If you grew up watching Westerns, you probably remember George Armstrong Custer as a cardboard cutout. He was either the flawless hero of They Died with Their Boots On or the raving, bloodthirsty lunatic in Little Big Man. There wasn't much middle ground. Then, in 1991, ABC aired a two-part miniseries that changed the vibe entirely. The Son of the Morning Star movie—technically a miniseries, but let’s be real, it plays like a four-hour epic—tried to do something almost nobody does with history. It tried to be accurate.
It’s a weirdly haunting piece of television.
Based on Evan S. Connell’s best-selling non-fiction book, the film doesn't just focus on the "glory" of the 7th Cavalry or the tragedy of the Plains Indians. It’s messy. It’s dusty. It’s incredibly violent in a way that feels heavy rather than cinematic. Honestly, if you’re looking for a stylized action flick, this isn't it. But if you want to understand why the Battle of the Little Bighorn still dominates the American psyche, this is the definitive starting point.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Son of the Morning Star Movie
Most viewers expect a "General Custer Story." That’s the first mistake. While Gary Cole plays Custer with this jittery, ego-driven energy that is honestly kind of terrifying, the movie belongs just as much to the people he was trying to subjugate.
The narrative is split. On one side, you have Libbie Custer, played by Rosanna Arquette, providing the perspective of the military wives waiting at the fort. On the other, you have Kate Bighead, a Cheyenne woman voiced by Buffy Sainte-Marie, who provides the Indigenous perspective. This isn't just a "both sides" trope; it’s a structural necessity. Without Kate Bighead’s narration, you’re just watching white guys in blue coats wander into a trap. With her, you see the tactical brilliance of Crazy Horse and Sitting Bull.
One thing that people often overlook is the pacing. It’s slow. Like, really slow.
Director Rodney Paphirov-Rodney and writer Melissa Mathison (who wrote E.T., strangely enough) chose to focus on the logistical nightmares of the 1876 campaign. You see the heat. You see the exhausted horses. You see the petty infighting between Custer, Benteen, and Reno. It’s not a story of a great tactical blunder; it’s a story of a thousand small ego trips that ended in a massacre.
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The Gary Cole Factor
Can we talk about Gary Cole? Before he was the soul-crushing boss in Office Space or the hilarious Kent Davison in Veep, he was Custer. It’s a brave performance. Most actors try to make Custer likable or at least "misunderstood." Cole makes him a man you’d hate to work for. He’s impulsive, he brushes off his subordinates, and he’s obsessed with his own PR.
The Son of the Morning Star movie doesn't shy away from his vanity. He wears the buckskins. He grooms the long hair (until he cuts it right before the final battle, a detail the movie gets historically right). But beneath the flair, Cole shows the desperation. By 1876, Custer’s career was on the rocks. He was in trouble with President Grant. He needed a win. That pressure is palpable in every scene where he’s pushing his men through the blistering Montana heat.
Why the Production Values Hold Up in 2026
Even though this was a made-for-TV event in the early 90s, the scale is massive. They filmed on location in Montana, not far from the actual battlefield.
- The horses are period-accurate.
- The uniforms aren't the bright, shiny blue you see in 1950s films; they are sweat-stained and mismatched.
- The weaponry—specifically the Springfield carbines that famously jammed during the fight—is a major plot point.
When the 7th Cavalry finally meets the Lakota and Cheyenne forces at the Greasy Grass (the Indigenous name for the Little Bighorn), the sense of scale is genuine. You don't have the CGI armies of modern war movies. You have hundreds of real riders.
The movie also treats the Indigenous leaders with a level of respect rarely seen at the time. Rodney A. Grant as Crazy Horse is silent, stoic, and lethal. He doesn't need a three-minute monologue to explain his motivations. The movie shows you the destruction of the buffalo herds and the broken treaties. That’s all the motivation the audience needs.
Accuracy Over Sentimentality
Historians generally give this film high marks compared to its peers. For instance, the portrayal of Major Marcus Reno (played by Stephen Gully) and Captain Frederick Benteen (played by David Strathairn) is fascinatingly bleak.
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Benteen genuinely loathed Custer. The movie makes sure you know that. When Benteen receives the famous "Bring Packs" note—the last message sent from Custer’s dying command—the film captures his hesitation. It doesn't paint him as a villain, but it shows a man who was done dying for Custer’s glory.
And then there’s the ending.
Most movies show Custer as the "last man standing" on the hill, waving a flag or a saber. The Son of the Morning Star movie shows the chaos. It shows the smoke, the dust, and the fact that most of the soldiers were likely terrified and dying in the dirt. It’s brutal. It’s not "heroic" in the traditional sense. It’s a disaster.
The Cultural Impact of the Miniseries
When this first aired, it pulled in massive ratings. It was a time when the "Revisionist Western" was peaking—Dances with Wolves had just cleaned up at the Oscars the year before. People were hungry for a version of the West that wasn't filtered through the lens of John Wayne.
However, the film hasn't always been easy to find. It hasn't received the 4K restoration it deserves. If you find it on DVD or a streaming niche, the graininess actually adds to the atmosphere. It feels like looking at an old Matthew Brady photograph that has suddenly come to life.
It’s also important to note the sound design. The wind in the Montana grass is its own character. It’s lonely. It reminds you that these men died in the middle of nowhere, miles from the "civilization" they thought they were bringing with them.
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A Few Things to Watch For
If you’re sitting down to watch it for the first time, keep an eye on the details:
- The Narrators: Notice how Kate Bighead and Libbie Custer often describe the same events but find completely different meanings in them. This is the heart of the film.
- The Guns: The Springfield Model 1873 carbines were single-shot. The Indigenous warriors often had superior repeating rifles. The movie actually visualizes this tactical disadvantage.
- The Hair: Custer’s "Golden Locks" were his trademark. When he shows up with a buzz cut for the final march, it’s a bad omen that his men notice.
How to Approach the Film Today
Looking back on it now, the Son of the Morning Star movie acts as a bridge. It connects the old-school Hollywood epics with the gritty, ultra-realistic historical dramas of the 21st century like Deadwood or The Revenant. It doesn't lecture you. It just presents the collision of two cultures that couldn't possibly coexist at that time and shows the bloody result.
Is it perfect? No. Some of the dialogue feels a bit "90s TV Movie," and the four-hour runtime is a massive commitment. But honestly, you can't understand the mythology of the American West without seeing how this movie dismantled it.
If you’re a history buff, you’ve probably already seen it. If you’re just a fan of "The Bear" or "Yellowstone," you might find the pacing jarring. Stick with it. The second half is one of the most harrowing depictions of 19th-century warfare ever put on a screen.
Actionable Insights for the History Enthusiast:
- Read the Source Material: If the movie piques your interest, Evan S. Connell's Son of the Morning Star is even more detailed. It’s written in a "stream of consciousness" style that mirrors the movie's non-linear feel.
- Visit the Site: The Custer Battlefield (Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument) in Montana is one of the few places where you can stand exactly where the movie’s climax took place. The markers for where soldiers fell—including Custer—are still there.
- Compare the Versions: Watch the 1941 They Died with Their Boots On immediately after this. The contrast in how American history is packaged for the public is staggering.
- Check the Credits: Look for the name Larry Sellers. He was an Osage actor who served as a technical advisor to ensure the Indigenous portrayals were as authentic as possible for the time.
The movie ends not with a bang, but with a quiet, devastating look at the aftermath. No soaring trumpets. No flags waving. Just the wind and the realization that everyone involved lost something they could never get back. That is why it remains the gold standard for the Little Bighorn story.