In 1970, we meet Jack Crabb, played by Dustin Hoffman, who at the remarkable age of 121 years recounts his extraordinary life to a curious historian, portrayed by William Hickey. Jack's tale is nothing short of spectacular; he claims to have lived numerous lives—as a captive of the Cheyenne, a daring gunslinger, an ally of the legendary Wild Bill Hickok, a scout for the notorious General George Armstrong Custer, and the last surviving white person after the Battle of Little Bighorn in 1876. His unique upbringing among the Cheyenne offers him an unparalleled perspective on both Native American and white life in the 19th century.
Flashing back to 1859, Jack, at just ten years old, witnesses the tragic massacre of his pioneer family by the aggressive Pawnee. He and his older sister, Caroline (played by Carole Androsky), are taken by a Cheyenne warrior to their village. Caroline narrowly escapes on horseback, but Jack is adopted by the benevolent tribal leader Old Lodge Skins (Chief Dan George). Life in the Cheyenne community is serene, until Jack unintentionally creates a rivalry with a boy named Younger Bear (Cal Bellini). However, when Jack rescues him from a Pawnee warrior, the two boys create an unexpected bond, earning Jack the nickname "Little Big Man" due to his bravery despite his small stature.
As Jack turns 16 in 1865, he is captured by U.S. cavalry troopers during a skirmish. In a bid for survival, he relinquishes his Native American ties. After a harsh interrogation, Jack, still considered a minor, finds himself in the care of Reverend Silas Pendrake (Thayer David) and his frustrated wife Louise (played by Faye Dunaway), who attempts to seduce him. Jack struggles with Louise's dual nature, caught between her piety and her desires. When he discovers her in a compromising situation with another man, he leaves the Pendrake home far behind.
Soon after, Jack apprentices under a snake-oil salesman named Merriweather (Martin Balsam). Their career takes a nosedive when the townspeople, including Caroline, realize they've been duped, leading to a joyous reunion between the siblings. Caroline, eager to reinvent Jack, tries to turn him into a gunslinger known as the Soda Pop Kid. In a saloon encounter, he meets Wild Bill Hickok (Jeff Corey), who becomes a mentor to him. However, after witnessing a fatal encounter where Hickok must kill in self-defense, Jack loses his appetite for the violent lifestyle, and Caroline eventually abandons him.
Over the next several years, Jack partners in a general store and marries a Swedish woman named Olga (Kelly Jean Peters). Tragically, their partnership with a deceitful thief leads to the store’s demise. Just when things seem bleak, Custer offers them the chance for a fresh start out west. However, disaster strikes when their stagecoach is attacked by Cheyenne warriors, taking Olga captive. In his frantic search for her, Jack is welcomed back by Old Lodge Skins, who is overjoyed at his return.
Jack then ascends the ranks to become a muleskinner in Custer's 7th Cavalry, desperate to learn Olga's fate. During a confrontation against the Cheyenne, Jack witnesses unspeakable atrocities and, in a fit of fury, turns against his fellow soldiers. In a poignant twist of fate, he discovers a Cheyenne woman Sunshine (Aimée Eccles) giving birth and decides to protect her, leading to a new life intertwined with her tribe.
Years later, while winter blankets the land, a surprise assault by Custer on a Cheyenne encampment results in tragedy, as Sunshine and their child perish. Jack’s heart aches for revenge, but when faced with Custer, he falters at the moment of truth, ultimately witnessing Custer's downfall at the Battle of Little Bighorn on June 25, 1876. Jack’s narrative of survival weaves through heartbreak, kinship, and the harsh realities of a shifting world.
Fast forward, Jack's life spirals into despair and drunkenness in Deadwood, South Dakota, until he’s reminded by Wild Bill Hickok of his potential. The death of Hickok, alongside a heartfelt message for Louise, once again sets Jack on a path of introspection. Following a series of unfortunate events, Jack isolates himself in the wilderness only to stumble upon Custer's troops, leading him to a fateful decision.
As Jack guides Custer into a trap, he witnesses the twisted irony of fate—where Custer's arrogance costs the lives of many. After a tumultuous battle, Jack finds himself once more caught between loyalty and resentment, only to be saved by Younger Bear in a turn of fate. In the aftermath, Jack seeks peace with Old Lodge Skins, who has declared that “It is a good day to die," waiting for death with dignity. But with rain falling upon them, Jack learns that sometimes hope resurfaces in the most unexpected ways.
Back in the present day, Jack's reflections intertwine with a sense of loss, as he gently dismisses the historian, leaving behind a haunting image of an aged man in a wheelchair, contemplating memories of a world that has slipped through his fingers—forever etched in time.
