Review of Little Big Man (1970) by Jenna I — 03 Oct 2017

I wasn't expecting to like this so much for some reason but here I am. An American western Candide! Made an empathetic heart, sharp satire, and brutal honesty! Yes!!

Pretty strictly satirical in one of those mirthless-but-point-taken sort of ways. I did a lot of nodding, silent chuckling and sad smiling. Actually I found the movie to be largely sadder than it was laugh-funny. The brutality of white men - "the white man thinks everything is dead" - being the most hammered home message.

Hoffman is at his best here, playing his role through the decades of the character's life. (He's also psychically in ????????????young Dustin Hoffman shape. All about that hair.) I appreciated how his voice became accented only when talking to fellow white men. I appreciated the tenderness the Native American characters were given in general, that's really where the 'revisionism' comes in more than anything else.

I also appreciated that silent ending that really gave away the films true intentions- the irreprable sadness of a last man standing.