Dances with Wolves won 7 Oscars, at the time it was hailed as both the first truly blockbuster ecomovie, with recurring themes about caring for the environment, and for its recasting of Native Americans, who had been portrayed pretty shoddily by Hollywood as the hooligans and villains of the West.
It won because it is great storytelling that suited perfectly the mood at the end of the greedy 1980s, a rejection of consumerism and greed - and instead here was a film filled with images of a world we wished, we could be part of - simple, thoughtful, respectful of each other and nature.
And it is a great watch. It falls into the same category as Braveheart and Lawrence of Arabia - classic adventure tales, romanticized, and just plain watchable. The plot is a simple one - a cavalry lieutenant John Dunbar after attempting suicide in the Civil War requests a post on the edge of the Frontier and there encounters Sioux and finally turns native. It is the arc of John Dunbar's growing awareness that the Indians are not the true savages here that makes the film - he is an every man, he is us, and we gladly join him on that journey.
Dances with Wolves remains a terrific watch, Costner is as handsome and charming a hero as a Peck or Stewart, and the supporting cast are winning. All in all, it not only holds up well, it still lifts the spirit, and inspires.
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