Little Big Man Paper				Michael Pruess
										12-14-07
	In previous allegorical Westerns, we saw predictions. Rio Grande, our example of the Cult of the Cavalry, presented one possible turn of events in Korea. Broken Arrow, our example of the Cult of the Indian, gave us one perspective on race relations. Even The Wild Bunch, a revisionist Western, allegorized current events and made predictions—that the war in Vietnam was little more than a glorified bloodbath. Little Big Man (1970), while it is most definitely allegory, differs from the other films we've seen in that it makes no predictions about the unknown or the future. It is a reaction to things the audience knows, playing off of America's status at the end of the 60s. Little Big Man ties together commentary on and portrayal of social identity, hippie counter-culture, and the government, highlighting the attitudes of the times.
	America was feeling lost at the turn of the eighth decade and this is reflected in the character of Jack Crabb. 1970 came after a decade of war and social upheaval; the truth of the My Lai Massacre was just out and its implications regarding Vietnam and the honesty of the government were eating at the American public. It was not just the hippie counter-culture that sought to disassociate itself from the traditional identity of Americans—most of the country was, in some shape or form, horrified. In Little Big Man, Jack Crabb goes back and forth between cultures and, within those cultures, trades, never doing anything because it's his calling or his dream but always for no real reason at all. He never stays in one place for long, never really getting tied down by any sense of belonging. During discussion, we were told to consider the identity of Jack and the answer is evident in the carelessness with which he moves from one camp to the next: he has no identity. As he moves from place to place like the wind, he symbolizes the uncertainty and disconnection that most of America was feeling at the time.
	Little Big Man also comments on the counter-culture of the 60s with its portrayal of the Cheyenne. Though we previously have seen Native Americans portrayed in a more or less positive, human light (Broken Arrow), this is the first time that the protagonist is raised by them, the first time that we see so much of their spirituality, the first time that we see them fight against whites for what seem like decent reasons. The depiction of Cheyenne culture is clearly a reflection of how the hippies incorporated non-Christian ethics and practices into their everyday spiritual and recreational lives—we have this deeper look into the the Indians of the film because, through the counter-culture, America got a deeper look into ideas and beliefs that were "non-American." In addition to this new approach to examining other cultures, the film includes some liberal themes born from the social revolution. Most notably, gay equality is represented by the acceptance of Little Horse.
	The film's portrayal of the cavalry plays a role in showing the public's distrust of government. During the Vietnam War, pacifism and draft-evasion were at all-time highs. Anti-war protesters were rampant and the government's attempts to shut them down (Kent State massacre, for one) were controversial. As the war dragged on, America lost more and more of its faith in its government. Support for the war dwindled, President Johnson admitted that he had gotten the country involved in something he had not been fit to handle, and news of the My Lai Massacre came out. The terrible command structure of a broken government is apparent in the structure of the cavalry of Little Big Man, all of whose members must obey the self-destructive orders of a delusional leader. The flaws in the army that was previously regarded as heroic are apparent in the depiction of the Washita River massacre, in which a large U.S. force destroys helpless and undefended natives in a display hauntingly familiar to those who knew the truth of My Lai. The faultiness of the government and its military are presented again and again throughout the movie as we see Custer teeter closer and closer to the edge of diabolic insanity.
	Little Big Man, unlike previous Westerns we've seen, does not present any possible futures or outcomes. It does not playing guessing games and it does not make predictions. All of the major battles it presents us with are historical events that actually happened, not fictional situations designed to prompt contemplation of possibilities. In this way, the film serves to reflect on the past rather than ponder the future, and it does so spectacularly with its examination of the social upheaval, revolution, and disillusionment that occurred in 60s America.