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Reviews
Son of the Morning Star (1991)
A Film Which Takes The Historical Truth And Deals With It Properly
As near as anything has yet got to a true and accurate reflection of the 1876 summer campaign; this film displays not only the history of the white push into Montana after Grant's "hostiles" and the final conflict on the Little Bighorn, but also explores the psychology and personalities of the important members of the 'Custer Story'. If one understands the mental reasoning, then one can have a better overall grasp of the history in a film which is largely liberated of possible romantic nonsense that movies in the past rated viable.
Son of the Morning Star also, commendably and thankfully, explores the history, society and feelings of the native peoples. The film removes the tinted image of the Indians being brutal and thoughtless heathen savages, allowing an audience to build sympathies for a people who were being invaded and eradicates the idea that these were a dark and quiet race who would sell their own mothers. And about time too. If that is all that a viewer take from this film, then it has certainly achieved one of it's objectives.
Not only is history, society and emotion addressed (the emotional angles are most effective, e.g. Custer's relationship with Libbie, the contrast of Crazy Horse and Custer etc-all very clever, potent and emotionally though provoking), but the filming locations are very good (I have been to the Little Bighorn and Reno's fighting ridge is an exact looking filming location as one could wish for) and the atmosphere created by minor details of dress, action (see Reno's hat in the battle) and background is wonderful.
You want a Western? You want Son of the Morning Star.