Overview
A unique blend of humor and adventure set against the backdrop of the Wild West.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Moderate
- witty
- irreverent
- bittersweet
- classic western night
- historical film marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly praised Arthur Penn's ambitious, entertaining, and distinctive revisionist western for combining comic adventure with a bitter critique of American history.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Jack Crabb's life repeatedly collides with celebrated figures and institutions whose heroic reputations are undercut by conquest and brutality.
Jack is raised by Cheyenne people, marries within the community, and witnesses the destruction caused by settler and military expansion.
The 121-year-old Jack Crabb recounts his past to a collector of oral histories, framing the film's many episodes as remembered testimony.
The film presents frontier escapades with quirky humor while depicting killings, dispossession, and the destruction of Native communities.
Films like Little Big Man, and why
The Wild Bunch
revisionist western that satirizes frontier mythology while examining violence against indigenous peoples
McCabe & Mrs. Miller
anti-western perspective, dark humor, and critique of American expansionism
The Ballad of Cable Hogue
historical western filtered through eccentric storytelling and skepticism toward heroic national myths
The Great Northfield Minnesota Raid
new hollywood historical drama blending mordant comedy with the brutality of American legend
Movie Details
- Director
- Arthur Penn
- Release Date
- 1970-12-23
- Runtime
- 139 min
- Rating
- 7.4 / 10 (746)
Cast
- Dustin Hoffman
- Faye Dunaway
- Chief Dan George
- Martin Balsam
- Richard Mulligan
- Jeff Corey
- Aimée Eccles
- Kelly Jean Peters
- William Hickey
- Alan Oppenheimer
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- fuboTV, MGM+ Amazon Channel, Philo, MGM Plus Roku Premium Channel, MGM Plus
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Little Big Man about?
- An elderly frontier survivor spins a wild, comic, and devastating life story that turns the mythology of the American West inside out.
- What is Little Big Man like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Little Big Man as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Little Big Man violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in Little Big Man as moderate.
- What did critics think of Little Big Man?
- Critics broadly praised Arthur Penn's ambitious, entertaining, and distinctive revisionist western for combining comic adventure with a bitter critique of American history.
- Which films are like Little Big Man?
- Films with a similar feel include The Wild Bunch, McCabe & Mrs. Miller, The Ballad of Cable Hogue, and The Great Northfield Minnesota Raid.
- How long is Little Big Man?
- Little Big Man runs 139 minutes.
- Where can I watch Little Big Man?
- In United States, Little Big Man streams on fuboTV, MGM+ Amazon Channel, Philo, MGM Plus Roku Premium Channel, MGM Plus.
