“Today is a good day to die.”
synopsis
Told from the perspective of a 121-year-old man recounting his life, the film follows Jack Crabb as he moves between white settler society and the Cheyenne tribe, witnessing major events of the American frontier — including Custer’s Last Stand.
The narrative shifts tone fluidly — tragic, comic, absurd — challenging traditional Western mythology at every turn.
pairs well with ...
mini-review
Little Big Man dismantles heroic frontier narratives through satire and empathy. It portrays Native Americans with unusual depth for its time and recasts historical “legends” in a far less flattering light.
Dustin Hoffman anchors the film with elastic vulnerability, while the tone oscillates between humor and brutality.
It’s revisionist, yes — but also surprisingly heartfelt.
A thoughtful evening.
A double feature with McCabe & Mrs. Miller for peak 1970s revisionism.
Or contrast with How the West Was Won to see myth versus critique.
Absurdist's Corner
A man lives through every major Western trope… and survives long enough to tell the story with a smirk.
fun facts
The film was one of the earliest mainstream Westerns to portray Native Americans sympathetically.
It was released at the height of Vietnam-era disillusionment, influencing its tone.