Custer's Last Fight (1912)

Too much of everything

Don't listen to the Hype. It's awful

It is interesting even when nothing much happens, which is for most of its 3-hour running time. Read full review

The tone of this movie is interesting -- the stakes are both dramatic and high, but it's balanced with a lot of fun, tongue and cheek dialogue.

I enjoyed this film when I recently viewed it on DVD. Good production values and an easy to follow narrative make this a satisfying way to spend your time. The views re Indians/settlers may be a trifle simplistic but at least Custer is not portrayed as a murdering bastard. Most films about Custer make this error. It is fascinating to see these famous events portrayed a mere 36yrs after they actually happened. The myths of The West are already in place and are still being rolled out even today ... 95 yrs later. Let's hope it is not another 95yrs before someone has the guts to make a 'real' film about Custer, one that portrays the Civil War hero and not just the defeated soldier of Little Big Horn.

My copy of this film (a Grapevine VCD) runs for 54 minutes. I agree with the previous reviewer's comments - this is a surprisingly vigorous western, very easy to watch, except for Custer being portrayed as a saintly hero.

This film was directed by Francis Ford (John's brother) who also stars as Custer. The film opens with Rain-in-the-face, a bloodthirsty killer, an Indian of course in striking close-up killing two white men, he is overheard boasting of this and is imprisoned. On his escape he joins the other sioux who are forced to move from their reservations due to hunger. The rest of the film builds towards a spectacular (for the period) battle. This culminates with a powerfully visual scene with Custer, his brother and officers engulfed with heavy fire and falling one by one . A horse moves in from the left and collapses, very immediate for cinema in this period . Although hardly progressive in its attitudes towards native Americans it is less offensive than say the dog eating indians portrayed in Griffith's Battle at Elderbush Gulch two years later(1914). The film runs approx 20mins, I saw the re-released version (1922) on 16mm of the 1912 film which I believe is the only version that exists. Overall this is very good example of building narrative and visual style form the silent period and highly enjoyable.

This is directed by the brother of John Ford, who was also making films by 1917. The last stand is the centerpiece of the film, but the events on each side are fascinating. The first part shows the slow but steady movement of settlers into Indian territory. At first there is peace, but soon blood is shed. Things come to a head when gold is discovered in the Black Hills, leading to bloody confrontations spreading westward. Custer is caught up in this and winds up killed. After his death, scenes are shown of the fate of the Sioux and Sitting Bull in particular. Overall, a very satisfying early film. Rating: 5 out of 10.