Reviews

One of my all-time faves. Similar theme to Dances With Wolves, but without the sappy sentimentality. Little Big Man has the added dimension of also being a commentary on Vietnam and the Holocaust. Also, LBM doesn't stoop to stereotyping the Native Americans as Noble Savages... they are just as diverse and prone to envy, greed, lust etc as the Whites. It's an epic, and yes, it is very long, but never less than gripping. Exceeds DWW in every respect, in sense of humor, range of emotion, and tragedy. Very imaginative direction by Arthur Penn, great performances by Hoffman, Chief Dan George (if I recall correctly, the only Native American to be nominated for an Oscar), Faye Dunaway, and the rest. Not to be missed.

One especially noteworthy aspect of this movie is the character of Ben Chaplin, played by the criminally underappreciated African American actor Canada Lee. A trademark of Lee's few but memorable screen roles is how his characters transcend the racial stereotypes of the day (see also his role in "Lifeboat"). Where Chaplin is black, his race is never mentioned, and is never even made an issue. There's no assumption of deferrence to the white characters. He is treated as an equal, which, especially for 1947, is an amazing breakthrough.

The other strengths of the movie, particularly Garfield's performance and James Wong Howe's cinematography, have been duly mentioned in other posts.