From what I remember as a very young man and then die hard movie buff, this movie was a surprise. Kevin Costner was an up and coming Everyman actor that took the risk to star and direct this movie that was otherwise a cast of unknowns. The initial box office wasn't that great for this, but when the word got out, it skyrocketed. I do remember before seeing this a lot of people came out of the movie quiet or teary-eyed and a woman saying to another person standing next to me declaring "you'll never forget this movie".
The movie was slow and dramatic for sure, but I definitely loved it. I was too young to understand the political correctness that was starting to permeate America and thought back then that most white peoples were monsters and Native Anericans were saints, but this movie was propaganda.
I haven't seen this movie in over 25 years and sure I'd find it kind of cheesy.
As for Goodfellas? Gritty, realistic, never boring, and unsentimental
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jane_bront
8 years ago
In many westerns back in the day the Indians were the bad guys and most of the white people were heroes. I enjoyed a few the them as much as the next person. A few westerns like DWW now portray more "heroic" Indians and more of the white men are bad guys. But this isn't across the board. The Pawnee were portrayed as the "enemy" and they showed a Pawnee killing and scalping a white man just because he was there. The Sioux collected body parts too but they didn't show them doing it because they and Dunbar are the protagonists we're supposed to relate to. Not all the soldiers were portrayed as dirty, mean and ignorant but it's okay that some were. They were not the protagonists. Also, sentimental films aren't automatically inferior to grittier films. DWW may not be everyone's cup of tea but I think it has stood the test of time as a great film. Goodfellas was good too but it had its share of unrealistic and stereotypical elements - ditzy Italian women talking with exaggerated accents and wearing two tons of makeup ; the ultra aggressive but very unwise wiseguy that no one else can play quite like Joe Pesci ; and the stereotype of Italian mob culture period. It was all there. I saw Goodfellas once in the theater and about twice since. That's enough for me, but I'm biased now because I'm over mob stories. If I never see this or The Godfather or Once Upon a Time in America again, I'll be fine. (Well, I might have to pick up Boardwalk Empire where I left off because...Steve Buscemi!) I don't watch Westerns regularly but nor have I tired of the genre.
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vicky_lc2001 (1907)
7 years ago
A NA is portrayed positively and that makes it cheesy and PC huh? Lol!
Because apparently portraying NA's as negative and white people as positive is what you would say to be ' gritty, realistic, never boring, and unsentimental.'
You really are the target demographic of the present comic book centric audience of today.
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