Kevin Costner directs this epic tale and stars as Lt. John Dunbar, a Civil War era soldier forgotten by the Army at a remote outpost on the Western Frontier. Left alone on the plains of South Dakota, he forges a relationship with a nearby band of Sioux Indians whom he finds not to be the "beggars and thieves" that were described to him, but rather a noble, spiritual people who teach him to draw strength from himself.

Winner of seven Academy Awards (1991), DANCES WITH WOLVES is a stunning masterpiece that one can watch in order to be reminded of the glory and beauty that cinema can create when all of the elements of filmmaking fall together as perfectly matched pieces of a puzzle. Unbelievable landscapes, a compelling story told via a great screenplay and characters worthy of being immortalized on film are some of the more tangible ones while the whole mood of the movie and the emotions it stirs are more personal. If Kevin Costner has recently taken some heat for failing to convey any emotion at all, nobody in the world could say that this film would leave them indifferent.

The film is above all a testament to the Native Americans who populated the Americas before different waves of "civilized" populations hit the shores and proceeded to rid the landscape of all tradition, spirituality and respect for the nature that fed, clothed and sheltered those who had been here for millenniums before them. Despite any knocks anyone may have against him, Kevin Costner has always been known to be a man with a deep respect for tradition and his directorial debut is living proof of that fact. As a director, Costner captured the glory of the Native Tribes as well as their plight and as an actor, he gave the film its depth and a faulted, unknowing hero thrust into a situation of complete abandonment. Among the others who contributed on screen in making this a memorable event is Graham Greene, a Canadian actor who stars a Kicking Bird, the tribe's Medicine Man who discovers Costner, Mary McDonnell, who stars as Stands With A Fist, Kicking Bird's adoptive daughter and Rodney A. Grant as Wind In His Hair, a feisty Sioux warrior who embodies the devastating force of the tribes as well as its fundamentally good nature.

DANCES WITH WOLVES is also a great cinematographic achievement, displaying picturesque vistas and landscapes that are disappearing faster than anyone would like. Plains, hills, forests and more are displayed in full glory and in all seasons, culminating in the spectacular Buffalo hunt that has become one for the movie's main attractions. The extended version presented in this Special Edition contains almost a whole hour of additional footage allowing us to explore some characters in greater depth and to increase the feeling of bonding between Dunbar and the Tribe. It's safe to assume that a 236-minute runtime may scare some off, but in all honesty, the film never gets boring and the additional scenes are welcome even if the pace of the movie does get more contemplative at times. DANCES WITH WOLVES is that rare film that everyone should see regardless of their usual taste in movies.

Video: Words can't really express the beauty of some of the scenes in this film. A true tribute to nature itself DANCES WITH WOLVES is presented in this edition in its original 2.35:1 ratio. The great quality of the transfer, combined with the awesome cinematography make for a remarkable DVD edition.

Audio: The DVD boasts a Dolby Digital 5.1 track of the utmost quality. The horses, the bows and the arrows sound as if they are right around the corner, not to mention the rush you'll experience out of a top notch system during the buffalo hunt.

Feature length audio commentary with star/director Kevin Costner and producer Jim Wilson: Costner really gets into this track as a director rather than an actor (he even refers to his character as "he" while talking) and addresses the audience rather than Wilson. Costner shares some of the experience of directing his first feature and delivers some pretty interesting comments. Among others, he confides that he wanted to hire Marlon Brando for a part, but was afraid he wouldn't be able to pony up enough cash. Wilson, a longtime friend and colleague of Costner also discusses his contribution to the film.

Feature length audio commentary with director of photography Dean Semler and Editor Neil Travis: If only because of its length and epic landscapes, this film could not have been easy to make and it's nice to hear from a few of the people who worked behind the scenes to make that happen as well.

The Original Making of Dances With Wolves (20 mins.): This 1991 documentary features mostly Costner, Wilson and screenwriter Michael Blake discussing the ways they got this film off the ground and into the can. Pretty neat to watch if only to see how young Kevin Costner looked back then.

The Creation of an Epic - A Retrospective Documentary (80 mins.): This very complete documentary chronicles the making of the film from beginning to end covering technical aspects, storylines, specific segments of the film and pretty much anything else you can think of. With many cast and crewmembers appearing and giving their point of view, it's amazing to see how this film, after over a decade, still remains the crowning achievement of so many careers. This great documentary shows just how difficult it is to make a success out of such a massive undertaking.

Dances photo montage with intro by set photographer Ben Glass (10 mins.): This self-explanatory feature contains great photographs of the cast and crewmembers doing their thing.

Original Music Video by John Barry (4 mins.): John Barry's Oscar winning themes plays out here to a series of clips from the movie and its shooting. I really enjoyed the score and therefore this feature.

The Special Features section also contains four movie posters, 2 TV spots and the film's Theatrical Trailer. The one thing I really would have liked to see on this set would have been a little educational feature on the Sioux tribes.

A film everyone should see, DANCES WITH WOLVES: SPECIAL EDITION contains a lot of never-seen-before footage that adds a lot of depth to the film and is definitely worth the detour. Add to this a solid features package that retails for about $25 and you have an affordable classic that you can watch once in a while and get in touch with a land that has sadly disappeared..