"Dances with Wolves" is a movie that takes place in the western United States during the Civil War era. The film in general is not historically accurate. The relationships between American soldiers and the Sioux tribe were not as optimistic as portrayed in the film. If it was reality, I do not think Lt. Dunbar would have ever been integrated into the tribe. Some of the event can be seen realistically, like the American attack near the end of the movie. Under the presidency of Monroe, the Americans were trying to get rid of the Native Americans so it would make sense that they would attack each other. However, it's not very likely that the Natives would have won the battle. The chronology of the film is in the general time period, the mid 1800s, but it is more likely that the Sioux tribe was already driven out of the area by President Jackson.
Many more important factors to consider when making a historical movie are setting, details, and design. The Sioux tribe is located in the northern plains region of the United States, which was accurately portrayed in the film. Lt. John Dunbar was posted in a remote region in South Dakota, an area common to the Sioux tribe. Both the American soldiers and Native Americans had accurate costumes and clothing for their time period. The buildings, though there are few look very realistic. The Sioux tribe made their tipis out of buffalo hides and used many support poles made of wood. This film would look more realistic if it took place a couple of decades earlier at the start of the Native American removal period starting around 1830. In my opinion, the filmmaker's details on Sioux tribe and their cultures enhanced the historical value of the cinema. For example, Lt Dunbar's wedding scene showed a hint at how Sioux tribe performed marriages and what had to take place before one could be performed.
Another significant characteristic when analyzing historical movies is to look at the behavior of characters.
