September 2000

Dances with Wolves
Reviewed by Roger Kanno
DVD Format

Overall Enjoyment:
Picture Quality:
Sound Quality:
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Starring Kevin Costner, Mary McDonnell, Graham Greene, Rodney A. Grant, Tantoo Cardinal

Directed by Kevin Costner

Theatrical Release: 1990
DVD Release: 1998/1999 (DD/DTS)
DTS 5.1 and Dolby Digital 5.1 versions available
Widescreen (Anamorphic)

Image Entertainment released Dances With Wolves on DVD in both Dolby Digital and DTS versions back in 1998 and 1999 respectively. It was one of the only films that could have been considered a critical and commercial success that was available in the first wave of DTS DVD releases. Although it is a simple story, Dances With Wolves compresses a lot into its three-hour length and remains a moving experience even after repeated viewing. It was a winner of seven Academy Awards including Best Picture and Best Director for Kevin Costner who also produced and starred in the film.

The direction by Costner is unambiguous and to the point, but compelling nonetheless. For those who have not seen the film, it tells the story of Lt. John Dunbar, a decorated veteran of the Civil War. After choosing a posting on the frontier, he befriends and later becomes a member of a Sioux tribe. In doing so, Dunbar learns much about himself and grows as a person as do his newfound friends among the Sioux people. The Sioux are portrayed with a humor and a dignity that is disarming and heartwarming. Graham Greene plays Kicking Bird in a noteworthy performance that is truly deserving of his Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor. His performance embodies all of the strong, thoughtful, and stoic qualities of the Sioux people yet with a charm and charisma that transgresses the boundaries of language and culture. Tantoo Cardinal is also excellent as Kicking Bird’s wife as is Mary McDonnell who plays their adopted white daughter who was taken in by the tribe after being orphaned as a child.

Costner’s characterization of Lt. Dunbar is similar to his directing, very competent, but not inspiring. I still believe that Martin Scorsese deserved the Oscar for his direction of Goodfellas that year, but as producer, director, and actor, Costner has created a film that is quite special. Although not as hard-hitting or poignant as Geronimo: An American Legend, Dances With Wolves is still a rewarding and life-affirming film.

The DTS version of this film is contained on two discs as opposed to the Dolby Digital version, which is a single disc. Although swapping discs during the film is an annoyance, the DTS soundtrack is the preferred audio format to experience this film. The soundstage exhibits increased depth and is more life-like with a greater fidelity that more deeply involves the viewer. The sharp report of rifles is more startling, deep bass such as kettledrums have better control and the overall sound is slightly smoother. Although the Dolby Digital version is not quite as good as the DTS, it is still an excellent soundtrack nonetheless. The Oscar-winning music score sets the mood for the majestic spaces of the open plains and the gorgeous cinematography. The wonderful music score and skillful sound design admirably complement this grand film, even though this may not be a truly "holosonic" or reference quality soundtrack.

The video transfer can best be described as filmlike with a relatively low contrast yet finely detailed appearance. Colors are rich and well saturated, perhaps even a bit over saturated at times, which some might prefer. There are many night scenes that are illuminated by flickering fire light which exhibit exceptional shadow detail. The excellent cinematography is well served by the sharp video transfer that highlights both the bright blue of the daylight sky and the rich pink and blue pastels of daybreak and sunset. Although the DTS version has a much higher bit rate than the Dolby Digital version (according to the bit rate meter on my Pioneer DVD player), I was not able to discern any difference in the video quality between the two. Interestingly, only the Dolby Digital version is THX certified, while the DTS version is not. The only extras provided with both the DTS and Dolby Digital versions are an audio commentary track by Costner and co-producer, Jim Wilson along with filmographies of the principal actors and production personnel. Even by early DVD standards, these are spartan extras.

Dances With Wolves combines an epic story with outstanding performances and a good directorial debut by Kevin Costner, which results in a film that is as relevant today as it was ten years ago when first released. Considering that many "recent classics" are not yet available on DVD, Dances With Wolves is worth owning on DVD even though it is nearly devoid of extras.

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