Little Big Man

Based on Thomas Berger's National Book Award-winning novel, Arthur Penn's 1970 picaresque shaggy dog story of the Old West is framed by an interview with 121-year-old Jack Crabb (Dustin Hoffman), the only survivor of the massacre at Little Big Horn. Orphaned as a child during an Indian attack, Crabb is taken in by the Cheyenne, where he later proves himself by saving a brave's figurative bacon (who forever after resents the "life" that is now owed to Crabb). During a raid by white men, however, Crabb turns coat--to a whiter shade of pale, one might say--and is spared because he's Caucasian. After being "rescued" by a preacher and his decidedly carnal wife (Faye Dunaway), Crabb leaves to become a drummer for a medicine man, does a brief stint as a gunfighter (The Soda Pop Kid), marries a Swedish woman, and finally acts as a scout for Custer, whom he leads to his Waterloo at Little Big Horn. A rip-snorting hoot of a movie, Little Big Man makes its long-awaited release on DVD in a (unfortunately) barebones release that (fortunately) sports a very handsome widescreen transfer and a nice Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack. Highly recommended. Editor's Choice. (R. Pitman)[Blu-ray Review—Nov. 22, 2011—Paramount, 139 min., PG-13, $24.99—Making its first appearance on Blu-ray, 1970's Little Big Man boasts a fine transfer with DTS-HD 5.1 sound. Extras include a trailer. Bottom line: a disappointing extras package but welcome debut for this classic Western.]