Review of Dances with Wolves (1990) by Stephen E — 26 Mar 2013

Breathtaking shots of the old western frontier, impeccable production design, brilliantly-directed battle scenes and a touching narrative centered on the joining of a lonesome Civil War soldier with a Sioux tribe make "Dances with Wolves" and its staggering four hour running time worth watching.

Kevin Costner does just as well in front of the camera as he does behind it, giving his best performance as Lieutenant John Dunbar. "Dances with Wolves" has acquired a lot of hate over the years for being supposedly 'inauthentic' and the fact that it beat out "Goodfellas" at the Academy Awards for the Best Picture Oscar, but it's one of the great cinematic epics.