MovieChat Forums > Dances with Wolves (1990) Discussion > Lt. Dunbar and Lt. Elgin didn't recogniz...

Lt. Dunbar and Lt. Elgin didn't recognize each other? (Spoilers)

posted 8 years ago by Ultrashiver
4 replies | jump to latest

How is it that they did not recognize each other?

At Fort Hayes, right before Lt. Dunbar gets his orders from Major Fambrough, they both salute each other and that's when Lt. Dunbar asks where he could find Major Fambrough.

At Ft.Sedgewick, Elgin was asking Dunbar why was he out of uniform and what was he doing there. Dunbar said that this was his post and Elgin replies, "do you have proof of that?" Dunbar tells him that his orders are in his journal on his bunk.

Seems kind of strange that they didn't acknowledge each other.

[–] virginiafamilych 8 years ago

When they met at Fort Hayes, it was very brief and Dunbar was it uniform and had his mustache. At Ft Sedgewick Dunbar was dressed like an indian and shaved. However to be honest with you, I would have thought they would have acknowledged each other and vaguely remembered.

[–] [email protected] (2042) 5 years ago

How long has it been since he was at Hayes? A year? If you worked at McDonald's and served a customer briefly, would you remember them a year later?

[–] PinbackWiggly (438) 4 years ago

You always remember the real dirtbag customers. :D

[–] reichen4eva (252) 5 years ago

It depends on the person and the circumstances. Some people can recognize faces in weeks, months sometimes years. But something like a brief irrelevant moment like Elgin-Dunbar at the start of the film its possible, so i don't think its strange. Not to mention a year(?) had pass and there war was still going on.. Elgin probably saw hundreds of soldiers.