History Film / LittleBigMan

* {{Brownface}}: Creator/DustinHoffman as (Jack Crabb pretending to be) a Cheyenne.
** Although it's explained that the Cheyenne put that stuff on him to protect his fair skin from the sun.

* ActorAllusion: People that have seen ''Film/TheGraduate'' may wonder when in the brothel scene Jack is going to ask Mrs. Pendrake if she's trying to seduce him.

* BriarPatching: General Custer hires Jack Crabb as a scout, reasoning that because Crabb hates him and wishes to get revenge on him for killing the Cheyenne, everything he tells Custer will be a lie, thereby making him a perfect "[[AntiAdvice reverse barometer]]". This leads to a CrowningMomentOfAwesome for Crabb when they get to the Little Bighorn and Custer asks if they should attack:

* TheOldestProfession: Crabb goes to deliver some money to a friend of Wild Bill Hickok. It turns out she's working in a brothel Crabb discover's that she's [[spoiler:Mrs. Pendrake]].

-->'''Crabb:''' I didn't say that. [[SarcasticConfession There are]] ''[[SarcasticConfession thousands]]'' [[SarcasticConfession of Indians down there. And when they get done with you, there won't be nothing left but a greasy stain.]] This ain't the Washite River, General, and them ain't helpless women and children waiting for you. They're Cheyenne brave, and Sioux. You go down there, General, if you've got the nerve.

* TheOldestProfession: Crabb goes to deliver some money to Wild Bill Hickok's widow, who's working in a brothel, and is surprised to discover that she's [[spoiler:Mrs. Pendrake]].

''Little Big Man'' is an 1970 film directed by Arthur Penn. The screenplay is by Calder Willingham, [[TheFilmOfTheBook adapted from]] the 1964 novel of the same name by Thomas Berger. It's in some ways a parody of the {{Western}} genre, in some ways a {{Deconstruction}}.

Creator/DustinHoffman stars as Jack Crabb, a 121-year-old survivor of the Battle of the Little Bighorn. But there's more to his life story than that: life as an adopted Cheyenne, a SnakeOilSalesman, an amateur gunslinger, and an attempt to go straight before he gets embroiled in the mad dreams of a general named UsefulNotes/GeorgeArmstrongCuster.

''Little Big Man'' is an 1970 film directed by Arthur Penn. The screenplay is by Calder Willingham, [[TheFilmOfTheBook adapted from a novel of the same name]] by Thomas Berger.

Creator/DustinHoffman stars as Jack Crabb, a 121-year-old survivor of the Battle of the Little Bighorn. But there's more to his life story than that: life as an adopted Cheyenne, a SnakeOilSalesman, an amateur gunslinger, and an attempt to go straight before he gets embroiled in the mad dreams of a general named UsefulNotes/GeorgeArmstrongCuster. Sometimes a parody of the {{Western}} genre, sometimes a {{Deconstruction}}.

Creator/DustinHoffman stars as Jack Crabb, a 121-year-old survivor of the Battle of the Little Bighorn. But there's more to his life story than that: life as an adopted Cheyenne, a SnakeOilSalesman, an amateur gunslinger, and an attempt to go straight before he gets embroiled in the mad dreams of a general named Custer. Sometimes a parody of the {{Western}} genre, sometimes a {{Deconstruction}}.

* ShoutOut: to any Western (including ''Three Godfathers'') that uses the hymn "Shall We Gather at the River."

* {{Brownface}}: Creator/DustinHoffman as a Cheyenne.

* SoundtrackDissonance: Towards the end when Custer's 7th Cavalry is [[spoiler: massacring an entire Native American village, including the protagonist's family]], in the background is the cheery strains of "Garry Owens" played by the regimental band. This was the actual marching song of the 7th cavalry.
** ''Garryowen'' was also the regimental march of the British Light Brigade at the battle of Balaclava and the famous Charge. Both battles are alluded to when it is used by Custer's bandsmen at the Little Big Horn: this could also be an example of {{Karma}} in action.

* ArentYouGoingToRavishMe: In an early scene where the narrator/protagonist is first captured by the Cheyenne, his sister is shown worrying and complaining about what all these natives might be planning for her in the strange language they're speaking and saying "They're going to rape me for sure!" As time passes and nothing happens to her, however, we see that they're planning no such thing, and that she's actually getting rather annoyed because no one's paying very much attention to her at all. Didn't help that they didn't realize she was a girl at first.

''Little Big Man'' is an 1970 film directed by Arthur Penn. The screenplay is by Calder Willingham, based on a novel of the same name by Thomas Berger.

* BriarPatching: General Custer hires Jack Crabb as a scout, reasoning that because Crabb hates him and wishes to get revenge on him for killing the Cheyenne, everything he tells Custer will be a lie, thereby making him a "[[AntiAdvice reverse barometer]]". This leads to a CrowningMomentOfAwesome for Crabb when they get to the Little Bighorn and Custer asks if they should attack:

* BriarPatching: General Custer hires Jack Crabb as a scout, reasoning that because Crabb hates him and wishes to get revenge on him for killing the Cheyenne, everything he tells Custer will be a lie, thereby making him a "reverse barometer". This leads to a CrowningMomentOfAwesome for Crabb when they get to the Little Bighorn and Custer asks if they should attack:

* TimeshiftedActor: While a child actor had to portray the 10-year-old Crabb, DustinHoffman wore make-up to portray the character's centenarian self. He made his voice sound old by going into his dressing room and screaming at the top of his lungs for an hour.

* TheOldestProfession: Crabb goes to deliver some money to Wild Bill Hickok's widow, who's working in a cathouse, and is surprised to discover that she's [[spoiler:Mrs. Pendrake]].

''Little Big Man'' is an 1970 film directed by Arthur Penn. The screenplay is by Calder Willingham, based on a novel of the same name by Thomas Berger. It stars Creator/DustinHoffman as Jack Crabb, a 121-year-old survivor of the Battle of the Little Bighorn. But there's more to his life story than that: life as an adopted Cheyenne, a SnakeOilSalesman, an amateur gunslinger, and an attempt to go straight before he gets embroiled in the mad dreams of a general named Custer. Sometimes a parody of the {{Western}} genre, sometimes a {{Deconstruction}}.

* TheMunchausen

[[quoteright:350:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Little-Big-Man_4556.jpg]]

* InfantImmortality: [[spoiler: Sadly averted when the men stumble upon a village where the residents have been massacred by the U.S. Army, the victims including small children]]