The White Buffalo (1977) - Where to Watch, Reviews, Trailers, Cast - Watchmode

The White Buffalo (1977)

Wild West meets Moby Dick: adventurers and history buffs will love the surreal hunt for a mythical beast with iconic figures.

Genres: Western, Adventure, Action

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The White Buffalo(1977)

PG
Movie1h 37mEnglishWestern, Adventure, Action
5.9
User Score
21%
Critic Score
IMDb
Director: J. Lee Thompson
Writer: Richard Sale

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Overview

In this strange western version of Moby Dick, Wild Bill Hickok hunts a white buffalo he has seen in a dream. Hickok moves through a variety of uniquely authentic western locations - dim, filthy, makeshift taverns; freezing, slaughterhouse-like frontier towns and beautifully desolate high country - before improbably teaming up with a young Crazy Horse to pursue the creature.

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Featured Comments/Tips

Western from the 1970s about the legend of Buffalo Bill.

When I noticed that the buffalo effect was mounted on rails like a train, I started to love this movie. The white buffalo is almost always shown charging toward the camera and it really gives an intimidating look to the monster. The effect was the highlight of the movie. Charles Bronson, Jack Warden, and Will Sampson are all tough bastards too, but that white buffalo was a terror. It attacks a Native-American village, killing indescriminately...even children. Later, the beast faces off with the three main characters and it turns into a wildly bloody event. The final battle is dreamy and practically surreal. It's surprisingly effective. Bronson is not who he appears and neither is Sampson, which provides an enjoyable little twist to go along with the bloody buffalo mayhem. This was released in the mid-1970s and is certainly a product of its time. If you are offended by the heavy-handed stereotypes that were often prevalent during that period, you may want to skip this.

Pretty awesome western with a touch of horror element in there, has Bronson as Wild Bill hunting a legendary killer Buffalo. Like Captain Ahab this thing haunts him. Aside from some wonky animatronics at times, it was pretty damn effective. Had lots of fun.

Featured User Reviews

Wuchak
Wuchak
0/10

_**This is what-were-they-thinking bad, but sorta enjoyable if you can acclimate**_ Wild Bill Hickok (Charles Bronson) is haunted by nightmares involving a legendary white buffalo and so travels to the Black Hills region to hunt the creature with his old geezer pardner (Jack Warden). The problem is Crazy Horse (Will Sampson) is seeking vengeance on the beast for killing his daughter. Meanwhile Clint Walker appears as a heavy. "The White Buffalo" was ready for release by 1976, but was withheld for over a year before being dumped into the general-circulation market. Based on a 1975 book, Director J. Lee Thompson described it as Moby Dick of the West. There’s also a “Jaws” (1975) angle with the three guys teaming up to find and slay the beast. The wintery outdoor locations are wonderful and the cast is great, also including notables Kim Novak, Stuart Whitman, Slim Pickens, Ed Lauter and John Carradine. I also appreciate the sensitive story of Wild Bill and the great chief Crazy Horse overcoming prejudice to discover common ground and friendship of sorts. In addition, there’s some profound explorations of finding yourself, seeking your destiny, ridding yourself of fears to become more human. Regrettably, the indoor sets are too artificial and the bison animatronics leave a lot to be desired, resembling a giant shaggy toy, but I guess producers had limited options in the pre-CGI era, especially if they lacked the necessary funds. These elements plus the comic book vibe will leave you wondering “What were they thinking?” The white bison’s godawful attack on the Oglala camp is Exhibit A. Another glaring issue is that not enough backstory is given for Hickok’s nightmares that would provoke him to suddenly wake-up all guns blazing and travel to some remote area to slay this legendary beast (I’m assuming such scenes were cut). But, if you can adjust, there’s a lot to enjoy here. It’s basically a cult Western — bad, for sure, but somehow entertaining and profound, IF you can adapt to its peculiarities. The film runs 1 hours, 37 minutes, and was shot partially in the studio & Bronson Canyon, Los Angeles, but also in Colorado, Arizona & New Mexico. GRADE: C

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