The Movie
Robert Redford might back me up here: Seldom is a director's first film so lauded as, say, Dances with Wolves was for Kevin Costner. That is of course unless you're an actor-turned-director, in which case you might just waltz home with Oscars for Best Director and Best Picture. (Okay, Redford's name technically wasn't on the Best Picture statue for Ordinary People, but you get the point.)
Costner's period epic was bold in its scope, exquisitely photographed with an attention to detail. At the center is the fictional Lieutenant John Dunbar, clearly an unusual soldier, an unintentional hero of the Civil War who chooses to be stationed deep in the frontier. What he experiences, the people he meets and fights and befriends, serves as an education for many viewers about the ways of Native Americans, particularly the Sioux. It's also a love letter to the American West.
Curiously, this first-ever Dances Blu-ray carries the "Extended Version" only, not the theatrical cut which, y'know, won the Oscar for Best Picture, along with six more. It's a very different, even grander movie, now packed with brief added sequences, most not directly involving Dunbar. It's tough to maintain audience momentum for just-shy-of-four hours however, so you might want to consider breaking your viewing up across two nights.
The Picture
The bit budget is tight for such a long film, and so the dutifully managed rate can vary from the mid-teens on up to a flirtation with The Big 4-0 on some of the busier shots. The movie has been wonderfully remastered for this edition, and the clarity of the 2.35:1 image is brilliant. The blades of grass blanketing the prairie are razor-sharp, and even Costner's fake beard in early scenes is now exposed, an increasingly common sort of problem in the brave new world of HD.
We are also shown a newfound richness in the colors, and peculiarities of focus are preserved. There can be some grain, more noticeable some times than at others, and I noted a couple of mildly perceptible jumps as new footage has been integrated. Blacks are unfortunately mushy, often lacking a natural appearance, and that's my biggest complaint about this otherwise strong Blu-ray.
The Sound
Fox has done it again, with a brand-new DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1-channel remaster of a classic ("modern classic"?) film. The magic is in the details, which in this reimagined high-resolution mix are truly outstanding. Voices are clear and strong all around the discrete soundfield, with crowds often placed behind us for an engrossing effect. Gunshots are punchy, often paired with precise bullet hits. Incidental noises are generously spread across the seven speakers. John Barry's musical score displays sumptuous dynamic range and nuance. My one very minor letdown was in the area of bass, specifically during the buffalo sequences: We're shown the ground literally shaking beneath Dunbar's feet, I would have enjoyed feeling it too.
The Extras
The bonus materials are a combination of new and old supplements. On Disc One is a pair of commentary tracks, the first from director/producer/star Costner, joined by producer Jim Wilson, the next from director of photography Dean Semler and film editor Neil Travis. During the movie we can also view the "Military Rank and Social Hierarchy Guide" (U.S. Army and Native American) intermittently on screen, sometimes with multiple blocks if information to choose from. "Real History or Make-Believe?" is a True-or-False interactive quiz.
"A Day in the Life of the Western Frontier" (14 minutes) is the lone new bit on Disc Two, a Blu-ray, even though only this and a trailer are presented in HD. The featurette shares the truth about pioneers from assorted experts, including Dances with Wolves author/screenwriter Michael Blake. Also included are The Original "Making of Dances with Wolves," the seven-part "The Creation of an Epic: A Retrospective Documentary," a John Barry music video, and editor Neil Travis' presentation reel, entitled "Second Wind."
The disc also contains some brief vignettes about the physical production and more, great old-school secrets, along with a couple of still image collections.
Final Thoughts
Dances with Wolves remains a fascinating, substantial motion picture two decades on, and the results of Fox/MGM's audio/video remastering are extremely satisfying. The new extras are a terrific carrot as well, but seriously though: Why no seamless branching to the Oscar-winning original version?
Product Details
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