Question: During the buffalo hunt, Smiles A Lot's horse falls over, causing him to fall off. But I can never figure out why the horse falls to begin with. He's standing still, and there are no buffalo nearby to spook him. Even if he were spooked by something unseen, how would that cause him to fall over, rather than just bolt?
Krista
13th May 2004
Dances with Wolves (1990)
13th May 2004
Dances with Wolves (1990)
Question: Maybe I just missed something, but what's going on with Dunbar's military superior that he meets at the fort out west? He seems to think he's a king or something, referring to the frontier as the "realm" and Dunbar's travel companion as a "peasant." At the end of the scene he salutes Dunbar very sarcastically and then shoots himself. What does any of that have to do with the story?
Chosen answer: It shows that the officer was mentally disturbed, and he was the only one in the fort who knew about Dunbar's assignment. It sets the story up so that Dunbar could live with the Indians without the Army interfering with his life (No one expected any communications to or from Dunbar).
Answer: So why was his journal so important to him? He knows lots of soldiers and many other whites are coming.
Answer: Because it documented his time at the fort and with the Indians and also what he learned from them during the period when he arrived before the Army did show up - This would have been crucial if there had been any trial which there was not as the Sioux rescued him from the situation.
13th May 2004
Dances with Wolves (1990)
Continuity mistake: When Kicking Bird is trying to steal Cisco and Dunbar frightens him away, he falls over the fence. He scares his horse, who runs off to his right. But then Kicking Bird jumps up and runs to his left, and suddenly his horse is waiting for him there, standing still.
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Chosen answer: The buffalo that later charges Smiles A Lot comes up and butts into the side of his horse, knocking it over. It can't clearly be seen because of the way the shots change, but that's what happens.