"I don't feel the need to direct. I tried to get other people to direct Dances, but they wouldn't do it. They all thought it was too long. One director wanted to cut the Civil War sequence. Another thought the white woman was very cliched"

This quote by Kevin Costner speaks to his dedication to his vision for the film Dances with Wolves. He hesitated to compromise on the length of the film, even when other directors suggested cutting the Civil War series. He likewise declined to change the character of the white female, despite the fact that some individuals thought she was a cliche. This quote shows that Costner was determined to make the movie he wanted to make, and was not happy to compromise his artistic vision for the sake of making the film more tasty to others. He was willing to take threats and stand by his convictions, even when it indicated going against the grain. This quote speaks to Costner's dedication to his craft and his commitment to developing a movie that was true to his vision.