Kevin Costner: 5 Awesome Performances And 5 That Sucked
1. Lieutenant Dunbar - Dances With Wolves
I know, it may seem obvious to pick Dances With Wolves as number one. And yeah, we all know that it should not have won Best Picture over Martin Scorseses Goodfellas. But, all the same, it is hard to dismiss this film. A western epic, Dances With Wolves breathed new life into the genre, showing that our fascination with the old West had not yet reached its conclusion.
What makes Dances with Wolves a great film is not just that it is expertly directed (its hard to believe this was Costners first effort), but it is also due to his controlled performance in the central role. In this film, he plays John J. Dunbar, a union soldier that is stationed out at a post in the vast empty frontier. While there, he has encounters with a tribe of Sioux Indians. Though at first apprehensive, he soon grows fond of the Sioux and of their unique way of life. Eventually, he comes to realize where he truly belongs.
With much of the film presented in the Sioux tongue, Costner really needed to go above and beyond in preparation for this role. From Union soldier to honorary Native American, his transformation is undeniable. He has not just changed his clothing - he now talks like them, acts like them, and thinks like them, and he even marries within the tribe. By the end, he is no longer John Dunbar. He is Dances With Wolves.
Sure, it may seem cliched now, with the whole white-man-becomes-a-savage message. But DancesWwith Wolves is probably the most convincing film of its kind (sorry James Cameron). And Costner showed that he is multi-talented, both in front of and behind the camera. Even after 23 years, Dances with Wolves remains as fresh as the day it came out.
And now onto the not-so-great roles...