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Dances with Wolves (1990)
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Kevin Costner's directorial debut, the first western to win the best picture Oscar for 60 years, is a heartfelt attempt to create a frontier epic and to atone for Hollywood's shameful depiction of native American life. Costner himself plays the depressed, battle weary Union officer John Dunbar, a Civil War hero who, given the choice, opts for a remote posting in South Dakota to see the frontier before it disappears. After befriending the Sioux Indians he decides to join them, and marries Stands with a Fist (Mary McDonnell), a white woman also adopted by the tribe. Although the film is three hours long, Costner directs his pet project with a clear passion for the subject, and in so doing proves that epic westerns can still work if their heart is in the right place, the characters are real, and the cinematography is stunning — take a bow Dean Semler, another deserving winner of one of the seven Oscars awarded to Costner and co. Costner demythologises the westerns made by such directors as John Ford (for instance, much of the dialogue is in the Lakota Sioux language) to re-create the genre and present a wistful and poignant look at a way of life and a people that have all but disappeared. Admirably supported by fellow Oscar nominees Graham Greene, as Kicking Bird, and the brilliant McDonnell, Costner gives Dunbar an essential decency with which viewers cannot fail to empathise, right up until the moving climax. This is a marvel from beginning to end. DP
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| Contains sex scenes, nudity, violence. |
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Tell us what you think
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Running time
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226min
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Country of origin
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US
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Genre
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Epic Western
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Original language
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English / Sioux
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Screenplay
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Michael Blake, from the novel by Michael Blake
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Theatrical distributor
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Guild Film Distribution Ltd
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UK cinema certificate
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12
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Subtitling information
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In English, Sioux with subtitles
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| awards information |
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Award |
Category |
Name |
Nominee/Winner |
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| Academy 1990 |
Actor in a Leading Role |
Kevin Costner |
Nominee |
| Academy 1990 |
Actor in a Supporting Role |
Graham Greene (2) |
Nominee |
| Academy 1990 |
Actress in a Supporting Role |
Mary McDonnell |
Nominee |
| Academy 1990 |
Best Picture |
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Winner |
| Academy 1990 |
Directing |
Kevin Costner |
Winner |
| Academy 1990 |
Writing (Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium) |
Michael Blake |
Winner |
| BAFTA 1991 |
Best Actor in a Leading Role |
Kevin Costner |
Nominee |
| BAFTA 1991 |
Best Film |
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Nominee |
| BAFTA 1991 |
Best Screenplay (Adapted) |
Michael Blake |
Nominee |
| BAFTA 1991 |
The David Lean Award for the Best Achievement in Direction |
Kevin Costner |
Nominee |
| Golden Globe 1990 |
Best Director Motion Picture |
Kevin Costner |
Winner |
| Golden Globe 1990 |
Best Motion Picture Drama |
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Winner |
| Golden Globe 1990 |
Best Screenplay Motion Picture |
Michael Blake |
Winner |
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Film certification logos reproduced by kind permission of BBFC |
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