Review of Little Big Man (1970) by David B — 13 Sep 2009

Little Big Man may be off-putting at first glance to the members of later generations, but the positives behind watching this movie are substantial, not the least of which being its incredible entertainment value.

The movie is a life-story, following a very young Dustin Hoffman from childhood to old age as he encounters Native Americans, gunfighters, and the US military all during the mid to late 1800s era of American history.

The movie presents native american culture in a positive light, changing the usual perception of a simplistic group of people, to human beings, just as complex and wondrous as any other. It's not to say a movie hasn't done this before, but Little Big Man delves so deep into the subject that it's definitely worth a mention.

Dustin Hoffman certainly carries the weight on his shoulders by having to mature as both an actor and a character, absorbing the events that have affected the character of 'Little Big Man' and applying the effect they've had in the scenes to come. He pulls this off well, and makes the viewer feel like they know this character, and why he makes the decisions he does, to the point that you expect certain things out of him, and almost feel betrayed when he makes the hard decisions that need to be made.

The action is fairly epic-scale for its time, though it certainly meets expectations rather than surpassing them. What makes these scenes unique, however, is how appropriate they are for the events unfolding. Quite often nowadays, and even in the 70s when the movie was made, a viewer can find the action in certain films rather forced, shoe-horned into the story just for a reason to do an action scene. Even for its length, Little Big Man avoids unnecessary action sequences when it can.

In conclusion, Little Big Man is a movie fan's recommendation, due to its length, subject matter, and tempo, casual movie viewers need not apply. For anyone looking for a life-story done well, however, Little Big Man is a must watch.