Summarize the primary narrative in the film. Next, tell me how you would rewrite the film in a way that unsettles, challenges or reframes the dominant narrative.
The narrative of the film is to overcome stereotypes by breaking down communication barriers as demonstrated through the Lieutenant Dunbar in his attempt to communicate through the dancing methods of the Native Americans. The movie uses the friendship between a white American soldier and a Native American Indian and one of their women. Through these relationships, the film is able to show the interaction between two differing cultures. In Dancing With the Wolves, the Native Americans are portrayed as brave and courageous warriors and their women are framed as exotic princesses who are try to be strong and fearless like their men, but in reality they are just like any other woman. This movie, unlike many Native American/Euro-American settler movies, breaks down the impact that the Euro-Americans had on the new land and on the Indians by using one person to represent them. Since Lt. Dunbar is alone at the American soldier’s camp, he is perceived as less threatening by the Native Americans which allows them to give him a second chance after he rescues the mourning, suicidal woman. In another effort to change white stereotypes, Lt. Dunbar also tries to communicate with the natives in a way that there are comfortable with contrary to present time where Americans expect that everyone will speak English to them regardless of which country they are in. The Indians in the film also choose not to hurt or threaten Lt. Dunbar, but to show him they are not afraid.
If I were to rewrite the film, I might try to show from both the Native American’s perspective as well as from the Euro-Americans perspective. Being able to give a “behind the scenes” look if you will, of how the Natives are reacting to Lt. Dunbar being on their land and talking to their women it could depict them in a more positive light. It may help the audience to see why the natives feared Lt. Dunbar, or how they described their encounter with a man who didn’t speak their language but did not runoff when the Native Warriors tried to display their fearlessness. I think it would be interesting and compelling if the movie were narrated by both Lt. Dunbar and Kicking Bird. The film could show one of them and their opinions on an encounter or situation between the two then switch to the other and get their opinion so both sides are being spoken for.
