Little Big Man (1970)

Arthur Penn’s Little Big Man (1970) is a sprawling, unconventional Western that deconstructs the mythology of the American frontier while blending satire, tragedy, and pathos. Based on Thomas Berger’s 1964 novel, the film is part comedy, part epic, and part revisionist history, offering a panoramic view of 19th-century America through the eyes of its eccentric protagonist.

Released at a time when the Western genre was being re-examined, Little Big Man reflects the political and cultural turbulence of the late 1960s and early 1970s. With its sympathetic portrayal of Native Americans and its scathing indictment of American expansionism, the film was a pointed critique of imperialism and violence—echoing contemporary discontent with the Vietnam War.

The story is framed as the reminiscences of Jack Crabb (Dustin Hoffman), a 121-year-old man recounting his life to a historian in a nursing home. Through his narration, we witness his extraordinary adventures across the American frontier, making him a self-proclaimed “sole white survivor” of the Battle of the Little Bighorn.

As a child, Jack survives a massacre of his pioneer family and is adopted by the Cheyenne, where he is raised by the wise Chief Old Lodge Skins (Chief Dan George). He grows up straddling two worlds—the Native way of life, which values community and balance, and white society, with its contradictions, greed, and violence.

Over the decades, Jack assumes many identities: trapper, gunslinger, preacher’s assistant, snake-oil salesman, soldier, hermit, and even reluctant Indian fighter. His adventures repeatedly bring him into contact with real historical figures, most notably General George Armstrong Custer (Richard Mulligan), who is portrayed as egotistical, vain, and disastrously incompetent.

The film culminates with the infamous Battle of the Little Bighorn, where Custer leads his troops to annihilation despite Jack’s warnings. Through it all, Jack’s bond with the Cheyenne and his surrogate father Old Lodge Skins provides the emotional core of the film, grounding the satire in genuine affection and sorrow.

Dustin Hoffman delivers a virtuoso performance as Jack Crabb, convincingly portraying the character from youth to extreme old age. His versatility allows him to shift seamlessly between broad comedy and poignant reflection. Despite the episodic nature of the story, Hoffman keeps Jack believable as a man buffeted by history but never quite in control of it.

Chief Dan George as Old Lodge Skins is the film’s heart. His portrayal brings wisdom, humour, and dignity to the Cheyenne. His quiet, philosophical presence counters the chaos and cruelty of the surrounding world. His final scene—preparing to die, only to wake up confused and amused when death doesn’t come—is both moving and darkly funny.

Richard Mulligan plays General Custer with flamboyant arrogance. His performance is deliberately satirical, transforming Custer into a symbol of delusional hubris.

The supporting cast, including Martin Balsam as a comic snake-oil huckster and Faye Dunaway as a preacher’s wife with repressed desires, enrich the film’s episodic structure with memorable character sketches.

Arthur Penn, fresh from Bonnie and Clyde (1967), uses Little Big Man to continue his exploration of violence and myth in American culture. The film oscillates between humour and horror, using satire to puncture Western clichés while grounding its story in historical atrocities.

Cinematographer Harry Stradling Jr. captures both the sweeping vistas of the American West and the intimacy of Jack’s personal odyssey. The film’s episodic structure is both its strength and weakness: while it allows for a wide-ranging, kaleidoscopic portrait of frontier life, it occasionally feels uneven.

Penn’s direction emphasises contrasts—the warmth of Cheyenne communal life against the brutality of cavalry massacres, the absurdity of Custer’s pomposity against the human suffering his decisions inflict.

The film dismantles the heroic mythology of the frontier, showing it as a place of greed, cruelty, and absurdity.

Jack is torn between white and Native worlds, never fully belonging to either. This duality reflects America’s fractured cultural history.

The massacres of Native communities are depicted with harrowing realism, contrasting with the often comic tone elsewhere. This juxtaposition underscores the moral indictment at the film’s core.

Through Custer, the film critiques arrogance and reckless ambition, with parallels to contemporary military misadventures in Vietnam.

Old Lodge Skins embodies acceptance of life’s impermanence, offering a philosophy of balance in stark contrast to the destructiveness of Western expansion.

Key Scenes

The Massacre of Jack’s Family – The event that sets his life on its wandering course.

Life with the Cheyenne – Warmly depicted, these scenes highlight the contrast between Cheyenne values and white society’s hypocrisy.

Jack’s Encounters with Custer – Each meeting grows more absurd, culminating in the suicidal arrogance of Little Bighorn.

Old Lodge Skins’ Death Scene – One of the film’s most iconic moments, blending humour, poignancy, and wisdom in a uniquely memorable farewell.

Upon release, Little Big Man received critical acclaim for its performances, direction, and satirical power. It was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor (Chief Dan George), whose role remains a landmark in Native American representation in Hollywood cinema.

The film resonated strongly in 1970, as audiences drew parallels between Custer’s arrogance and America’s role in Vietnam. Its sympathetic depiction of Native Americans marked a significant departure from decades of Hollywood stereotypes, influencing the revisionist Westerns that followed, such as Soldier Blue (1970) and Dances with Wolves (1990).

Over time, Little Big Man has maintained its reputation as both a classic Western and a biting social commentary. Its blend of satire, tragedy, and tenderness ensures it remains a distinctive and enduring entry in the genre.

Little Big Man is a remarkable film that manages to be epic in scope while deeply personal in its focus. Through Jack Crabb’s meandering journey, Arthur Penn explores the contradictions of American history, exposing the violence, hypocrisy, and absurdity behind the Western myth while also finding moments of genuine warmth and humanity.

With Dustin Hoffman’s commanding performance, Chief Dan George’s unforgettable wisdom, and Penn’s deft mixture of satire and sincerity, the film stands as one of the most significant Westerns of the revisionist era. Both entertaining and unsettling, Little Big Man remains a poignant reminder that the stories we tell about history are often as revealing as the history itself.