Little Big Man

PG-13

Released Dec 14, 1970

2h 30m

Western

List

91%

80 Reviews

Tomatometer

87%

10,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

When a curious oral historian (William Hickey) turns up to hear the life story of 121-year-old Jack Crabb (Dustin Hoffman), he can scarcely believe his ears. Crabb tells of having been rescued and raised by the Cheyenne, of working as a snake-oil salesman, as a gunslinger, and as a mule skinner under Gen. Custer (Richard Mulligan). As if those weren't astonishing enough, he also claims to be the only white survivor of the infamous Battle of the Little Bighorn.

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Critics Consensus

An ambitious tall tale that boldly meshes farce with historical tragedy, Little Big Man is both an amusing comedic showcase and a persuasive political statement.

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Stefan Kanfer

TIME Magazine

The '70s has its first great epic. Blood brother to the 1903 one-reeler, The Great Train Robbery, Little Big Man is the new western to begin all westerns.

Nov 10, 2023

Full Review

Pauline Kael

New Yorker

You wind up disappointed, wishing you'd liked it better. It goes wrong in a subtle way -- the wrongness seeping into your bones, so that when the movie is over, you don't really feel like talking about it.

Nov 10, 2023

Full Review

David Denby

The Atlantic

Leaving aside the question of Penn's altering the tone of the movie according to who is being slaughtered, I question the artistic and political ethics of building up the desire for revenge in the audience.

Nov 10, 2023

Full Review

Kat Halstead

Common Sense Media

Adapted from an epic novel into an equally epic film, this is a Hoffman vehicle that sees the actor gallop through endless guises like an extended audition tape.

Jan 17, 2024

Full Review

Ben Wood

Honolulu Star-Bulletin

What makes this message picture succeed is its comedy, which Hoffman and the fine supporting cast handle so well. Penn makes us laugh instead of cry, even though blood runs like water.

Nov 10, 2023

Full Review

Jacob Brackman

Esquire Magazine

Little Big Man. an action-packed, wide-screen, family entertainment, is more... well, damn it, human than any movie of comparable eight-figure size. Never mind the horse-filled vistas. That's why it provides such a thumping good time.

Nov 10, 2023

Full Review

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Donald C

An endlessly entertaining forgotten gem that has aged well.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

09/11/23

Full Review

Red T

An All Time Classic. The acting is spearheaded by Dustin Hoffman and Chief Dan George who have great chemistry and Hoffman balances being charming, naïve, humorous, and above all else likeable throughout. Custer is a really good villain as well. The closest I can somewhat describe his character and the tone of this film is a Western version of Being There (1979) for the most part. The cinematography is excellent with plenty of beautiful shots, memorable scenes, and a great final battle. The music is very good though I wouldn't call it catchy but it is memorable for its bluesy country mix. The editing is excellent and always focused on Hoffman throughout and PERFECTLY balances humor, drama, and character development that a large chunk of the time I can't tell if this is being a satire or serious and it blends perfectly. It absolutely is a Western first though and a comedy satire second. It also in a sense is a satire demystifying the west as well. The comedy is very clever and gets consistent chuckles throughout but never crosses over into slap stick or outright comedy if that makes sense. It's a great balance between fun, laughs, and drama. This all leads to beautiful pacing throughout and weaves between drama and comedy seamlessly. Anyone should give this a try once.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

06/03/23

Full Review

Keith M

We just watched this movie again tonight (May, 2023) - about the fifth time I've watched it. It is such a colorful, entertaining movie that brings humor into a story that is overall filled with tragedy. I don't know about its historic authenticity, but it opens one's eyes to the failures of the early American government to understand and accommodate the natives who were here before they were.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

05/22/23

Full Review

Wyatt M

Such a great film. Very interesting & engaging story, great characters, and surprisingly a ton of great humor despite the seriousness of a lot of the subject matter. One of Dustin Hoffmann's best movies.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

04/14/23

Full Review

jon m

Easily one of the 100 Greatest Films if All Time

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

03/29/23

Full Review

Larry

I firmly believe Forrest Gump used this film as its template.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/16/23

Full Review

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Arthur Penn

Director

Dustin Hoffman

Jack Crabb

Faye Dunaway

Mrs. Pendrake

Chief Dan George

Old Lodge Skins

Martin Balsam

Mr. Merriweather

Richard Mulligan

Gen. George Armstrong Custer

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Synopsis

When a curious oral historian (William Hickey) turns up to hear the life story of 121-year-old Jack Crabb (Dustin Hoffman), he can scarcely believe his ears. Crabb tells of having been rescued and raised by the Cheyenne, of working as a snake-oil salesman, as a gunslinger, and as a mule skinner under Gen. Custer (Richard Mulligan). As if those weren't astonishing enough, he also claims to be the only white survivor of the infamous Battle of the Little Bighorn.

Director: Arthur Penn
Screenwriter: Calder Willingham
Production Co: Cinema Center Films
Rating: PG-13 (Some Sexual Content|Intense Battle Sequences)
Genre: Western
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Dec 14, 1970, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 4, 2019
Runtime: 2h 30m

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