Dances with Wolves (1990) - Synopsis The content of this page was created directly by users and has not been screened or verified by IMDb staff. Warning! This synopsis may contain spoilers See plot summary for non-spoiler summarized description. Visit our Synopsis Help to learn more Synopsis During a US Civil War battle, Union Army Officer Lieutenant John J. Dunbar ( Kevin Costner ) learns that his injured leg is to be amputated. Seeing the plight of fellow soldiers with amputated legs, Dunbar refuses amputation and attempts suicide by riding a horse across the line of fire, between the opposing Union and Confederate positions. His action has the unexpected effect of rallying his comrades, who storm the distracted Confederates and win the battle. After the ensuing battle, an experienced general's surgeon saves Dunbar's leg. The commanding officer recognizes Dunbar as a hero and gives him Cisco, the horse who carried him in battle, and offers Dunbar his choice of posting. Dunbar, anxious to see the Western frontier before it ends, requests transfer west.

After meeting with Major Fambrough ( Maury Chaykin ), who has slipped into delusions of grandeur (apparently believing he is a king and Dunbar a medieval knight), he is paired with a drayage teamster named Timmons ( Robert Pastorelli ), who conveys Dunbar to his post. After the departure of Timmons and Dunbar, Fambrough commits suicide with his own pistol. After a scenic journey, Dunbar and Timmons arrive with fresh supplies at the desolate Fort Sedgwick, finding it deserted except for a lone wolf that Dunbar later befriends and dubs Two Socks, because of the coloring of its front legs. Dunbar, while waiting for reinforcements to arrive, sets about bringing order the deserted post, left in complete disarray by its previous occupants. Meanwhile, Timmons, while returning to their point of departure, is ambushed by Pawnee Indians and scalped. Timmons' death and the suicide of the major who sent them there prevents Union officers from knowing of Dunbar's assignment to the post, effectively isolating Dunbar. Dunbar remains unaware of the full situation and its implications.

He notes in his journal how strange it is that no more soldiers join him at the post. Dunbar initially encounters Sioux neighbors when the tribe's medicine man, Kicking Bird ( Graham Greene ), happens upon the fort while Dunbar bathes out of sight, and, assuming it abandoned, attempts to capture Cisco. After Dunbar scares off Kicking Bird, he is confronted by an aggressive warrior named Wind in His Hair ( Rodney A. Grant ), who declares that he is not scared of the white man. Eventually, Dunbar establishes a rapport with Kicking Bird, but the language barrier frustrates them. On his way to visit the tribe's camp, Dunbar interrupts the suicide attempt of Stands With A Fist ( Mary McDonnell ), a white woman captured by the tribe as a child and recently widowed, who recovers and acts as a translator. Dunbar finds himself drawn to the lifestyle and customs of the tribe, and becomes a hero among the Sioux and accepted as an honorary member of the tribe after he helps them locate a migrating herd of buffalo, which they depend upon as a source of food, material, and clothing.

Dunbar further helps defend the settlement against a Pawnee raiding party, providing the Sioux warriors with surplus rifles and ammunition from the fort. He eventually is accepted as a full member of the tribe. After members of the tribe witness him playing with Two Socks, he is named ugmï¿½nitu Taka Ob'wahi ("Dances with Wolves"; ugmï¿½nitu Taka means large coyote, the Lakota word for wolf). Dunbar falls in love with Stands With A Fist, a relationship forbidden by the recent death of her husband in battle but consummated in secret. The two eventually win the approval of Kicking Bird, who takes on the role of her father, and marry. Dunbar subsequently spends more time living with the tribe than manning his post at Fort Sedgwick. Wind In His Hair, his last rival, acknowledges him as a friend. Dunbar's idyll ends when he tells Kicking Bird that white men will continue to invade their land in "numbers like the stars." They tell Chief Ten Bears ( Floyd 'Red Crow' Westerman ), who decides it is time to move the village to its winter camp.

As the packing finishes, Dunbar realizes that his journal, left behind at the deserted fort, is a blueprint for finding the tribe, revealing that he knows far too much about their ways. Wearing Indian clothing, he returns to Fort Sedgwick to retrieve the journal but finds it is has suddenly been occupied by newly arrived Army troops. They see Dunbar and initially assuming he is an Indian, kill his horse Cisco and capture Dunbar. When they recognize Dunbar as a white man, they treat him as a deserter, and beat him during an interrogation. Dunbar tells Lt. Elgin ( Charles Rocket ) (whom Dunbar met earlier in Maj. Fambrough's office) that he has a journal containing his orders for his posting to Fort Sedgwick. Spivey ( Tony Pierce ), one of the first soldiers to arrive at the fort, denies the existence of the journal, which he had found and has in his pocket. After further beating, Dunbar declares in the Lakota language that his name is Dances With Wolves. Army officers and a few troops set off to deliver Dunbar to Fort Hayes for execution. When they happen upon Two Socks, they shoot at the wolf, who refuses to leave Dunbar.

Despite his attempts to intervene, Two Socks is fatally wounded, and the convoy moves off. Soon after, Wind In His Hair and other warriors from the tribe attack the column of men, rescuing Dunbar. Smiles A Lot ( Nathan Lee Chasing His Horse ) retrieves Dunbar's journal floating in a stream. After returning to the winter camp, Dunbar realizes that as a deserter and fugitive, he will continue to draw the unwelcome attention of the Army and endanger the welfare of the tribe if he stays with the Sioux. Under the protests of his Sioux friends, Dunbar decides that he must leave the tribe, saying he must speak to those who would listen. His wife decides to accompany him. As Dances With Wolves and Stands With A Fist leave the camp, Wind In His Hair cries out that Dances with Wolves will always be his friend, a remembrance of their first confrontation. Shortly afterward, a column of cavalry and Pawnee army scouts arrive to find their former camp site empty.

Synopsis Dances with Wolves - Wikiquote Dances with Wolves Jump to: navigation , search Dances with Wolves is a 1990 film about a man who is exiled to a remote western Civil War outpost, where he befriends wolves and Indians, making him an intolerable aberration in the military. Directed by Kevin Costner . Written by Michael Blake , based on his novel. Inside everyone is a frontier waiting to be discovered. John Dunbar[ edit ] The strangeness of this life cannot be measured: in trying to produce my own death, I was elevated to the status of a living hero. [voiceover] It seems every day ends with a miracle here. And whatever God may be, I thank God for this day. [voiceover] Many times I'd felt alone, but until this afternoon I'd never felt completely lonely. Nothing I have been told about these people is correct. They are not thieves or beggars. They are not the bogeymen they are made out to be. On the contrary, they are polite guests and I enjoy their humor. I had never really known who John Dunbar was. Perhaps because the name itself had no meaning.

But as I heard my Sioux name being called over and over, I knew for the first time who I really was. It was hard to know how to feel. I had never been in a battle like this one. This had not been a fight for territory or riches or to make men free. This battle had no ego. It had been fought to preserve the food stores that would see us through winter, to protect the lives of women and children and loved ones only a few feet away. I felt a pride I had never felt before. [to his army captors who are interrogating him, in Lakota] My name is Dances with Wolves. I will not talk to you anymore. You are not worth talking to. Wind In His Hair[ edit ] We will shoot some arrows into the white man. If he truly has medicine, he will not be hurt. If he has no medicine, he will be dead. Dances With Wolves. I am Wind In His Hair. Do you see that I am your friend? Can you see that you will always be my friend?

Ten Bears[ edit ] [in Lakota, showing Dunbar an old Spanish Conquistador's helmet] The white men who wore this came around the time of my grandfather's grandfather. Eventually we drove them out. Then the Mexicans came. But they do not come here any more. In my own time, the Texans. They have been like all the others. They take without asking. But I think you are right. I think they will keep coming. When I think of that, I look at this helmet. I don't know if we are ready for these people. Our country is all that we have, and we will fight to keep it. You are the only white man I have ever known. I have thought about you a lot. More than you think. And I understand your concern. But I think you are wrong. The white man the soldiers are looking for no longer exists. Now there is only a Sioux named Dances With Wolves... Let us smoke a while. Somebuddy poked me in my butt...was dat you? Please don't hurt my mules! He He, Put that in your book! Major Fambrough: [reading orders] Lieutenant John J. Dunbar.

[pauses, looks up] Lieutenant John J. Dunbar? John Dunbar: Yes, sir. Major Fambrough: Yes, sir. [pause] Indian fighter? John Dunbar: Excuse me? Major Fambrough: You're to be posted on the Frontier. The Frontier is Indian country. I deduced that you're an Indian fighter. I didn't rise to this position by being stupid. John Dunbar: No, sir. Major Fambrough: No sir. [pause] It says here that you've been decorated. John Dunbar: Yes, sir. Major Fambrough: And they've sent you here to be posted? John Dunbar: I'm here at my own request. Major Fambrough: Really? Why? John Dunbar: I've always wanted to see the frontier. Major Fambrough: See the frontier-- John Dunbar: Yes, sir. Before it's gone. Major Fambrough: [taking a sheet of paper from the desk drawer, the sound of liquor bottles clinking as he does so] Such a smart lad, coming straight to me.

[scribbling with a quill pen] Sir...Knight, I am sending you on a knight's errand. You will report to Captain Cargill, at the furthermost outpost of the realm, Fort Sedgewick. My personal seal [scribbling] will assure your safety [scribbling furiously] through many miles of wild and hostile country. [He folds the letter into an impossibly tiny square and hands it to Lt. Dunbar] John Dunbar: [taking the note] I was wondering-- Major Fambrough: Yes? John Dunbar: How will I be getting there? Major Fambrough: You think I don't know? John Dunbar: No, sir, it's just that I don't know-- Major Fambrough: Hold your tongue. [pause] I happen to be in a generous mood and I will grant you a boon. [gestures to the window] See that peasant out there? He calls himself Timmons. He is going to Fort Sedgwick this very afternoon. You may ride with him. He knows the way. That is all. [Dunbar turns to leave.

When he gets to the door, the Major calls to him] Major Fambrough: Sir Knight? [Dunbar turns as the Major stands, a dark stain on the front of his trousers] Major Fambrough: I've just pissed my pants...and no one can do anything about it. John Dunbar: [at the celebration of the buffalo feast, noticing a big Sioux man has his Lieutenant's hat] That's my hat... that's my hat! Big Warrior: [in Lakota, as all becomes quiet in the tent] I found it on the prairie. It's mine. Wind In His Hair: [stands up, in Lakota] The hat belongs to Lieutenant. Big Warrior: He left it on the prairie. He didn't want it. Wind In His Hair: Well, you can see he wants it now. We all know it's a soldier hat. We all know who wears it. If you want to keep it, that's fine. But give something for it. [the Sioux takes his knife and sheath off his belt and gives it to Dunbar] Wind In His Hair: [in English, to Dunbar] Good... trade! Ten Bears: Let us smoke a while.

John Dunbar: [voiceover] With Ten Bears, it was always more than a while. There was purpose in everything he did, and I knew he wanted me to stay. But I was sure of myself. I would be an excuse, and that's all the Army would need to find this place. I pushed him as far as I could to move the camp. But in the end, he only smiled and talked of simple pleasures. He reminded me that at his age, a good fire was better than anything. Ten Bears was an extraordinary man. Stands With a Fist: [explaining how she got her name] I worked every day... very hard... there was a woman who didn't like me. She called me bad names... sometimes she beat me. One day she was calling me these bad names, her face in my face, and I hit her. I was not very big, but she fell down. She fell hard and didn't move. I stood over her with my fist and asked if any other woman wanted to call me bad names... No one bothered me after that day. John Dunbar: [smiles] I wouldn't think so. John Dunbar: We are trying for a baby.

Kicking Bird: No waiting? John Dunbar: No waiting. Kicking Bird: I was just thinking that of all the trails in this life, there are some that matter most. It is the trail of a true human being. I think you are on this trail, and it is good to see. Full quote from novel: "There are many trails in this life, but the one that matters most, few men are able to walk...even Comanche men. It is the trail of a true human being. I think you are on this trail. It is a good thing for me to see. It is good for my heart." Ch. XXVIII, one, p. 345. Toughest Pawnee: Only a white man would make a fire for everyone to see. Pawnee #1: Maybe there's more than one. Pawnee #2: There may be three or four. Toughest Pawnee: I know three or four who will not be making the trip home. Inside everyone is a frontier waiting to be discovered. The journey begins this November. Discover it for yourself. Lt. John Dunbar is about to discover the frontier...within himself.

How John Dunbar got his name "Dances with Wolves" - YouTube How John Dunbar got his name "Dances with Wolves" Want to watch this again later? Sign in to add this video to a playlist. Need to report the video? Sign in to report inappropriate content. Rating is available when the video has been rented. This feature is not available right now. Please try again later. Uploaded on Nov 30, 2011 How John Dunbar got his native of American name "Dances with Wolves" Category DANCES WITH WOLVES DANCES WITH WOLVES Most of you people have seen this wonderful movie. Enjoy the pics and music when..... you go back in time.... This is a little book with pics in it from the movie. Just click on the pics to go back or forward in the book. "I've always wanted to see the frontier," says U.S. army lieutenant and Civil War veteran John Dunbar, "before it's gone." DANCES WITH WOLVES is a beautiful, moving film about the closing of the American frontier and all that disappeared with it. Dunbar (Kevin Costner) is granted his wish when he is sent to tiny, ramshackle Ft.

Sedgwick. Alone in the middle of the prairie, his first visitor is a curious wolf he names Two Socks, who is both a bridge to the untamed nature that Dunbar seeks to explore and a metaphor for Dunbar himself -- he's not a conquering white man, just an inquisitive one. So it's fitting that the Sioux tribe he befriends bestows him with the name Dances With Wolves after watching him run and play with Two Socks. Dunbar's initial encounters with the Sioux show him that they're very like him -- the warrior Wind In His Hair (Rodney A. Grant) is all bravado at first, yelling at Dunbar that he's not afraid of him; the holy man Kicking Bird (Graham Greene) is thoughtful, genuinely interested in communicating with this strange stranger. Indeed, DANCES WITH WOLVES is notable for its unstereotypical, realistic depiction of Indians as human beings, people who are sometimes gentle, sometimes savage, and always worthy of respect, just like the rest of us.

Dunbar finds another bridge to the new world he is looking for in Stands With A Fist (Mary McDonnell), a white woman adopted as a girl by the Sioux after her family was massacred by Pawnee. His leaving behind of his old life is marked twice in a single moment: His realization that he loves Stands With A Fist occurs simultaneously with Two Socks daring to eat from his hand for the first time. Dunbar embodies all the best qualities that exemplify America: self-reliance, intelligence, a thirst for exploration, respect for nature, and innate friendliness. When Dunbar rides out alone, in full dress uniform and bearing the Stars and Stripes, to formally introduce himself to his Sioux neighbors, it's an astounding demonstration of the best kind of American audacity. But contrast that with the arrival of more U.S. soldiers at Fort Sedgwick, long abandoned by Dunbar, bringing with them the worst of America: small-minded cruelty. When these troops set out after the "traitorous" Dunbar and his adoptive Sioux friends, the flag they bear represents only violence and revenge.

DANCES WITH WOLVES is one of the most visually and emotionally stunning movies I've ever seen, a glimmer of another world where less might have been lost if more people had been as open and friendly as John Dunbar. From John Barry's stirring score -- I swear I can hear the prairie grass blowing in the wind in the music -- to director/producer Costner's daring presentation of a huge chunk of the movie in the beautiful Sioux Lakota language (with subtitles), this is a majestic requiem for a world that is gone. --MaryAnn Johanson Almost ready for the hunt. These days you don't see these beautiful animals in freedom. The only time an indian killed a buffalo was when he needed food for his family. He never killed more then he needed because he respects all living things. See how wonderful "Stands With A Fist "is dressed. She (Mary McDonnell) played a very convinced role as John Dunbar's wife. A very touchy moment in the movie. Saying goodbye to a friend is never easy especially when you both came that far and had no choice but leaving. Leaving the people they love. The movie has a sad ending.

But in a way it's a good ending because NOW many people started thinking about how the American Indian has been treated for such a long time. The New York Times: Best Pictures Kevin Costner Journeys to a New Frontier By RICHARD C. MORAIS LONDON � "It was very much like The Hardy Boys or something," says Kevin Costner of his new film. "It was like, 'Hey, let's do a show.' " "Dances With Wolves," a three-hour epic about the frontier West, to open Friday, is not only directed by the 35-year-old Mr. Costner; he is also the star and co-producer. As he describes how the movie came about, Mr. Costner switches on the easygoing charm that makes him so watch able on screen. "I wasn't looking for this particular subject, for this particular movie. It was just there," he says, leaning back in a canvas chair on location outside London, where he is starring as Robin Hood in "Prince of Thieves," now being filmed. Perhaps, but Mr.

Costner's laid-back, folksy style disguises what will be self-evident to anyone watching "Dances With Wolves": his directorial debut reveals a film maker driven by an attention to detail. "Dances With Wolves" is an adventure story set in the 1860's, during the final years of the Indian wars. A Union soldier, Lieut. John J. Dunbar (Mr. Costner) is transferred to the farthest edge of the Western frontier after a brutal Civil War battle. Isolated and lonely, Dunbar finds himself befriending animals and ultimately a Sioux tribe. As he is slowly adopted into its way of life, shedding his uniform and marrying, the once-loyal Union soldier eventually collides with his former military career. "Dances With Wolves" is a big film: made over five months in 27 South Dakota locations on a relatively small $19 million budget, it fills the screen with 300 horses, 3,500 buffalo, 250 Indians, 150 cavalry, 48 speaking roles. The star of the film is, however, the American frontier.

"Kevin wanted to offer a West so vast, so wild, so untamed, almost larger than life itself," says the production designer, Jeffrey Beecroft. The origins of "Dances With Wolves" were modest. Mr. Costner's screen debut was in the 1981 low-budget gambling film "Stacy's Knights," written by Michael Blake and directed by Jim Wilson. The actor went on to star in a string of hits � "The Untouchables," "No Way Out," "Bull Durham" and "Field of Dreams" � but he stayed in touch with his early associates. In 1988, Mr. Wilson, who, according to Mr. Costner, "never wanted anything from me" over the years, sent the actor a copy of Michael Blake's new manuscript about the frontier. Mr. Costner was hooked immediately. It was the character of Lieutenant Dunbar, whose isolation is reflected in his journal, that seduced him. "It wasn't anything like bravery or courage," says Mr. Costner. "Those are vague terms. What drew me to the script was lines like, 'I decided to assign myself cleanup duty tomorrow.' I was charmed by that, that he would go forward.

Or else, 'I want to see the West before it is gone.' It wasn't search for yourself or personal growth; it had to do with 'I encountered an Indian, and he was afraid of me.' I loved the simplicity of that." Mr. Wilson and Mr. Costner sat down and developed the script for less than $70,000, the bulk of which was contributed by Mr. Costner. Financing the film turned out to be more difficult. Three near-deals collapsed. "Ultimately they couldn't do what they said they could do," says Mr. Costner. "A lot of people talk about $18 million, but when it comes to writing the check, it all thins." Finally, after selling the foreign rights for nearly $9 million, the team decided to push ahead without additional backing. Two weeks before shooting began, Orion Pictures Corporation came in with $10.5 million for the United States rights. Mr. Costner took a $3 million salary, but says he put $2.5 million of his fee back into the film. He also says he originally had no intention of directing. "I never had a burning desire to direct," he says.

"But everyone I showed the script to knew what the film didn't need, what should be cut. But I knew this was a three-hour film." Mr. Costner was soon in charge. When Lieutenant Dunbar first visits the Sioux village, the camera pans over a ledge to reveal a village of teepees on the banks of a river. Horses fill almost every inch of the screen � drinking midstream, grazing in fields, galloping across the plains � to bring the frontier alive. On such occasions Mr. Costner revealed himself to be a film maker who knew what he wanted. "It was not a piece of cake," says the film's 34-year-old co-producer, Mr. Wilson. "Kevin is a perfectionist. He didn't cut a great deal of slack." For example: Mr. Wilson managed to drum up 250 horses. Mr. Costner was not happy. He demanded 300. The tension abated only when the extra horses were found. "This was not a gun-rich tribe," Mr. Costner says of the Sioux. "They were horse-rich." The vast, wild world of the Sioux was also evoked in a sequence of scenes involving buffalo.

"I wanted to hark back to a period where there were millions of buffalo," he says. "Diaries show that wagon trains sometimes had to wait six, seven days for a whole herd to go by. That's how long it took. No one risked disturbing a million buffalo." To create a similar world on film Mr. Costner shot on the 55,000-acre Triple U Ranch outside of Pierre, S.D., where a privately owned herd of 3,500 buffalo exists. Trucks and helicopters were used to herd the stampeding buffalo; two tame buffalo belonging to the rock singer Neil Young, Cody and Mammoth, were used as arrow-riddled animals that eventually collapsed. Through this thundering stampede Mr. Costner shot his hunting scenes, with Indians riding bareback at breakneck speeds. But the sense of a massive herd is created primarily within a few eye-blinks: a shot of a million-strong swath of hoofprints stretching across the prairie to the horizon. "I drove everyone crazy with that shot," says Mr. Costner, slightly abashed. A tractor created the muddy churned soil of a stampeding herd; a painted backdrop made the animals appear to extend to the horizon. Mr.

Costner may earn praise for avoiding the usual Hollywood depiction of Indians. The casting director, Elisabeth Leustig, scoured the United States and Canada looking for Indian actors for the leading roles; the rest of the cast are local Sioux from South Dakota. The result is a film populated with interesting faces -- among them cackling, toothless old women and tubby little boys up to mischief. The quest for authenticity is reflected in the costumes of tanned deer hide and buffalo wraps, at times decorated with elaborate beadwork and porcupine-quill weaving. Perhaps Mr. Costner's most unusual decision was to use the original Pawnee and Lakota languages with English subtitles. It may have been this gesture of respect toward Indian culture that prompted the Sioux to induct him, Mr. Wilson and the actress Mary McDonnell, who plays Lieutenant Dunbar's love interest, into the tribe after the film was made. Doris Leader Charge, a Lakota instructor on the Rosebud Reservation in South Dakota, spent four to five hours a day for three weeks teaching her language to the actors. She was later given a small role, and Mr. Costner often kept her by his side as an adviser during production.

She taught him how to rig the teepees correctly and instructed him in the delicate laws of Indian etiquette, such as the seating arrangement around a Sioux chief during a village meeting. And again the horses came into play. "When we filmed the teepee interiors, I thought we could finally give the horses a rest," says Mr. Wilson. No such luck. "Kevin very much wanted the horses to walk past the teepees so they could be seen through the tarp on the door." The Sioux in "Dances With Wolves" are very likable, but at war they are fierce. The faces of their Pawnee enemies are painted a primal blue, like some cannibalistic tribe from the jungle. This is not the kind of Hollywood film in which men die neatly, with an arrow crisply through the heart. Here, more true to life, they die slowly, crawling in shock with a dozen arrows sticking out of their sides and arms and calves. Despite the film's largely sympathetic portrayal of Indian life, Mr. Costner tries not to engage in pulpit thumping. Other than calling the native Americans "a beautiful people," he dismisses any attempt to ascribe noble motives to his depiction of them.

"People are now making a big deal about using Lakota," he says. "But it just seemed obvious." The only predictable element of the film is the love interest between Lieutenant Dunbar and Stands With a Fist, a white captive of the Sioux played by Ms. McDonnell. Mr. Costner defends his choice. "It wasn't a cliche because in the American frontier, which none of us knew about because it is 120 years removed, captives were all over the place," he says. "It was common. Wagon trains were attacked, and the Indians kept the children." If "Dances With Wolves" should strike critics as a confident work, perhaps one reason is that as a director, Mr. Costner could borrow on his acting background to shape the film in unusual ways. He says his career as an actor has made him sensitive to extras. "I communicate with my extras," he says. "Extras make a film." Mr.

Costner says he recognized in Michael Blake's script a vehicle for fellow actors, and the film has several noticeable cameo performances: the beautiful Indian child Smiles a Lot (Nathan Lee Chasing His Horse), who comes of age during the film through his first tomahawk murder; the overeducated, overbred officer (Maury Chaykin), who finally goes mad on a frontier of unwashed people; the crude, self-serving scout Timmons (Robert Pastorelli). For such touches, Mr. Costner credits the writing. "I could offer actors a complete script," he says. "Every character had stories with a beginning, a middle and end." "Dances With Wolves" is a film in which even the wolves and horses have clearly developed characters. The wolf that befriends Lieutenant Dunbar is, in fact, responsible for the film's title. After watching Lieutenant Dunbar play with the wolf, the Sioux give him the Indian name Dances With Wolves. "I loved that Lieutenant Dunbar's first instinct was to kill the wolf, and finally it turns out to be one of his best friends," says Mr. Costner.

"What always attracts me to a film are those little things, not the big ones." Mary McDonnell, Graham Greene and Kevin Costner in "Dances With Wolves." (Orion Pictures) � Lt. John Dunbar (Character) - Quotes Lt. John Dunbar (Character) John Dunbar : The strangeness of this life cannot be measured: in trying to produce my own death, I was elevated to the status of a living hero. Ten Bears : [in Lakota; subtitled] Let us smoke a while. John Dunbar : [voiceover] With Ten Bears, it was always more than a while. There was purpose in everything he did, and I knew he wanted me to stay. But I was sure of myself. I would be an excuse, and that's all the Army would need to find this place. I pushed him as far as I could to move the camp. But in the end, he only smiled and talked of simple pleasures. He reminded me that at his age, a good fire was better than anything. Ten Bears was an extraordinary man. John Dunbar : [in Lakota; subtitled] We are trying for a baby. John Dunbar : [in Lakota] No waiting.

Kicking Bird : [in Lakota] I was just thinking that of all the trails in this life, there are some that matter most. It is the trail of a true human being. I think you are on this trail, and it is good to see. John Dunbar : Dunbar, not Dumb Bear. Major Fambrough : You wish to see the frontier? John Dunbar : Yes sir, before it's gone. John Dunbar : [writing in his diary] If it wasn't for my companion, I believe I'd be having the time of my life. Ten Bears : [in Lakota to Dunbar; subtitled] Dances with Wolves has been quiet these past few days. Is his heart bad? John Dunbar : [in Lakota to the village council; subtitled] Killing those soldiers at the river was a good thing. I never got to thank all of you for saving me. I did not mind killing those men. I was glad to do it. But now I know that the soldiers hate me like they hate no other. Because I killed soldiers, men of my own race, they think I am a traitor.

[the council murmurs and nods in agreement] John Dunbar : [in Lakota; subtitled] And now they will hunt for me. And when they find me they will find you. I think it would be wise to move the village to another location right now. As for me... I will be leaving. I will be leaving with my wife Stands With a Fist as soon as possible. I must go and try to talk to those that will listen. [shouts and protests immediately begin around the council. Wind In His Hair stands up and screams his objection. Even Kicking Bird is protesting. However, Ten Bears rises both of his hands as a sign to stop] Ten Bears : [in Lakota; subtitled] Quiet! You are all hurting my ears! Leave us! [all the Sioux file out of the tent, and within seconds Ten Bears and Dunbar are alone] Ten Bears : [in Lakota to Dunbar; subtitled] You are the only white man I have ever known. I have thought about you a lot. More than you think. And I understand your concern. But I think you are wrong. The white man the soldiers are looking for no longer exists.

Now there is only a Sioux named Dances with Wolves. Stands With a Fist : [translating for Kicking Bird] He thanks Dances with Wolves for coming. John Dunbar : Who is Dances with Wolves? Stands With a Fist : It is the name all the people are calling you now. Kicking Bird : [after receiving the pipe from Dances with Wolves] How does it smoke? John Dunbar : I don't know; I haven't smoked it yet. John Dunbar : I am Lieutenant John J. Dunbar and this is my post. Stands With a Fist : He also asks if you would watch over his family while he is gone. [pauses] Stands With a Fist : This thing he asks of you is a great honor. John Dunbar : Tell him I would be happy to watch over his family. John Dunbar : [voice-over] Nothing I have been told about these people is correct. They are not thieves or beggars. They are not the bogeymen they are made out to be. On the contrary, they are polite guests and I enjoy their humor. John Dunbar : [voice-over] I had never really known who John Dunbar was.

Perhaps because the name itself had no meaning. But as I heard my Sioux name being called over and over, I knew for the first time who I really was. John Dunbar : [voice-over] They were a people so eager to laugh, so devoted to family, so dedicated to each other. The only word that comes to mind is harmony. [talking about the white men coming] John Dunbar : Like the stars. John Dunbar : [at the celebration of the buffalo feast, noticing a big Sioux man has his Lieutenant's hat] That's my hat... that's my hat! Big Warrior : [in Lakota, as all becomes quiet in the tent] I found it on the prarie. It's mine. Wind In His Hair : [stands up, in Lakota] The hat belongs to Lieutenant. Big Warrior : He left it on the prarie. He didn't want it. Wind In His Hair : Well, you can see he wants it now. We all know it's a soldier hat. We all know who wears it. If you want to keep it, that's fine. But give something for it. [the Sioux takes his knife and sheath off his belt and gives it to Dunbar] Lt.

John Dunbar | Heroes Wiki | Fandom powered by Wikia Share Ad blocker interference detected! Wikia is a free-to-use site that makes money from advertising. We have a modified experience for viewers using ad blockers Wikia is not accessible if you’ve made further modifications. Remove the custom ad blocker rule(s) and the page will load as expected. Lt. John J. Dunbar is the protagonist of Dances with Wolves. He is played by Kevin Costner, who also directed the film. John Dunbar AKA Dances with Wolves In 1863, First Lieutenant John J. Dunbar is wounded in the American Civil War. Choosing suicide over having his leg amputated, he takes a horse and rides up to the Confederate front lines, distracting them in the process. The roused Union army then attacks and the battle ends in a Confederate rout. Dunbar survives, is allowed to recover properly, receives a citation for bravery, and is awarded Cisco, the horse who carried him, as well as his choice of posting. Dunbar requests a transfer to the western frontier so he can see its vast terrain before it disappears.

Dunbar arrives at his new post, Fort Sedgwick, but finds it abandoned and in disrepair. Despite the threat of nearby Indian tribes, he elects to stay and man the post himself. He begins rebuilding and restocking the fort and prefers the solitude afforded him, recording many of his observations in his journal. Meanwhile Timmons, the wagon driver who transported Dunbar to Fort Sedgwick, is killed and scalped by Pawnee Indians on his way back to Fort Hays. Timmons's death and the suicide of Major Fambrough, who had sent them there, prevents other soldiers from knowing of Dunbar's assignment to the post, effectively isolating him. Dunbar notes in his journal of how strange it is that no other soldiers join him at the post. Dunbar initially encounters his Sioux neighbors when several attempts are made to steal his horse and intimidate him. In response, Dunbar decides to seek out the Sioux camp in an attempt to establish a dialogue. On his way he comes across Stands With A Fist, who is attempting suicide in mourning her deceased husband.

She is the white adopted daughter of the tribe's medicine man Kicking Bird, her original family having been killed by the aggressive Pawnee tribe when she was young. Dunbar returns her to the Sioux to be treated, which changes their attitude toward him. Eventually, Dunbar establishes a rapport with Kicking Bird and warrior Wind In His Hair who equally wish to communicate. Initially the language barrier frustrates them, so Stands With A Fist, though with great difficulty remembering her English, acts as translator. Dunbar finds himself drawn to the lifestyle and customs of the tribe and begins spending most of his time with them. Learning their language, he is accepted as an honored guest by the Sioux after he locates a migrating herd of buffalo and participates in the hunt. When at Fort Sedgwick, Dunbar also befriends a wolf he dubs "Two Socks" for its white forepaws. When the Sioux observe Dunbar and Two Socks chasing each other, they give him the name "Dances with Wolves". During this time, Dunbar also forges a romantic relationship with Stands with a Fist and helps defend the village from an attack by the rival Pawnee tribe.

Dunbar eventually wins Kicking Bird's approval to marry Stands with a Fist, and abandons Fort Sedgwick. Because of the growing Pawnee and white threat, Chief Ten Bears decides to move the tribe to its winter camp. Dunbar decides to accompany them but must first retrieve his journal from Fort Sedgwick as he realises that it would provide the army with the means of finding the tribe. However, when he arrives he finds the fort re-occupied by the U.S. Army. Because of his Sioux clothing, the soldiers open fire, killing Cisco and capturing Dunbar, arresting him as a traitor. Senior officers interrogate him, but Dunbar cannot prove his story, as a corporal has found and discarded his journal. Having refused to serve as an interpreter to the tribes, Dunbar is charged with desertion and transported back east as a prisoner. Soldiers of the escort shoot Two Socks when the wolf attempts to follow Dunbar, despite Dunbar's attempts to intervene. Eventually the Sioux track the convoy, killing the soldiers and freeing Dunbar. At the winter camp, Dunbar decides to leave with Stands With A Fist, since his continuing presence will put the tribe in danger.

As they leave, Wind In His Hair shouts to Dunbar, reminding him of their friendship. U.S. troops are seen searching the mountains but are unable to locate them, while a lone wolf howls in the distance. An epilogue then states that thirteen years later the last remnants of the free Sioux were subjugated to the American government, ending the conquest of the Western frontier states and the livelihoods of the tribes on the plains. Film Analysis of Dances With Wolves ~dlin/movies/dances.htm Film Analysis Dances With Wolves is one of the most important motion pictures to ever come out of Hollywood. For all its shortcomings, the film still goes a long way in bringing a snapshot of Native American culture into the collective consciousness of dominant America. The screenplay promotes a greater understanding, acceptance, and sympathy for the Lakota culture. There are many scenes within the film that seem to support this idea. The humanity of the Lakota people and the familial bonds of tribal life are made accessible through these moments also. I am thinking especially of the multiple scenes in which "gift giving" is witnessed. The first exchange of gifts occurs when Kevin Costner, Lt.

Dunbar, makes coffee for the small Lakota band that comes to visit him at the soldier fort. As the scene winds down, we see the warriors leaving him with new tin coffee cups strapped to their backs and through a voice over narration, it is revealed that he has also given them some coffee and sugar to take back to their camp circle with them. As the bonds of friendship develop, we see this act of kindness reciprocated in the form a buffalo skin that is given to Lt. Dunbar by Kicking Bird, played by Graham Green. Later in the film, Costner's character is allowed to marry Stands With A Fist, played by Mary McDonnell. In the extended version of the production, he must "buy" the woman according to Lakota custom. The only problem is that he has nothing in the way of possessions in which to give for her. All he has is his horse and it is decided that his mount has too "strong a medicine" to simply trade it for a woman. The entire camp circle then takes up a collection for him, so he can "buy" Stands With A Fist. Even the poorest members of the tribe offer something to him so he may exchange it for this woman.

It is a wonderful example of the true nature of these people. The scene in the film where the Lakota are preparing to send a war party against the Pawnee is also quite revealing. The camera shifts from warrior to warrior as the men bid farewell to their families and loved ones. It is particularly poignant for me personally because of my own past involvement with the United States military. When I was a younger man, I too left my wife, home, and family in order to go forth against an enemy of my nation. The feelings the scene conjures up are very strong, especially when Kicking Bird embraces his wife and they touch their heads together for what may be the last time. There is also a short scene in the film where Kicking Bird is preparing to go to sleep in his teepee. He lies down under his robes and immediately we see a look of puzzlement on his face. Moments later he pulls one of his children's dolls out from under the robe. Without any dialogue, the film has provided us with a beautiful portrait of the humanity of these people and also touched upon a commonality inherent to all persons, regardless of race. This cognizant examination of Lakota culture reaches its zenith with the last scene of the film.

At this point, Dances With Wolves/Lt Dunbar, has decided to leave the camp circle in order to provide some measure of safety from the United States Army for his tribal brethren. Kicking Bird is shown rifling through his possessions within his teepee. He is trying to find a ceremonial peace pipe that he wants to give Dances With Wolves as a parting gift. His wife gives the pipe to him and moments later he and Dances With Wolves are shown exchanging pipes with one another. It is their final act of kindness and friendship towards each other. As the scene ends, Wind In His Hair, played by Rodney Grant, screams a lonesome farewell to Dances With Wolves. Over and over again, the audience hears the Lakota pronunciation of Dances With Wolves' name being yelled out from the top of the canyon by Wind In His Hair. It is an extremely emotional and powerful scene. On the filpside, Dances With Wolves has quite a few faults. Let's rewind for a moment and ponder the opening scenes of the film. First of all, I don't by into the notion that an individual would have been able to charge a Confederate line alone and on horseback without getting killed outright. That first scene is simply not realistic.

However, if the filmmaker's intentions are to portray Lt. Dunbar as having "strong medicine" then yes, I would have to say it WAS possible! The film's portrayal of the Pawnee was not very flattering either. These Native Americans are shown in the traditional Hollywood role of the "Savage Indian". That is all we get from them throughout the film too. We see them do nothing but kill both whites and Lakota. They are alienated further from the audience when we see them acting as scouts for the United States Army at the end of the film. The roles of the majority of whites are not necessarily positive either. The whites are seen in constant conflict with one another and the natural world around them throughout the film. Dances With Wolves and Stands With A Fist are really the only white characters in the film who could be said to be portrayed positively at all. This film also embodies a dynamic of dominant American culture that cannot be ignored. The notion of "Going Indian". Ý The process of, "the white discovery of and the renaming and adoption into the tribal society of the American Indian" (Baird 153).

As I stated previously, the screenplay yields a unique perspective on Lakota culture, but also at its center is this dramatic story of a disillusioned white man trying to find himself. According to the underlying message of the film, he will only accomplish this personal catharsis by his immersion into the world of the Native American. Historical Accuracy As far as the historical background of the film is concerned, the Lakota chief called Ten Bears was actually a Southern Plains Yapparika Comanche chief. The real Kicking Bird was not a "medicine man", but a chief in another Southern Plains tribe called the Kiowa. The original novel centered around the Comanche of the Southern Plains. However, due to the fact that the film production company secured filming access to a herd of buffalo in South Dakota, a change of tribes occurred. The most significant historical error involves the winter campaign launched by the United States Army in search of Dances With Wolves and Ten Bears' band. The year is supposed to be 1864. No United States Army winter campaigns were launched against any Native Americans until November of 1868. The massacre that took place that month was led by Lt. Col. George A.

Custer's 7th Cavalry against Chief Black Kettle's people of the Cheyenne Nation. It occurred at Washita Creek on Thanksgiving Day. Sources of Applicable Information: Baird, Robert 1998 Going Indian: Dances with Wolves. Hollywood's Indian: The Portrayal of the Native American in Film. Ed. Peter C. Rollins and John E. O'Connor. Lexington: The University Press of Kentucky, 1998. pp. 153-169. Blake, Michael 1988 Dances With Wolves. New York: Fawcett, 1988. Castillo, Edward D.

Question: What name was given by the Sioux Indians to John J Dunbar?
Answer: Dances With Wolves