In 1990 the Western was, as usual, in need of resuscitation. With the oater’s perennial lifesaver Clint Eastwood still a couple of years off unleashing Unforgiven, first-time helmer Kevin Costner slipped in to the saddle with this tale of a traumatised war veteran befriended by a Sioux tribe and its medicine man, Kicking Bird (Graham Greene).

A mix of spectacle (the sheer grandeur of the buffalo hunt) and liberal revisionism, Dances is both sedately paced and self-consciously epic. That it rarely drags is down to strong performances, the sweeping big-sky beauty of the cinematography and the old-fashioned virtues of a good story well told.

DVD Extras:

At 227 minutes stretched over two discs, you need to be a rabid Wolves fan to tackle the two commentaries. But both Costner's studious, serious chinwag with producer Jim Wilsonand the relaxed, humorous yak from experienced Aussie DoP Dean Semler and editor Neil Travis are definitely worth dipping into.Even better is the 74-minute Creation Of An Epic doc, which traces Wolves' roots as a novel by Costner's longtime friend Michael Blake, through the rigours of a 108-day shoot to its seven-gong success at the Oscars in 1991. Along the way we watch as KC pratfalls delightfully from his horse. Throw in photo montages and further documentary footage and this is a quality package.