Featured Audience Ratings

• Chris W

  
  Historical revisionism at some of it's finest (and most stinging). Based on a satirical novel, this is a bleakly dark dramedy/western about a 110 year-old man named Jack Crabb who tells his life story to a misguided 20th Century historian. Crabb is a white man who was raised by… More
  Historical revisionism at some of it's finest (and most stinging). Based on a satirical novel, this is a bleakly dark dramedy/western about a 110 year-old man named Jack Crabb who tells his life story to a misguided 20th Century historian. Crabb is a white man who was raised by Native Americans from a young age. He grows accustomed to their humane, enlightened way of life, but eventually strikes out on his own to see the world. He gets involved in many notable historical events (a concept later revisited in Forrest Gump), mostly involving Custer, the white conquest of the west, and the dark side of American imperialism. It's not always a petty sight, but it definitely rings true. This is a great movie, and definitely one of those times where I'm surprised (but happy), that it was a mainstream affair. It definitely fits into the scholarly movement going on at the time where revisionism was going strong, shedding light into events from previously ignored perspectives, and presenting a more balanced view of history. The cinematography is excellent, the direction is strong, the ambitions and goals noble, and the performances excellent. Hoffman delivers a wonderful turn here, and it's easily one of his best, even though it is sadly overlooked a lot of the time. The dark, quirky humor balances out with the material nicely, and this is a really eye opening film. Please give this one a look. It's not only a gem of the 70s, but a really important masterpiece of cinema in general.

• xGary X

  
  The last survivor of the battle of Little Big Horn reminisces about his life in this off beat comic western starring Dustin Hoffman. The film obviously belongs to Hoffman himself as the entire story revolves around him and his life and he's an engagingly bemused anti-hero as he… More
  The last survivor of the battle of Little Big Horn reminisces about his life in this off beat comic western starring Dustin Hoffman. The film obviously belongs to Hoffman himself as the entire story revolves around him and his life and he's an engagingly bemused anti-hero as he witnesses the atrocities and hypocrisies of the changing face of the old west, but what gives it real character is the supporting cast of oddballs who flit in and out of his sphere. These include yet another hilarious and charming performance from Chief Dan George as his adopted grandfather, a smouldering Faye Dunaway as the western equivalent of Mrs. Robinson and Richard Mulligan who plays Custer as a self-obsessed, pompous boob. It's very much a film of its time, sharing much of the flavour of anti-establishment fiction of the era and employs sly wit and gentle humour rather than the sentimentality and melodrama of the likes of Dances With Wolves in its depiction of the appalling mistreatment of the Native American population. One of the strangest westerns you'll ever see certainly, as well as one of the most interesting and fun.

• Stella D

  
  one of the more unusual westerns ever made and one of my favorite films as a kid. starring dustin hoffman as a supposedly 121 yr old man, the only white survivor of the battle of the little big horn. ranging from black comedy to drama to slapstick and back, it's a highly… More
  one of the more unusual westerns ever made and one of my favorite films as a kid. starring dustin hoffman as a supposedly 121 yr old man, the only white survivor of the battle of the little big horn. ranging from black comedy to drama to slapstick and back, it's a highly entertaining picaresque and also one of the first films to address native american rights in any way. a bit dated now and i think dustin is probably miscast (his accent is particularly bad) but i still love it. and chief dan george is awesome! <3

• Michael G

  
  Dustin Hoffman turns out a great but overlooked performance as a 121 year-old man who tells his life story. Little Big Man is a good movie but has a tone that changes way too much for its own good. It hits everything from black comedy to slapstick to heartbreaking. Just like with the… More
  Dustin Hoffman turns out a great but overlooked performance as a 121 year-old man who tells his life story. Little Big Man is a good movie but has a tone that changes way too much for its own good. It hits everything from black comedy to slapstick to heartbreaking. Just like with the movie Little Big Man is a precursor to, Dances With Wolves, I felt completely ashamed to be white. The Bill Hicock scenes were too few but at the same time great. Chief Dan George was amazing and had some of the best lines ("does she show pleasant enthusiasm when you mount her?"), the gay Indian/Native American (whatever your pleasure) was great and Faye Dunaway was very entertaining for the few brief moments she was in this movie.

• Richard B

  
  Diluted Medicine, Man, Having just completed the source novel by Thomas Berger, I thought I'd see the film again after all these years. I'm glad I did, though it was not a pure pleasure. The ambition of the film stands out - they really did try to capture the… More
  Diluted Medicine, Man, Having just completed the source novel by Thomas Berger, I thought I'd see the film again after all these years. I'm glad I did, though it was not a pure pleasure. The ambition of the film stands out - they really did try to capture the wonderful, unusual voice of the book - like True Grit, a standout book in the tradition of Twain. Hoffman is the only actor who could carry the part off, and he does it great justice, even if he is a bit mannered at times. Chief Dan George is unforgettable as his 'Grandfather.' Fay Dunaway is a fabulous Mrs. Pendrake -his lusty 'step-mother.' There is a great sense of beauty and calm in the shooting of this terrible tale of Indian massacre, and Penn tries hard to capture the spirit of the book. I'm afraid two things let the enterprise down a bit. One is the script from the normally excellent Calder Willingham (co-author of Paths of Glory and other outstanding films). He makes the Indians too nice, caught up in the revisionist spirit of the times. In Berger's book, make no mistake, the Indians were extremely violent, both to other Indians and white men. You know from the very beginning, when Jack's family is massacred by the Cheyenne and he is abducted - but in the film, by the Pawnee. Guess he did not want too much ambivalence, so the Indians are, pardon the expression, 'whitewashed.' Throughout the movie, white people are portrayed as depraved and crazy and Indians, somehow spiritual and nice (other than eating dog!). He's got Jack Crabb's voice, but not the true plot. The second thing is ketchup. There is too much of the stuff, and it looks terrible. Scenes of violence have become a lot more realistic, and this has more of the red stuff than a busy Saturday night at McDonalds. Nevertheless, it is well worth seeing, but is not a patch on the Coen Brother's new version of True Grit for capturing the era. It is more like the John Wayne version of this wonderful novel.

• Fascade F

  
  Not a bad story told by a centurian (Dustin Hoffman) Jack Crabb to a reporter about his dealings with (Richard Mulligan)General George A. Custer while also being raised by the Cheyenne Indians...and by chance meeting with Wild BIll Hickock. As teh story is being told by the centurian,… More
  Not a bad story told by a centurian (Dustin Hoffman) Jack Crabb to a reporter about his dealings with (Richard Mulligan)General George A. Custer while also being raised by the Cheyenne Indians...and by chance meeting with Wild BIll Hickock. As teh story is being told by the centurian, the realism of his chances and close brushes with death and dying is told in a vivid manner. Truly and enjoyable film realistically retold. See this..it's not a bad western at all! :-)

• Jeffrey M

  
  Before there was Forrest Gump, there was Little Big Man, a film that gives its' satirical take on the wild west and the Indian wars through the eyes of one man, Dustin Hoffman. The tone is wildly erratic, which is to be expected to some extent for a satirical film, as it is part… More
  Before there was Forrest Gump, there was Little Big Man, a film that gives its' satirical take on the wild west and the Indian wars through the eyes of one man, Dustin Hoffman. The tone is wildly erratic, which is to be expected to some extent for a satirical film, as it is part black comedy and part drama, but this does lead to some of the good dramatic moments being lost between the comedic scenes. The performances, however, are really strong all around, and there is some very funny moments and smart satire. The execution is also strong, which makes this strange mix ultimately hold together.

• David S

  
  An odd film that doesn't seem to know whether it should be aiming for comedy or tragedy at certain points. It's almost a mix of 'Forrest Gump' and 'Dances With Wolves' and both those have taken the best moments from this film. Hoffman is clearly enjoying… More
  An odd film that doesn't seem to know whether it should be aiming for comedy or tragedy at certain points. It's almost a mix of 'Forrest Gump' and 'Dances With Wolves' and both those have taken the best moments from this film. Hoffman is clearly enjoying himself in an early star role and although the film goes on a little too long there is a lot to enjoy, as the film is quite episodic and if you don't enjoy one segment they'll be another soon to enjoy. Specail mention to Chief Dan George as Hoffman's 'Grandad'. A great moving and comedy performance. My only big gripe with the film is the sudden ending. Why couldn't the story carry on with Hoffman's character getting older? There is a large gap that demands for a sequel. Little-er Bigger Man?

• Doctor S

  
  Here's the best advice you'll get all day: skip <i>Dances With Wolves</i> and watch this instead. Ahead of its time for its knowledgeable and sympathetic depiction of Indians, unflinching in the underhanded and brutal manner in which white man overran these… More
  Here's the best advice you'll get all day: skip <i>Dances With Wolves</i> and watch this instead. Ahead of its time for its knowledgeable and sympathetic depiction of Indians, unflinching in the underhanded and brutal manner in which white man overran these United States. And yet still sprinkled with humor and grand-scale adventure, delivers the message clearly without sermonizing or using emotionally manipulative tactics, unlike that other Old West epic.

• Audrey L

  
  Little Big Man starring Dustin Hoffman and the great Chief Dan George is a timeless piece of film genius.A film quite ahead of it's time in it's telling the story of how the west was won from the perspective of the Native North Americans.Reflects the tragedy of the American… More
  Little Big Man starring Dustin Hoffman and the great Chief Dan George is a timeless piece of film genius.A film quite ahead of it's time in it's telling the story of how the west was won from the perspective of the Native North Americans.Reflects the tragedy of the American Holocaust almost as well as the book Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee.The film had a great book from which to work-Little Big Man and has elements of Dickensian humor throughout in displaying hypocracy,society in general and the shakiness of "history".A film that runs the gamut of emotions-skillfully blending comedy with tragedy long before it became a Hollywood fad.

• Leo L

  
  Hilarious!

• Wu C

  
  This is the Forest Gump of the 70's. Loved this as a kid and it still holds up.

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