Having presented an alternative view of the gangster era in Bonnie and Clyde, director Arthur Penn re-examined some of the most cherished myths of the Old West in this sprawling, handsome and ceaselessly sly tragicomedy. While Dustin Hoffman dominates the film as the 121-year-old who claims to be the sole survivor of Custer's last stand at the Little Bighorn, the dignified, Oscar-nominated performance of Chief Dan George is equally noteworthy. One or two of Hoffman's encounters with the mavericks, hypocrites and fools of the frontier hang heavy, but this is an ambitious, offbeat and thoroughly provocative picture.

Jack Crabb, looking back from extreme old age, tells of his life being raised by Indians and fighting with General Custer.