Little Big Man is a 1970 American revisionist Western film[2] directed by Arthur Penn, adapted by Calder Willingham from Thomas Berger's 1964 novel of the same title.

It stars Dustin Hoffman, Chief Dan George, Faye Dunaway, Martin Balsam, Jeff Corey and Richard Mulligan.

The film follows the life of a white man who was raised by members of the Cheyenne nation during the 19th century, and then attempts to reintegrate with American pioneer society.

It parodies typical tropes of the Western genre,[3] contrasting the lives of white settlers and Native Americans throughout the progression of the boy's life.

Little Big Man is an early revisionist Western[2] in its sympathetic depiction of Native Americans, and its exposure of the villainous practices of the United States Cavalry.

Little Big Man is an anti-establishment film of the period, indirectly protesting America's involvement in the Vietnam War by portraying the United States Armed Forces negatively.

[4] The film was released to American theatres by National General Pictures on December 23, 1970, to widespread critical acclaim and commercial success.

[6] In 2014, Little Big Man was deemed "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant" by the Library of Congress, and selected for preservation in the National Film Registry.

[4] In 1859, 10-year-old Jack and his sister Caroline survive the massacre of their parents by the Pawnee, and are discovered by Shadow, a Cheyenne brave, who takes the siblings to his village.

[4] Back at the Cheyenne camp, Jack accompanies Old Lodge Skins to the Indian burial ground, where the old man, dressed in full chief's regalia, decides to end his life with dignity.

The movie's portrayal of the Battle of Washita River as a Custer-led massacre of women and children (which Penn compares to the Holocaust) is not entirely accurate, as the camp was partially occupied by tribal warriors.

Hickok was actually killed nearly two months after the Battle of the Little Bighorn, on August 2, 1876, while playing poker at Nuttal & Mann's Saloon in Deadwood, South Dakota.

Hickok was famously holding two pairs — aces of uncertain suits and black eights — when he was shot, a set of cards thereafter called the "Dead Man's Hand".

[8] The film's depiction of Lieutenant Colonel George Armstrong Custer as a lunatic at the Battle of the Little Bighorn was intended as satire, although many of his quirks and vanities were inspired by contemporary observations.

[citation needed] The character of Jack Crabb is partially based on Curley, one of Custer's Native American scouts from the Crow tribe.

Curley rode with Custer's 7th Cavalry into the valley of the Little Bighorn, but was relieved of duty before the final attack, retreating to a nearby bluff to witness much of the action.

Many conflicting stories of the era embellished Curley's participation, stating in several cases that he disguised himself with a Cheyenne blanket to escape the immediate field of battle.

To obtain the hoarse voice of a 121-year-old man, Dustin Hoffman sat in his dressing room, screaming at the top of his lungs for an hour.

The makeup for the ancient Crabb was created by Dick Smith from foam latex, and included revolutionary false eyelids that could blink along with the actor's.

In an interview, Arthur Penn explained the change: "We thought long and hard about this and in the first draft of the script he does die, but this death would have introduced an element of sadness into the film and we didn't want this.

The website's consensus reads: "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.

"[16] Roger Ebert, of the Chicago Sun-Times, agreed, giving the film four stars out of four, and describing Little Big Man as "an endlessly entertaining attempt to spin an epic in the form of a yarn".

[7][20] Arthur Hiller's 1984 comedy drama Teachers features Richard Mulligan partially reprising his Custer role as Herbert Gower, an outpatient from a mental institution who is accidentally put in charge of a U.S. history class.

[21] Actress Lily Gladstone, who is the first Indigenous person to win a Golden Globe award for acting,[22] has expressed admiration for Little Big Man, calling it a "great film".

[citation needed] The 2023 film The Holdovers, which is set in 1970, features a brief scene where Little Big Man is shown playing at the Boston Orpheum Theatre.