Little Big Man

One of the few westerns that shatters the conventional view of the conquest of the Wild West as a heroic period in American history (the slaughter of an Indian village by ruthless American soldiers, General Custer as a psychopathic despot, etc.), and it also has many funny situations. Dustin Hoffman as a shy young man, a drunkard, an Indian, a bearded drifter or a centenarian old man – he is extremely convincing in all these roles. I think its his best film role. (01/06/2002)

A classic revisionist anti-western. In its time, it was an important undertaking, being an adaptation of the novel of the same name by Thomas Berger. Fortunately, there is no longer any need to tolerate the shortcomings of the time: Unbelievable masks, the illogical connection of individual chapters, and some absolutely terrible acting performances. The exaggeration and lightness with which this contemporary Forrest Gump crossed with The Hundred Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out of the Window and Disappeared weaves through the American West are far from as charming, as it is only straightforward and self-serving. I am glad that the sequel "The Return of Little Big Man" (1999) was released only as a book. (07/03/2024)

Another one from the *1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die* list, so I didn’t hesitate. The premise is pretty wild right from the start—Dustin Hoffman, barely disguised as a 110-year-old man, tells a reporter his unbelievable life story from the Wild West. And "unbelievable" is definitely the right word, but that’s kind of the point. The filmmakers seemed to lose track of the timeline a bit, though—since Hoffman looks the same throughout, it feels like the whole story takes place over a week. Despite that, it’s a great tale. The comparisons to Forrest Gump are spot on, just with less memorable dialogue. (08/04/2021)

1970s cringe. I could quibble that creating a Forrest Gump character in the Wild West and lethargically floating the overall mood of the film back and forth constantly might be a great idea, but that's probably only for nostalgia fans and big admirers of Dustin Hoffman's over-the-top performance. The movie is objectively poorly written, unengaging, and fundamentally dysfunctional. Above all that, it's technically incredibly poorly shot; so many directorial and cinematographic errors all at once – I can't recall seeing anything like this anywhere else, in any other film. An absolute waste of time and a disaster. (15/09/2024)

For a long time, I claimed that I didn't have a positive relationship with the western genre. I was bothered by its clichés, heroism, and black-and-white characters. Later, I had the privilege to get acquainted with films that significantly revitalized the classic western and disproved my prejudices that the western genre is dead. Little Big Man, in my opinion, belongs to the best creations in this genre. It's not a parody, but Arthur Penn looks at the conquest of the Wild West and the famous figures of that era through a comedic lens. Jack Crabb, as the film's protagonist, represents the absolute opposite of the beloved western heroes. He is actually a nobody who navigates on the border between white and Native American civilization. He doesn't really belong anywhere and changes his ethnic affiliation and life role several times. Penn cunningly satirizes the myth of the Wild West and legends of that era. General Custer is an excellent narcissistic psychopath, and the devout pastor's wife, played by Faye Dunaway, is a perfect example of hypocrisy and rightfully meets a tragic fate. The film depicts the inevitable decline of the Native American civilization and the massacres that accompanied the settlers' westward expansion. The director alternates between humorous moments and scenes of violence and tragic death. Penn handles this uncommon and quite demanding combination of genres excellently, while authentically portraying the receding Native American culture without succumbing to sentimentality and fascination. The presence of the always-excellent Dustin Hoffman definitively tips the scale in favor of five stars. Overall impression: 90%. (12/09/2014)