THE WHITE BUFFALO
US, 1977, 98 minutes, Colour.
Charles Bronson, Jack Warden, Will Sampson, Clint Walker, Slim Pickens, Stuart Whitman, Kim Novak, John Carradine, Cara Williams, Ed Lauter, Martin Kove.
Directed by J. Lee Thompson.
The White Buffalo is a mythical western. It was written by Richard Sale, a prolific writer of many films who directed only a few. His screenplays include Mr Belvedere Goes to College, The French Line, Woman's World, Suddenly, Seven Waves Away. It was directed by British director J. Lee Thompson who made such films as Tiger Bay as well as The Guns of Navarone. He was to direct Charles Bronson in nine films.
Charles Bronson had his own mythology and here appears as Wild Bill Hickock. Will Sampson appears as Chief Crazy Horse. The two clash, travel through a very dingy west in the winter, Hickock having dreams of a wild mythical buffalo that he must pursue. The buffalo stands for the American past which was being eliminated. Eventually, the two mythical characters, Wild Bill and Crazy Horse, meet to confront the buffalo.
There is a very strong supporting cast which includes Kim Novak as a gambler widow who is in love with Wild Bill.
The film can be seen in the classic tradition of Moby Dick or the American film tradition of Jaws.
The film was not as popular as many other Bronson vehicles - but is probably interesting in retrospect for its portrayal of the west as well as the mythic elements.
1. A Charles Bronson western and expectations of this? A successful Bronson western? A good western?
2. The importance of the opening, the eerie atmosphere, the strange blend of studio and real winterscapes, the suggestion of dream, the ominous presence of the buffalo, the suggestion of the buffalo's presence and appearance? The overtones of the buffalo as a ‘Moby Dick' symbol? The buffalo as the symbol of America's past? The point of a white buffalo? The challenge of the buffalo in its destructiveness?
3. The contribution of the colour, for the drab and vulgar west, the west of the white man? The Indian’s west with the village and the burial ground? The wintry west in the coach ride, in the buffalo territory? The contribution of the foreboding music and its suggestion of the buffalo’s presence and threat? The blending of colour and music for atmosphere?
4. The presence of the buffalo: the artificial appearance, the real appearance, the violence and size, the violent charging? The atmosphere of menace when it was not seen, the pursuit of the humans by the buffalo? The continued threat and challenge? The symbolic menace of evil?
5. How well did the film parallel the characters and situations of Bill Hickock and Crazy Horse? The past of both men as gunfighters and warriors amongst their own? A similar age? The importance of the final shot with the two men parallelled and the Information about their life and death given? The importance of their being under assumed names? Changing their identity and yet asserting their old identity in order to find a new? The different challenge of the buffalo to each? For Hickock a dream buffalo, an extension of his psyche to be confronted and overcome? The hostility towards the buffalo and his wanting to kill it? The contrast with Crazy Horse and the destructiveness of the buffalo and the need to vindicate his reputation and appease the spirits? The intertwining of
their experiences? Crazy Horse trying to kill Hickock during the wintry coach ride? Their mutual saving of each other's lives? The mutual help, the bond between the two, the overcoming of prejudice? The importance of the prejudices expressed on both sides? The old-timer standing between them? Their shared danger, the sharing of the killing of the buffalo? Their experience of the death of the buffalo and the discovery of each other's identity? Each of these characters as part of the mythology of the American West, of the 19th century, of red and white American heritage? Of race issues, of law and order issues? And the old-timer walking away from them both? The relevance of this mythology for the 70s?
6. Charles Bronson as Bill Hickock and his own particular style? Bronson's own Hollywood mythology in this role? The initial dream and his shooting as he awoke, his glasses, assumed name? His tracking the buffalo and going into Cheyenne? The build-up towards his arrival? Custer and his men and their lies about the encounter with Hickock? The suggestion about his life as a gunfighter and his violence? His own attitude that he was younger then and the past could not be undone? The help of the barman and the shooting of the soldiers? The importance of his further travel, especially In the coach and the man who accosted him and was killed after being thrown out of the coach? The foul-mouthed woman and her death instead of Hickock's? The atmosphere of Frozen Dog and his presence there? His seeking out Poker Jennie and the memories of their relationship? Poker Jennie as a character, her marriage, widowhood, love for Hickock, losing her bet? Her fear when he woke again from the dream? (The visualising of his dream and the details of the landscapes in the early part of the film?) His further wanderings through Frozen Dog, the encounter with the old-timer and the memories of the past? His inviting him to search for the buffalo with him? The violence of Tyreen and the traditional build-up for the shoot-out? Hickok's skill and the death of Tyreen's men? Tyreen’s vengeance and its later reprisal? The atmosphere of Frozen Dog, the drab saloon, the brothel custom? The old-timer in this context? The past of Bill Hickock and his setting out for a future?
7. The character of the old-timer, his initial experience of the buffalo and the avalanche, his grizzly appearance, one-eyed (the literal meaning of the one-eyed old-timer in his inability to forget the past, break through his prejudices and see the bond between Indian and white man?), his sharing in the shoot-out, his helping Bill and the saving of Crazy Horse, his helping him In the shoot-out with Tyreen? His help then with the killing of the buffalo? His inability to see the good in Crazy Horse? The old timer as a man who failed? The indication that there is no place in the 20th century for men of the old-timer’s attitudes?
8. The character of Crazy Horse and his imposing presence, in the context of the buffalo charge through the village? The menace and the style of the photography of this clash and massacre? The burial of his child and his disgrace? with the tribe? His new name? The menace of his tracking people and shooting the coach? His being confronted by the Indians and being saved by Hickock? His saving Hickock against Tyreen? The importance of the conversations between Crazy Horse and Hickock? The importance of their sharing of the confrontation with the buffalo and Its death?
9. The charging of the buffalo and its fulfilment of Hickock's dreams? His being, able to shoot it? Crazy Horse's not being able to shoot? Both men sharing in the victory? The visual presentation of the death of the buffalo?
10. The strategy, the attack, the bonds? The irony of each going on his separate way? Why could they not unite? The way that each had saved the other's life, the pessimism of the parting of the ways and the old-timer’s inability to understand?
11. The film was clearly a symbolic western. Its ideas were clear. How well did it visualise and communicate them?
