

35. The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)

36. Midnight Cowboy (1969)

37. Driving Miss Daisy (1989)

38. Rain Man (1988)

39. Kramer vs. Kramer (1979)

40. Dances with Wolves (1990)

41. Marty (1955)

42. Oliver! (1968)

43. Cimarron (1931)

44. Grand Hotel (1932)

45. The French Connection (1971)

46. An American in Paris (1951)

47. From Here to Eternity (1953)

48. It Happened One Night (1934)

49. My Fair Lady (1964)

50. Gentleman’s Agreement (1947)

51. Cavalcade (1933)

52. The Sting (1973)

53. The Life of Emile Zola (1937)

54. Going My Way (1944)

55. The Great Ziegfeld (1936)

56. Chariots of Fire (1981)

57. All the King’s Men (1949)

58. In the Heat of the Night (1967)

59. Gigi (1958)

60. Around the World in 80 Days (1956)

61. The Greatest Show on Earth (1952)

62. The Broadway Melody (1929)

63. Tom Jones (1963)

Previous or current ranking leaders are in bold.

With credit and thanks to the patrons of the Best Picture Film Club:

Dr Sophie Bloomfield – Fashion Correspondent

Dr Caspar Briault – Head of Cynicism

Dr Conrad Charlton

Dr Sophie Clarke

Dr Kate Diomede

Dr Fionnuala Durrant

Dr Josh Fisher

Dr Joseph Gallaher – CEO and Founder

Dr Joseph Hamilton

Dr Adam Holland – Head of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

Dr Sid Mohan - Divisional Lead for the 1980s

Dr Hannah Morrison

Dr Meera Radia