Adventure,Drama,Western
United Kingdom,United States of America
John Dunbar, a Union Army lieutenant, is wounded in a battle during the American Civil War and chooses to have his leg amputated rather than face certain death. With his bravery, he becomes a hero and is offered his choice of assignments. He requests to be assigned to the western frontier so that he can see it before it disappears.
Upon his arrival at Fort Hays, he finds it deserted and is greeted only by a fellow soldier who is deranged. Dunbar chooses to ride out to the abandoned base of Fort Sedgewick to see what has happened to it. There he meets Timmons, who eventually leaves him alone again.
Dunbar then comes across a group of Lakota people and saves a young woman from being killed by the Pawnee tribe. He earns their respect and is given the name Dances with Wolves. He becomes enamored with their culture and way of life, eventually becoming a member of the tribe and falling in love with a woman named Stands with a Fist.
However, tensions rise between the Lakota and the white settlers who are encroaching on their land. Dunbar tries to mediate the situation but ultimately must choose between his loyalty to the army and his loyalty to the Lakota people.
In the end, Dunbar chooses to fight alongside the Lakota and leaves behind his former life as John Dunbar. He burns down his former post and rides off into the wilderness with Stands with a Fist and the other Lakota people.
