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5.9/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 5.9/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. Battling with Buffalo Bill remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
If you're into those old-fashioned Saturday morning serials where the hero wears a pristine hat while everyone else is covered in dirt, you'll dig this. It's for the person who doesn't mind a bit of 1930s cheese with their action. If you need a movie to actually end in 90 minutes, skip it. This thing is 12 chapters long and takes its sweet time getting nowhere fast. 🐎
Watching Battling with Buffalo Bill in one sitting is a mistake. I tried it. By chapter eight, the dust started feeling real in my living room.
The plot is basically a circle. Jim Rodney, the gambler, wants gold. He messes with the town. Bill stops him. Repeat until the final reel.
It’s very similar in vibe to The Overland Limited, mostly because everyone seems to be shouting their lines at a wall. The sound recording in 1931 wasn't exactly delicate.
The stunts are actually kind of terrifying. There’s a guy named Yakima Canutt in the cast, and if you know old movies, you know he’s a legend.
He falls off horses in ways that make my knees ache just watching. There is no CGI here. Just guys hitting the ground hard.
I also loved the horse, Pardner. The horse has better comedic timing than half the human cast. He always seems to know exactly when to look at the camera.
There are so many people in this. It’s like the director just hired every person standing outside the studio that morning.
The villains are very villainy. They whisper in corners and point at maps. It's great. It reminds me of the over-the-top drama in The Desert Sheik.
There is a scene where a wagon nearly tips over and I’m 90% sure it wasn't supposed to happen. The actor’s face looks genuinely scared for a second.
The costumes are... a choice. Bill’s buckskin jacket looks like it weighs fifty pounds. How he stays on a horse in that thing is a mystery to me.
One reaction shot of a townsperson lingers for about five seconds too long. They just stand there blinking. It made me laugh out loud. 😂
The ending is exactly what you expect. The cavalry shows up. The bad guy gets what’s coming. The gold is safe.
It’s not deep. It’s not trying to be Women of Ryazan or some heavy art piece. It’s just 1931 popcorn food.
The episodes get a bit repetitive, but there's a charm to the clunkiness. It’s messy, loud, and honest.
If you have a rainy afternoon, put on a couple of chapters. Just don't expect a masterpiece.
IMDb —
1924
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