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Plot Summary
"Truth is whatever gets the loudest applause." Debunking western myths even more than he did in McCabe and Mrs. Miller (1971), Robert Altman's Buffalo Bill and the Indians, or Sitting Bull's History Lesson (1976) sardonically explores the gap between western history and legend in show biz-obsessed America. Megalomaniac "Buffalo Bill" Cody (Paul Newman) assumes the legend created for him by writer Ned Buntline (Burt Lancaster), aided and abetted by his producer (Joel Grey) and his publicist (Kevin McCarthy), perpetuating myths of white triumph over savage "Injuns" in his Wild West show, as audiences cheer him on and buy his merchandise. But when Sitting Bull (Frank Kaquitts) joins the troupe with his interpreter (Will Sampson), his request for authenticity threatens to throw a wrench into the proceedings. Regardless of how Bill may feel about the facts, he must bow to the preferences of the paying public.
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Rotten Tomatoes Movie Reviews
TOMATOMETER
82%- Reviews Counted: 11
- Fresh: 9
- Rotten: 2
- Average Rating: 6.5/10
Top Critics' Reviews
Fresh: It's a sometimes self-indulgent, confused, ambitious movie that is often very funny and always fascinating.
Rotten: Aspires to a cynical Brechtian snappiness, but the drama is too thinly imagined, the meanings too familiar and heavily stated, for this 1976 film to gather any real interest.
Customer Reviews
"The last thing a man wants to do is the last thing he does."
Typical Robert Altman with the style loose and the humor provided by a constant barrage of quirky characters. Worth it just to watch the juxtaposition between the insane Bill and the dreamer Bull. Also features a side of Harvey Keitel that contradicts his persona in later films. Watch this movie if you appreciate the pace and humor of Altman's films and can stand lots of annoying opera singing.
BBISSHL
A very funny movie, definetly worth five stars.
Nope
Maybe coz I just watched M*A*S*H and my favorite film is Nashville, this just didn't cut it for me. I knew Altman was insane because of a film studies class I took way back when, I guess this proves that point.
It does have all of the elements of a traditional Altman film, I just might have watched too many Westerns to be cynical about how we ruined the Native American culture in this country.
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