Buffalo Bill and the Indians, or Sitting Bull's History Lesson
Buffalo Bill and the Indians, or Sitting Bull's History Lesson | |
---|---|
Directed by | Robert Altman |
Screenplay by | Alan Rudolph Robert Altman |
Based on | Indians 1969 play byArthur Kopit |
Produced by | Dino De Laurentis |
Starring | Paul Newman Joel Grey Kevin McCarthy Harvey Keitel Will Sampson Allan F. Nicholls Geraldine Chaplin John Considine Burt Lancaster Bert Remsen Evelyn Lear |
Cinematography | Paul Lohmann |
Edited by | Peter Appleton Dennis M. Hill |
Music by | Richard Baskin |
Distributed by | United Artists(USA) Dino De LaurentiisProductions (overseas) |
Release date |
|
Running time | 123 minutes |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Budget | $7.1 million[1] |
Box office | $7.2 million (rentals)[1] |
Buffalo Bill and the Indians, or Sitting Bull's History Lessonis a 1976revisionist Westernfilm directed byRobert Altmanand based on the 1968 playIndiansbyArthur Kopit.It starsPaul Newmanas William F. Cody, aliasBuffalo Bill,along withGeraldine Chaplin,Will Sampson,Joel Grey,Harvey Keitel,andBurt Lancasteras Bill's biographer,Ned Buntline.It was filmed inPanavisionby cinematographerPaul Lohmann.
As in his earlier filmM*A*S*H,Altman skewers an American historical myth of heroism, in this case the notion that noble white men fighting bloodthirsty savages won the West. However, the film was poorly received at the time of its release, as the country was celebrating itsbicentennial.[2]
Plot[edit]
The story begins in 1885 with the arrival of an important new guest star in Buffalo Bill Cody's grand illusion,Chief Sitting BullofLittle Big Hornfame. Much to Cody's annoyance, Sitting Bull proves not to be a murdering savage but a genuine embodiment of what the whites believe about their own history out west. He is quietly heroic and morally pure.
Sitting Bull also refuses to portrayCuster's Last Standas a cowardly sneak attack. Instead, he asks Cody to act out the massacre of a peacefulSiouxvillage by marauding bluecoats. An enraged Cody fires him but is forced to relent when star attractionAnnie Oakleytakes Sitting Bull's side.
Cast[edit]
- Paul NewmanasBuffalo Bill
- Geraldine ChaplinasAnnie Oakley
- Burt LancasterasNed Buntline
- Kevin McCarthyas Major Burke
- Joel Greyas Nate Salisbury
- Harvey Keitelas Ed Goodman
- John ConsidineasFrank E. Butler
- Frank Kaquitts asSitting Bull
- Will Sampsonas Halsey
- Pat McCormickasPresident Grover Cleveland
- Shelley DuvallasMrs. Frances Cleveland
- Allan F. Nichollsas Prentiss Ingraham
- Robert DoQuias Oswald Dart
- Evelyn Learas Nina Cavallini
- Mike Kaplan as Jules Keen
- Bert Remsenas Crutch
- Bonnie Leaders as The Mezzo-Contralto
- Noelle Rogers as Lucille DuCharme
- Denver Pyleas McLaughlin
- Ken Krossa as Johnny Baker
- Fred N. Larsen as Buck Taylor
- Jerri Duceas The Cowboy Trick Rider
- Joy Duce as The Cowboy Trick Rider
- Alex Green as The Mexican Whip and Fast Draw Act
- Gary MacKenzie as The Mexican Whip and Fast Draw Act
- Humphrey Gratz as The Old Soldier
- Dennis Corrie as Rancher
- Patrick Reynoldsas President Cleveland's Aide
Altman's interpretation[edit]
Like many of Altman's films,Buffalo Bill and the Indiansis anensemble piecewith an episodic structure. It follows the day-to-day performances and behind-the-scenes intrigues ofBuffalo Bill Cody's famous "Wild West", a hugely popular 1880s entertainment spectacular that starred the former Indian fighter, scout, and buffalo hunter. Altman uses the setting to criticize Old West motifs, presenting the eponymous western hero as a show-biz creation who can no longer separate his invented image from reality.
Altman's Cody is a loud-mouthed buffoon, a man who claims to be one with the Wild West but lives in luxury, play-acting daily in a western circus of his own making. Cody's long hair is a wig, he can't shoot straight anymore or track an Indian, and all his staged battles with ruffians and savages are rigged in his favor. However, this does not keep him from acting as if his triumphs are real, or plaguing his patient entourage of yes-men with endless monologues about himself.
Most of the film was shot on location inAlberta,Canada, mostly on theStoney Indian Reserve.[3]Frank "Sitting Wind" Kaquitts, who playedSitting Bull,had been elected the first ever chief of Alberta'sNakoda (Stoney)First Nation, after three bands had amalgamated the year before.[4][5]
Critical reception[edit]
A preview showing in New York in May 1976 received a mixed reaction from the press. Following this, Altman recut the film slightly by removing a few of the Wild West show acts.[6]
Charles Champlinof theLos Angeles Timeswrote that "[Altman's] films are sometimes pretentious and sometimes exasperating, but they are not often boring, although his latest, 'Buffalo Bill and the Indians, or Sitting Bull's History Lesson' is all three." He went on, "using Newman as neither villainous, heroic nor romantic but only as a fairly uninteresting lout seems a dire waste, and there is an air of low-energy distraction throughout 'Buffalo Bill.' For the last 20 minutes it is as if nobody knew how to get off that dusty reservation but would have been glad to."[7]Arthur D. Murphy ofVarietywrote that the film "emerges as a puerile satire on the legends of the Buffalo Bill era, silly when it's not cynical, distasteful throughout its 123 minutes. Paul Newman has rarely been seen so badly."[8]Gary Arnold ofThe Washington Poststated, "Everyone who cares about Altman's work should find 'Buffalo Bill' an interesting and intriguing experience, but in the last analysis it's an emotionally empty, alienating movie, an ill-advised attempt to project a cynical, apprehensive view of the present onto the past."[9]Jonathan RosenbaumofThe Monthly Film Bulletinwrote that "Altman appears to know a lot more about show business than about the American Indian, and what he knows about the former mainly consists of behavioral observation; by scaling this observation down exclusively to what illustrates his thesis—the hollow fakery of Buffalo Bill and his followers—he thus allows himself precious little to work with, thematically or otherwise. Within five minutes, everything he has to say on the subject is apparent."[10]
Among positive reviews,Vincent CanbyofThe New York Timeswrote, "It's a sometimes self-indulgent, confused, ambitious movie that is often very funny and always fascinating."[11]Gene Siskelof theChicago Tribunegave the film a full four out of four stars, writing that while the film's ideas weren't anything special, "Altman's movies are innovative. They surprise us with their physical beauty, their wit, and their style. 'Buffalo Bill''s few pompous moments are overwhelmed by the fluid energy of the piece. "[12]Penelope GilliattofThe New Yorkeridentified the film as being "about sorts of dreams... perhaps it is true that white men tend to dream only of things going well, whereas Indians, like many aboriginal people, dream of death, initiation, possibility; the rock face on which waking life has no purchase."[13]
Onreview aggregatorRotten Tomatoes,the film has an approval rating of 65% based on 20 reviews, with an average rating of 6.50/10.[14]
Awards[edit]
In 1976, the film was entered into the26th Berlin International Film Festival,where it won theGolden Bear.[15]
References[edit]
- ^abDe Laurentiis PRODUCER'S PICTURE DARKENS: KNOEDELSEDER, WILLIAM K, Jr. Los Angeles Times 30 Aug 1987: 1.
- ^Brenner, Marie (July 1976). "Buffaloed Bill".Texas Monthly:69.
- ^"Kainai News, 23 May 1975".Digitallibrary.uleth.ca.RetrievedAugust 19,2013.
- ^Warren Harbeck,One last mountain journey with Sitting Wind,Cochrane Eagle, November 27, 2002
- ^Sitting WindArchived2014-12-04 at theWayback Machine,Rocky Mountain Nakoda
- ^Arnold, Gary (July 4, 1976). "An Apprehensive Robert Altman".The Washington Post.H1.
- ^Champlin, Charles(June 30, 1976). "Paul Newman as 'Buffalo Bill'".Los Angeles Times.Part IV, p. 16.
- ^Murphy, Arthur D. (June 30, 1976). "Film Reviews: Buffalo Bill And The Indians, Or Sitting Bull's History Lesson".Variety.20.
- ^Arnold, Gary (July 2, 1976). "Altman's 'Bill': Buffaloed".The Washington Post.B1, B13.
- ^Rosenbaum, Jonathan(September 1976). "Buffalo Bill and the Indians, or Sitting Bull's History Lesson".The Monthly Film Bulletin.43(512): 189.doi:10.2307/2300372.JSTOR2300372.
- ^Canby, Vincent(June 25, 1976)."Screen: Altman's 'Buffalo Bill'".The New York Times.RetrievedNovember 25,2014.
- ^Siskel, Gene(July 2, 1976). "Altman's arrow hits Buffalo Bill on target".Chicago Tribune.Section 3, p. 3.
- ^Gilliatt, Penelope(June 28, 1976). "The Current Cinema".The New Yorker.62.
- ^Buffalo Bill and the Indians, or Sitting Bull's History LessonatRotten Tomatoes
- ^"Berlinale 1976: Prize Winners".Internationale Filmfestspiele Berlin.1976.RetrievedJuly 16,2010.
External links[edit]
- Buffalo Bill and the Indians, or Sitting Bull's History LessonatIMDb
- Buffalo Bill and the Indians, or Sitting Bull's History LessonatAllMovie
- Buffalo Bill and the Indians, or Sitting Bull's History Lessonat theTCM Movie Database
- Buffalo Bill and the Indians or Sitting Bull's History Lessonat theAFI Catalog of Feature Films
- Buffalo Bill and the Indians or Sitting Bull's History LessonatRotten Tomatoes
- 1976 films
- 1976 Western (genre) films
- 1970s American films
- 1970s English-language films
- American films based on plays
- American Western (genre) films
- Cultural depictions of Buffalo Bill
- Cultural depictions of Sitting Bull
- Cultural depictions of Annie Oakley
- Cultural depictions of Grover Cleveland
- Films about Native Americans
- Films about Wild West shows
- Films directed by Robert Altman
- Films produced by Dino De Laurentiis
- Films set in 1885
- Films shot in Alberta
- Golden Bear winners
- United Artists films