Dances With Wolves

Dir: Kevin Costner, 1990 (9.8*)

Best Picture (AA, GG)

AFI Top 100

The director's cut of this magnificent western adds nearly an hour to this epic, making it about 3:30 long, but it's worth it. Direction was begun by Kevin Reynolds, but after a dispute, he dropped out and Kevin Costner took over, since he was already the lead actor. This film depicts more Native American life than any in history, and yes, you will have to read subtitles. The story follows a civil war hero (Costner) turned U.S. calvaryman who is posted to a remote outpost where he is befriended by the local Souix, led by Grahame Greene (Oscar nominated); they name him Dances with Wolves because he feeds a local wolf who hangs out near his outpost. While there he finds a white widow (Mary McDonnell, also Oscar nominated) living with the Souix. You'll have watch this if you never have, one of the great epic westerns. 7 Oscars

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Open Range

Kevin Costner, 2003 (10*)
This is a tremendous western, starring Kevin Costner and Robert Duvall, who says his "great Western trilogy" is comprised of Lonesome Dove, Open Range, and Broken Trail (two tv miniseries and one film). This tale of the open range is a gritty, uncompromising look at property rights, corruption, and human values in the wild west. Costner and Duvall play two men who, along with their fellow cowboys, are driving a herd across the western open prairie and run into injustice along the way. Add in Annette Bening for beauty and romance, in her typically understated but dead on performance, this is perhaps my favorite western ever.

It's hard for me to believe this doesn't show up on film polls, it's as good as any John Ford western, it's just missing Henry Fonda in Costner's role, but Duvall is perfect for any era. The location for the scenic valley used here [see photo below] was found by helicopter and was practically inaccessible by land vehicles before they used it as the perfect setting for this title.

©2003, Touchstone Pictures

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