Buffalo Bill and the Indians
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Robert Altman
Produced by	Robert Altman
Written by	Alan Rudolph Robert Altman
Starring	Paul Newman Joel Grey Kevin McCarthy Harvey Keitel Will Sampson Allan F. Nicholls Geraldine Chaplin John Considine Burt Lancaster Bert Remsen
Distributed by	United Artists
Release date(s)	February, 1976 (premiere at BIFF) June 24, 1976
Running time	123 min
Country	United States
Language	English
IMDb profile

Buffalo Bill and the Indians, or Sitting Bull's History Lesson is a 1976 revisionist Western directed by Robert Altman. It stars Paul Newman as Bill, with Geraldine Chaplin, Will Sampson, Joel Grey, and Harvey Keitel. Image File history File links Size of this preview: 396 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (499 × 755 pixel, file size: 91 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) This image is of a poster, and the copyright for it is most likely owned by either the publisher or the creator of the work depicted. ... For other persons named Robert Altman, see Robert Altman (disambiguation). ... For other persons named Robert Altman, see Robert Altman (disambiguation). ... Alan Rudolph (born 18 December 1943 in Los Angeles) is an American film director and screenwriter. ... For other persons named Robert Altman, see Robert Altman (disambiguation). ... Paul Leonard Newman (born January 26, 1925) is an Academy Award, Golden Globe, Cannes Award, and Emmy Award-winning American actor and film director. ... Joel Grey (born Joel Katz on April 11, 1932 in Cleveland, Ohio) is an American stage and screen actor, who graduated from Beverly Hills High School in Beverly Hills, California in 1950. ... Kevin McCarthy has been a radio-tv personality in north Texas since Gordon McLendon brought him to Dallas as part of the original staff of KNUS/99 in 1972. ... Harvey Keitel (born May 13, 1939) is an Academy Award-nominated American actor from New York City. ... Will Sampson (September 27, 1933 - June 3, 1987) was a Native American Muscogee (Creek) actor and artist from Hitchita, Oklahoma. ... Geraldine Chaplin (born July 31, 1944 in Santa Monica, California) is an Anglo-American actress. ... This article is about the television actor. ... Burt Lancaster (November 2, 1913 – October 20, 1994) was an Oscar-winning American film actor, noted for his athletic physique (a rare thing for leading men of that time), distinct smile (which he called The Grin) and, later, his willingness to play roles that went against his initial tough guy... Bert Remsen (February 25, 1925 – April 22, 1999) was an American actor. ... This article is about the film studio. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Germany. ... The Berlin International Film Festival, also called the Berlinale, is one of the most important film festivals in Europe and the world. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... is the 175th day of the year (176th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1976 Pick up sticks(MCMLXXVI) was a leap year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... // Events March 22 - Filming begins on George Lucas Star Wars science fiction film. ... Clint Eastwood in a classic shot from The Outlaw Josey Wales, a Revisionist Western The Revisionist Western traces to the late 1960s and early 1970s as a new sub-genre of the Western movie. ... For other persons named Robert Altman, see Robert Altman (disambiguation). ... Paul Leonard Newman (born January 26, 1925) is an Academy Award, Golden Globe, Cannes Award, and Emmy Award-winning American actor and film director. ... Buffalo Bill Cody William Frederick Buffalo Bill Cody (February 26, 1846 – January 10, 1917) was an American soldier, bison hunter and showman. ... Geraldine Chaplin (born July 31, 1944 in Santa Monica, California) is an Anglo-American actress. ... Will Sampson (September 27, 1933 - June 3, 1987) was a Native American Muscogee (Creek) actor and artist from Hitchita, Oklahoma. ... Joel Grey (born Joel Katz on April 11, 1932 in Cleveland, Ohio) is an American stage and screen actor, who graduated from Beverly Hills High School in Beverly Hills, California in 1950. ... Harvey Keitel (born May 13, 1939) is an Academy Award-nominated American actor from New York City. ...

The film was poorly received at the time of its release, when the country was celebrating its bicentenial.^{[citation needed]} As in MASH, Altman skewers an American historical myth of heroism, in this case the notion that noble white men fighting bloodthirsty savages won the West. MASH is a 1970 satirical American dark comedy film directed by Robert Altman and based on the novel MASH: A Novel About Three Army Doctors by Richard Hooker. ...

Plot

The film opens with the arrival of an important new guest star in Cody’s grand illusion, Chief Sitting Bull (Sampson) of Little Big Horn fame. Much to Cody's annoyance, Sitting Bull proves to be not 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. He also refuses to portray Custer's Last Stand as a cowardly sneak attack: instead, he asks Cody to act out the massacre of a peaceful Sioux village by marauding bluecoats. Enraged, Cody fires him but is forced to relent when star attraction Annie Oakley (Chaplin) takes Sitting Bull's side. Portrait of Sitting Bull taken in 1885 by D. F. Barry. ... Combatants Lakota, Northern Cheyenne, Arapaho United States Commanders Sitting Bull, Crazy Horse George A. Custer â€ , Marcus Reno, Frederick Benteen, James Calhoun â€  Strength 949 lodges (probably 950-1,200 warriors) 31 officers, 566 troopers, 15 armed civilians, ~35-40 scouts Casualties At least 54 killed, ~168 wounded (according to Sitting Bull... Battle of the Little Bighorn Conflict Black Hills War, Indian Wars Date June 25, 1876 Place Near the Little Bighorn River, Big Horn County, Montana Result Substantial Native American victory The Battle of the Little Bighorn, also called Custers Last Stand, was an engagement between a Lakota-Northern Cheyenne... {{ethnic group| |group=sioux |hern Iowa, and are often referred to as the Santee or Dakota. ... Annie Oakley (August 13, 1860 – November 3, 1926) b. ...

Altman's Interpretation

Like many of Altman films, Buffalo Bill and the Indians an ensemble piece with an episodic structure. It follows the day to day performances and behind-the-scenes intrigues of Buffalo Bill Cody's famous "Wild West Show," a hugely popular 1880's 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. Buffalo Bill (February 26, 1846 – January 10, 1917) was born William Frederick Cody in the American state of Iowa. ...

Most of the film is shot on location in rugged Alberta, Canada. For other uses, see Alberta (disambiguation). ...

External links

• Buffalo Bill and the Indians, or Sitting Bull's History Lesson at the Internet Movie Database