Buffalo Bill and the Indians, or Sitting Bull's History Lesson (1976)

User Rating:

6.0/10   

Director:

Robert Altman

Writers:

Arthur Kopit (play)
Alan Rudolph (screen story and screenplay) ...

Release Date:

24 June 1976 (USA)

Genre:

Western | Comedy

Plot:

A cynical Buffalo Bill hires Sitting Bull to exploit him and his add credibility to the distorted view of history presented in his Wild West Show.

Plot Keywords:

Sitting Bull | General Custer | Buffalo Bill Cody | Translator | American Indian

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Paul Newman	...	The Star (William 'Buffalo Bill' Cody)
Joel Grey	...	The Producer (Nate Salisbury)
Kevin McCarthy	...	The Publicist (Maj. John Burke)
Harvey Keitel	...	The Relative (Ed Goodman)
Allan F. Nicholls	...	The Journalist (Prentiss Ingraham) (as Allan Nicholls)
Geraldine Chaplin	...	The Sure Shot (Annie Oakley)
John Considine	...	The Sure Shot's Manager (Frank Butler)
Robert DoQui	...	The Wrangler (Oswald Dart) (as Robert Doqui)
Mike E. Kaplan	...	The Treasurer (Jules Keen) (as Mike Kaplan)
Bert Remsen	...	The Bartender (Crutch)
Bonnie Leaders	...	The Mezzo-Contralto (Margaret)
Noelle Rogers	...	The Lyric-Coloratura (Lucille DuCharme)
Evelyn Lear	...	The Lyric-Soprano (Nina Cavallini)
Denver Pyle	...	The Indian Agent (McLaughlin)
Frank Kaquitts	...	The Indian (Sitting Bull)

Also Known As:

Buffalo Bill and the Indians

Runtime:

123 min | Finland:105 min (1979) | 135 min (video release)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

4-Track Stereo

Certification:

Iceland:L | Australia:PG | West Germany:6 (f) | Argentina:Atp | Finland:K-8 | Norway:12 | Sweden:Btl | UK:PG | USA:PG | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Morley, Alberta, Canada

Company:

Dino De Laurentiis

Trivia:

As the film came out in 1976, film critics and others felt that this scathing indictment of Americana was made as a countermeasure to the celebratory atmosphere of the American bicentennial, but Robert Altman claimed in interviews that he did not intend for this to be a commentary on the bicentennial at all.

Quotes:

Ned Buntline: Injuns gear their lives to dreams. And what an injun dreams, no matter how farfetched, will wait until he dies to come true. The white men - they're different. The only time they dream is when things are going their way. I'm no expert on the subject, but it seems to me that what Sitting Bull does is a hell of a lot cheaper than mounting a wild west show... which is dreaming out loud.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in A Decade Under the Influence (2003)

Another overlooked masterpiece from the 1970s!

I've said it countless times before, but I'm always astonished at just how many fantastic film from the 70s are close to being forgotten today. Maybe it's because this was an era of filmmakers taking risks and studio heads allowing them to do so, but I'm consistently impressed by the huge number of mature and intelligent films turned out, especially compared to the 1980s. "Buffalo Bill and the Indians" is one of the many regretfully underrated films from the time. Coming hot off the commercial and critical success of "Nashville", Altman offered up this satire on the American entertainment industry and the manner in which we view our heroes. Maybe since it was released in the bicentennial, America didn't want to see such a cynical portrayal of an American icon. The film flopped and received very mixed reviews from the critics.

The fact it wasn't well regarded upon initial release and is largely forgotten today is a complete shame, because it really is one of Altman's finest works. The dialog is scorching and complements the satirical nature of the plot very well. The acting by everyone involved is superb. Paul Newman, known for playing likable anti-heroes, is rather cast against type as a charming but ultimately pathetic Bill Cody. Also worth mentioning is Harvey Keitel, also playing against type, as Cody's meek nephew. Despite all the great performances, another reason this may have flopped was the lack of likable characters. "MASH" and "Nashville" at least offered sympathetic protagonists, but the people in "Buffalo Bill and the Indians" are likely to sicken the viewer for the most part. Still, it only serves to drive the cynical themes home. "Buffalo Bill and the Indians" is an overlooked masterpiece. (9/10)