Verdict
Summary
Unlike any other Bronson vehicle (especially at the time when it was released), The White Buffalo has a haunting aspect to it that should appeal to interested parties.
Plot:
Moby Dick as retold in the Old West, but with an elusive, monstrous White Buffalo.
Review:
Wild Bill Hickock (Charles Bronson) has nightmares of a monstrous, hulking white buffalo, and the specters haunt him. He is on a mission to find the legendary creature, hunt it down, and kill it. He and his friend Charlie Zane (a wily old Jack Warden) go out into the snowy wilderness – even braving Indian country – to find the creature. On their quest, Bill makes an alliance with an ostracized Indian chief named Crazy Horse (Will Sampson), who was kicked out of his tribe for crying when his child was killed by the white buffalo. Crazy Horse is on his own campaign to find and kill the monster, and so the three hunters join forces, hoping to find success even if it means being killed themselves by their quarry.
As a western, this J. Lee Thompson-directed picture has some stylized camera work and dialogue, not to mention some really good performances from the leads, but it feels more akin to a horror movie with its Moby Dick / Jaws / Razorback vibe of creature feature-ish gore and violence. The white buffalo itself (a practical special effect of puppetry, but very scary and impressive) is a terror to behold, and seeing Bronson and his two cohorts attack it and slay it is a wonderful movie treat. Unlike any other Bronson vehicle (especially at the time when it was released), The White Buffalo has a haunting aspect to it that should appeal to interested parties. Bronson’s next movie was Telefon.
Kino Lorber’s re-issue of this title comes in a vibrant new HD Master from a 2K scan of the 35mm Interpositive, and also includes an audio commentary by Paul Talbot, the author of the “Bronson’s Loose” books, plus the trailer and TV spots. It also comes with a double sides sleeve and a slipcover.
