I really was not sure whether to watch this one.
Robert Shaw has never really impressed me as an actor (with the exception of The Sting) and was not totally convinced that he could pull of the role of Custer.
Five minutes in however and I knew I was wrong. Although still a bit "wooden", I felt that this was part of the part he was playing instead of his shortcomings in acting talent and could see (in a totally heterosexual way) that Robert Shaw actually made a very beautiful looking Custer.
However that may well part of the problem of this film. Whilst it touched on the character traits that many of us know about with Custer, this was pretty much a hero worship film.
It was also of its time with many "nods" to what was happening in Vietnam at the time and sadly this somehow degenerates by using some of the terms prevalent at that time "The old good Indian is a dead Indian" (replace Indian with "Commie" for 60s update), "bleeding heart liberals" (did they REALLY use this phrase in 1865? Did they REALLY?)
Mary Ure as Custer's wife Libby is just as gorgeous as Robert Shaw but woefully underused but I guess this is a film about her husband after all!
As for the historically accuracy, I am no scholar of the US Civil War but what I do know of the Battle Of Little Big Horn, Benteen and Reno etc this is way-off. I don't think it is a spoiler to say that Custer still dies at the end at Little Big Horn but that is about as close to the truth as it gets and even someone who knows NOTHING about how he died will find the final scenes at LBH just a touch over the top.
There are also some REALLY annoying goofs, why did the stars and stripes have 44 stars on it in 1863 but by 1865 this was down to 35 (the correct number)?
However this was still 35 on the flag at the battle of Little big Horn (when there would have been 37 had they taken "full" flag at all into battle)! As a Brit this annoys me but to any American (whose flag is often so important) seems like a real insult.
There is also no mention of Custer's brothers who also died at the battle and the film certainly bends/merges the truth around the actions of Benteen and Reno.
Overall if you can forgive the hero worship of Custer and lack of any real history it's an enjoyable film.
It could benefit from some more stringent editing by about 40 minutes but preferably by someone other than Peter Parasheles or Maurice Rootes whose efforts on the rest of the film look like they were wearing boxing gloves at the time!
Robert Shaw has never really impressed me as an actor (with the exception of The Sting) and was not totally convinced that he could pull of the role of Custer.
Five minutes in however and I knew I was wrong. Although still a bit "wooden", I felt that this was part of the part he was playing instead of his shortcomings in acting talent and could see (in a totally heterosexual way) that Robert Shaw actually made a very beautiful looking Custer.
However that may well part of the problem of this film. Whilst it touched on the character traits that many of us know about with Custer, this was pretty much a hero worship film.
It was also of its time with many "nods" to what was happening in Vietnam at the time and sadly this somehow degenerates by using some of the terms prevalent at that time "The old good Indian is a dead Indian" (replace Indian with "Commie" for 60s update), "bleeding heart liberals" (did they REALLY use this phrase in 1865? Did they REALLY?)
Mary Ure as Custer's wife Libby is just as gorgeous as Robert Shaw but woefully underused but I guess this is a film about her husband after all!
As for the historically accuracy, I am no scholar of the US Civil War but what I do know of the Battle Of Little Big Horn, Benteen and Reno etc this is way-off. I don't think it is a spoiler to say that Custer still dies at the end at Little Big Horn but that is about as close to the truth as it gets and even someone who knows NOTHING about how he died will find the final scenes at LBH just a touch over the top.
There are also some REALLY annoying goofs, why did the stars and stripes have 44 stars on it in 1863 but by 1865 this was down to 35 (the correct number)?
However this was still 35 on the flag at the battle of Little big Horn (when there would have been 37 had they taken "full" flag at all into battle)! As a Brit this annoys me but to any American (whose flag is often so important) seems like a real insult.
There is also no mention of Custer's brothers who also died at the battle and the film certainly bends/merges the truth around the actions of Benteen and Reno.
Overall if you can forgive the hero worship of Custer and lack of any real history it's an enjoyable film.
It could benefit from some more stringent editing by about 40 minutes but preferably by someone other than Peter Parasheles or Maurice Rootes whose efforts on the rest of the film look like they were wearing boxing gloves at the time!