Son of the Morning Star (1991) [Import]

This is a wonderful piece of television. This 2 part (3 hour) min series from 1991 is perhaps the best telling of the tale of George Armstrong Custer from the end of the Civil War till he died alongside some 257 of his men at the Little Bighorn in 1876Custer has long fascinated Hollywood and the television industry. His portrayal switched with contemporary attitudes to the so called Plains Wars. In "They died with their boots on" he was Errol Flynn with every character trait that Flynn brought to all of his roles, twenty years later he was a maniacal war criminal in Little Big Man. Elsewhere he has been the "Indian's Friend" and their unrelenting enemy. All of these portrayls have been essentially one note regarding this fascinating character. In this version he is superbly portrayed by Gary Cole as a rounded human being. Noble in his way, loyal to those he liked, a devoted husband and charismatic soldier who could see the problems with the Federal Governments policies in the West. The show however does not shy from his many faults. Capable of being coldly ruthless and brutal in ursuit of his goals. He is shown as a poor man manager whose nepotism caused a disastrous schism in his command echelons. A political soldier who bluntly refused the politic thing to do, This was married to an overriding wish to reclaim the glories of his youth that led to disaster and eternal glory. Cole excels in portraying every aspect of this flawed man, The supporting cast is equally adept, David Strathairn stands out as his great rival and "enemy" Captain Benteen.Produced about the same time as Dances with Wolves (Costner supposedly turned this down for that movie) it is careful to show the Lakota and Cheyenne side as sympathetically as the 7th Cavalry, Crazy Horse appears to be fanatical as any man who has visiions of their future would be,.but the film is framed by voice overs by Libbie Custer and Kate Bighead again showing both sides of the story. It also benefits from the, then recent, forensic archaological work at Little Bighorn to present what is probably the most accurate and chaotic version of the battle.This is a must for anyone who wants a better version of the story that everyone has heard of but few actually understand.

Arrived promptly, could have been more competitively priced.

I've tried very hard to get this dvd, I've seen some copy'sand I think this is the best that will be available for a whilethe colour is a bit strong so you may need to adjust your TV settingsthis TV movie is the closest that you will get to the facts of the personalityof Custer and the battle.forget Errol Flynn, and his heroics this is a warts and all portrayalof Custer and the events leading up to the battle.there's no heroic last stand, just a basic run for your lives /routtold from the Indian point of view and some us army reportsbrilliant

Good film

This is the best Custer film you will see.Superb in every aspect and historicaly correct.Three hour account of events leading up to thebattle of Little Big Horn plus the battle itself.Cannot believe that this is not available on DVD ?!

Picture quality is not as good as I had hoped.

The story follows the career of 'George Armstrong Custer' (Gary Cole) after his heroics in the Civil War.'George Armstrong Custer' was a fearless cavalier in battle who acted uponhis own instincs rarely taking theadvice of others.He is assigned as Colonel with the 7th Calvary, his task, to control the native population, by transferring them ifpossible to reservations, if they fail to comply they are seen as hostile.Which often lead to 'Custer' leading his blue-coats as dawn approached attacking Indian Camps often killing bothwoman and children in addition to the warriors.The colonel was always supported in his chosen career by his loving wife 'Elizabeth'(Libby)(Rosanna Arquette) throughwhat was fast becoming turbulent times which saw his suspended and re-instated on two occasions by the Politiciansof the dayThe Indians had many broken promises from the white government which lead to warriors such as 'Crazy Horse'(Rodney A Grant) having little faith in those that stole their lands and wanted to change those that once roamedfree into the white way of life threatening hundreds of years of tradition and beliefs....'Crazy Horse' wanted only tofight back.When 'Custer' himself makes a vow to Sioux-Chief 'Sitting Bull' (Floyd Red-Crow Westerman) he is warned, breakyour word, you and your blue-coats will die at our hands.Of course, 'Custer' who had to follow directives from higher powers was unable to keep the promise he'd made..which lead to the showdown at the Little-Big-Horn on 25th June 1876....'Custer' had split his force into three, oneled by 'Major Reno' (Michael Medeiros) the other by 'Captain Benteen' (David Strathairn) who in truth had manyrecurring issues with 'Custer'....the decision to split his force to try and locate the Indian Encampment was to provefatal for 'George Armstrong Custer' and his troops....they were hugely out-nubered.'Reno' had tried to come to their aid but was cut-off ad attacked, 'Benteen' who had warned 'Custer' not to splitthe force did not come to their aid......Several tribes who had once fought each-other down the years had joinedforces ...a momentous victory......but in truth the war for the Indian-Nation was over.This two part made for TV series was first aired in 1991.....The Story is told from both perspectives by 'ElizabethCuster' from her husbands side and for the Indian-Nation by 'Kate Bighead' who through a 10 year spell had seen'Custer' on several occasions including attacking her village and indeed as a resident on a reservation (voiced byBuffy Sainte-Marie) (who many will remember for her recording of 'Soldier Blue')I have seen many films depicting events at the Little Big Horn, for me this is far and away the best version screenedto date.Remember seeing the series when first aired, bought the VHS when released but was disappointed with the picturequality, was pleased when i had the opportunity a few years back to buy it on DVD (pictured below) sadly this provedto be of poor quality (though the story can be followed)Hopefully one day, a quality release of the series will become available.

hubby love it

can't watch it don't have the right dvd player

Bello

The only available DVD release of this epic and sweeping portrayal of the end of the Plains Indian wars is welcome news to fans who have been frustrated at the lack of action in North America. This Region 2 release from Spain does include the option to hear the original audio track, so good news for English-speakers and the original audience for this 1991 American mini-series (only two parts, really, so more like a single long movie a la "Gettysburg"). If your DVD player can play multi-region discs, you're all set. My only negative comments would be that the transfer is good but not pristine -- this looks to have been mastered from a second-generation source, not original negatives; perhaps a print made for European theatrical or broadcast use. And I noticed that the audio and picture were not quite in synch for a short segment near the end, beginning toward the end of the battle of Little Bighorn and extending into some final scenes. These are not major flaws, and this set still represents an improvement over the VHS release overall. Perhaps a genuine American studio edition can follow in due course now?This film has been reviewed many times under its VHS listing so no need to go into elaborate detail here, but it is worth repeating what a stellar production this is: from the brilliant cinematography to the superb costuming and the wonderfully lyrical soundtrack; the script is dramatic and intelligent; and the acting usually first rate. The parallel narratives of Libby Custer and Kate Bighead illustrate the opposing viewpoints of the white and red man and showcase the tragedies that resulted. Custer is shown as a multidimensional character, true to history, neither golden hero nor raving madman, but a gifted and flawed military leader who is far from the Indians' greatest enemy during this period. His chief adversary, Crazy Horse, is a more elusive figure but as much as we know about him is presented with care and sympathy. The Sioux who stand in the way of the US government's determination to "tame" the West and exploit its resources fully are the victims of a relentless expansionism and the climactic showdown with Custer and his 7th Cavalry on a hot summer day in the barren Montana hills is truly their last stand as much as Custer's. Few historical battles have ever been better recreated onscreen than here -- all the troop movements are accurate and the action is intense and mesmerizing, filmed skillfully and evocatively. Everything from the division of the 7th Cavalry into separate columns, Reno's heedless charge, Benteen's obstinacy, and what we *think* happened to Custer's command is memorably captured. "Son of the Morning Star" remains one of the best Westerns ever made and a powerful depiction of one of history's most legendary events.

le meilleur film que jai vu sur la bataille de little big horn et le general custer les acteurs sont stupéfiants de verité , ceux qui tiennent le role des indiens sont de véritables amérindiens, mention speciale a Rodney a grant qui joue le role de crazy horse , il est magnifique a l'origine cest un telefilm aussi bien sinon mieux qu'un film ,il n'existe helas pas en Français ,il est en espagnol mais je connais le film et lles images de ce chef d'œuvre parlent d'elles memes

Recuerdo haberla visto en televisión hace muchísimos años, y ya simplemente al principio engancharme viendo como los soldados llevaban cada uno un uniforme diferente, como gritaban para fustigar a los caballos para superar algún obstáculo... todo ello muy diferente de las tradicionales películas donde ves a todos bien uniformados y formados en líneas trazadas con regla... Aunque se nota en la calidad de imagen que es antigua, es una delicia volver a verla.