In 1885, there is a wild west show being set up. They involve both white people and Native Americans.

After some time, Buffalo Bill arrives. There is even a grand entrance set up for him.

But there also needs to be a new marquee to replace former actors. An Indigenous man called Sitting Bull is considered.

Buffalo Bill isn’t happy about that, though. Yet he accepts Sitting Bull and wants him to play a hero in the play, Battle of the Little Bighorn. But Sitting Bull refuses.

Instead, he wants to tell a true story that is completely historically accurate. However, Buffalo Bill will not accept that.  So, he fires Sitting Bull.

What is going to happen next?

Despite the promising ads and trailer, this movie did not please me the way I hoped. A big reason was the confusing narrative and the slow pacing. I had trouble understanding the plot. In fact, much of the narration in this post was “taken” from a Google AI overview. Of course, all words are my own.

I also found it odd that Buffalo Bill appeared several minutes into the movie. And to be honest, I didn’t find him that likable – not compared to his portrayal in 1950’s Annie Get Your Gun. There, he was depicted as kind and supportive, especially toward Annie.

On the bright side, parts of the film engaged me. For instance, there was this woman, possibly Buffalo Bill’s wife, who would constantly sing opera. I found it a little funny for a bit. Then I was glad when I finally heard her speaking voice.

Which brings me to my next thought: I was a little worried that there weren’t enough actresses in this movie based on the cast listed at the beginning. Luckily, there were more females.

I also praise how the filmmakers casted an actual Native American to play Sitting Bull – in the 1970s. And I admired his portrayal of the character.

But overall, I thought Buffalo Bill and the Indians, or Sitting Bull’s History Lesson was just okay. If you lived through the 70s, you might enjoy this.

I give this film 3 out of 5 stars.