I knew this film ago,but it last four hours which stoped me seeing it before.Even though I knew it was a wonderful movie.
After seeing this movie,I begin to know what is cultural anthropology want to do.There are different civilizations will disappear and the world become more and more similar.Maybe anthropologist think they have the obligation to understand and collect different civilizations. Because every civilization has its wonderful place. All the civilizations are the fruit of people’s survival. If we use a kind of civilization substitute another by force, we may play the role of a savage civilization. We hope that different civilizations can evolve together in interaction and communication. And the cornerstone is respect and understanding. We don’t feel sad if both civilizations agree to develop in one direction in this process. But we do feel sad if one civilization destroy another without communication and understanding.
I think in the film the wolf is a metaphor. It symbolize the Sioux.”Dances with wolves” means “Dunbar with Sioux”. That’s why only a wolf but the name of film is “wolves”. In the end, the wolf is killed by American which means the Sioux civilization is destroyed by American. “Dances with wolves” is a beautiful name about Dunbar, which seems like an impossible thing. That’s mean Dunbar as a White integrate with Sioux is destined to be a beautiful fantasy but impossible. Distrust between people and animals like Dunbar and the wolf, even less than the distrust between people like the White and the Sioux. Dunbar undertakes the bridge with no awareness between people and animals and people from different races. In this process, he has a deep understanding how “civilized man” as us White like savageries to destroy other “uncivilized man” as Sioux. That is the bright place of the film, which let you deeply understand what “uncivilized man” as Sioux think through Dunbar, then you can feel the pain of the destruction of their civilization like Dunbar. In my opinion, that is what the director wanted to convey. In China, there is another movie named Seediq Bale which convey the similar theme as this moive.
Finally, I want to say that it is really a beautiful and amazing place about the American frontier. Grassland, lake, hillside, buffalo, all of which satisfy the romantic imagination about American west. For me, I have had a longing for the lonely life of the western wilderness.
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