Arthur Penn Warren’s revisionist look at nearly a century of American history, through the eyes of a white man/Indian raised in and moving between two very different cultures. A western only in part, it’s also a lengthy political statement cum diatribe against the scourge of modern times—the white man, species americanus predatorus. Made at the height of the counterculture 1960s, the film reflects much of the antiwar, anti-U.S.-imperialism, antigovernment sentiments of its day. Dustin Hoffman excels in the lead, and Faye Dunaway et al. are equally good—especially Chief Dan George’s portrayal of a wise old chief. His thoughtful pondering of the Native American predicament still resonates: There are many white men but very few human beings [the Indian name for themselves].
And who knew there were well-adjusted Native American homosexuals in the old west?
IMDb Link: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0065988/
Year of Release: 01/01/1970
Lists: SAG100
Genre: Western