Review of The Searchers (1956) by David B — 02 Jun 2016
An uncontested masterpiece of cinema, John Ford's magnum opus The Searchers tells the story of Ethan Edwards, a racist who becomes obsessed with rescuing his niece from a tribe of Comanches. He somehow finds himself teamed up with Martin Pawley, a man he actively dislikes because he is 1/8 Cherokee.
The film has inspired countless others since its 1956 debut (including Martin Scorsese's Taxi Driver and Wim Wender's Paris, Texas), and is notable for a protagonist with a very crooked moral compass.
Something of a revisionist western, John Wayne's Ethan Edwards cannot be just a great, uncomplicated hero if he is also deeply prejudiced. Not only is this one of Wayne's best performances, but the rest of the cast is superb as well, notably Jeffrey Hunter as Martin Pawley, Vera Miles as Martin's girlfriend Laurie, and longtime Ford/Wayne collaborator Ward Bond as Captain Reverend Clayton.
There are shots of unparalleled beauty, and the final shot is one of the saddest, truest observations of the wild west as there has ever been. A masterpiece.
This review of The Searchers (1956) was written by David B on 02 Jun 2016.
The Searchers has generally received very positive reviews.
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