During a US Civil War battle, Union Army Officer Lieutenant John J. Dunbar learns that his injured leg is to be amputated. Seeing fellow soldiers with amputated legs, he refuses amputation and attempts suicide by riding a horse across the line of fire, between the Union and Confederate. His action has the unexpected effect of uniting his mates, who storm the distracted Confederates and win the battle. After the battle, an experienced general's surgeon saved 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. He was anxious to see the Western frontier before it ended so he requested to transfer west. After a long …show more content…
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. The necessity to work more in harmony with our environment is a constant theme of our age, and it is interesting to see how a historical film can also accommodate modern concerns. “Loyalty and Betrayal”: Dunbar is honored by being given a commission early in the plot to take up a post of his own choosing, because of his loyalty to the Union army. We see the deep sense of loyalty within the Dakota people. Dunbar decides to leave the camp at the end of the film because of his feelings towards the Dakota and gives himself up to the …show more content…
The perspective showed both sides of the story-both from the whites and the Native Americans. At the beginning, they showed the whites’ point of view by showing Dunbar’s transformation and rapid-growth of understanding of the ways of the Indian’s lifestyles. The plotline and the part of romance made it more captivating for me. The part about the wild west and the ways and culture of the Native Americans were exposed and recognized. This movie taught me much about the knowledge of the Native Americans and their relationships with the white men. The movie proved that both sides-both the white and “the savages” were even when it came to abuse and misery they created for the opposing side. I would personally recommend it to anyone who has the patience to sit down and learn about the old ways of the wild west between the Native Americans and the whites. Also to all the women that appreciate a plotline with romance. This movie has received 7 Oscars, and has, in addition, been nominated for 5 more; won 3 Golden Globes, and has, in addition, been nominated for 3 more; has won one Grammy. The contribution to my knowledge toward the AP exam has immensely increased by the unbiased view and perspective toward the Native Americans, and visually a story unfold from the west and the separate viewpoints from the whites versus the