Buffalo Bill and the Indians, or Sitting Bull's History Lesson
United Artists | Release Date: June 24, 1976 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
61
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 9 Critic Reviews
Positive:
5
Mixed:
4
Negative:
0
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
80
TV Guide MagazineStaff (Not Credited)
Paul Newman gives one of his best comic performances in Robert Altman's underrated BUFFALO BILL AND THE INDIANS, OR SITTING BULL'S HISTORY LESSON, an irreverent western satire that portrays American history as pure showbiz sham and "nothing more than disrespect for the dead," as Sitting Bull claims. Read full review
80
The IndependentJohn Lyttle
Bitter and twisted and a visual marvel. [18 Jul 1996, p.6]
75
Philadelphia InquirerDesmond Ryan
Robert Altman's droll 1976 deconstruction of a western icon with Paul Newman in peak form. [12 May 2001, p.E01]
70
The New York TimesVincent Canby
In place of narrative drive it relies, on the momentum created by ‐ its visual spectacle, its prodigal way with ideas, its wit and its enthusiasm for the lunatic business of making movies. Read full review
70
The Observer (UK)Philip French
It's a bicentennial companion piece to Nashville, with a fabulous cast that includes Burt Lancaster (superb as dime novelist Ned Buntline), Harvey Keitel and Joel Grey. [22 Jun 1997, p.11]
60
Chicago ReaderDave Kehr
The review format, intercut with demythicizing glimpses behind the scenes, 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. Read full review
60
VarietyStaff (Not Credited)
It appears that the idea here is to expose and debunk the Buffalo Bill legend, revealing it for the promotional distortion which, in some ways, it most certainly has to have been. Read full review
50
Time OutStaff (Not Credited)
Some of it comes off well, and Newman is superb. But the film shows tiresome signs of its origins as a stage play (by Arthur Kopit), and the good moments aren't quite enough to make up for its overall predictability. Read full review
50
Los Angeles TimesKevin Thomas
The strongest asset is the film's setting, a splendid re-creation of Buffalo Bill's famous tent show. [26 Feb 1989, p.4]
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