Review of The Searchers (1956) by Matt P — 16 Mar 2012

Out of all the John Wayne classics, this is probably his best one. This movie captured the essence of Wayne's prime, and showed really how he felt about westerns and felt they should be portrayed. The Searchers is a timeless story of a long hunt for one girl, being held captive by a tribe of Comanche Indians.

It's a story that grabs you and has you in immediately, once the violence and action begins. In addition to a good story, clear camera angles complement the well directing on John Ford's part.

And John Wayne truly shows us his ruff side as a retired Civil War veteran. However, as good as it is, I don't feel it deserves quite as much praise as some people give it. Now granted, it probably is THE best John Wayne-American western made, but not without flaws.

Towards the conclusion, when the story is just about wrapping up, some events didn't appear quite believable enough. Like what are the odds that after 5 years of searching, the once little girl they've longed for it still alive and well? And isn't COMPLETELY brainwashed by the end? Well she apparently is enough to be taken in by John Wayne and given to her dead parent's friends.

And then with that, John Wayne's character is singled out whereas Jeffrey Hunter's gets the love of his life. Typical. Something that is not typical though is the fact that the leading "romantic" male(romantic, NOT heroic like Wayne), played by Hunter, happens to be an unlikable and dick of a character.

Honestly, he kicks a hefty Indian woman down a hill, he leaves his love for 5 years and sends her letters stating he's married, and he seriously tries to fight the guy she's skipping off with once they return(which is a complete side-story which dragged for too long).

I felt his character(Martin Polly) should have been murdered along with Natalie Wood's character's family. But even if he did I bet all the characters would show little or no emotion, which is always common in a John Wayne movie! He remarks casually about gruesome deaths yet never fails to get a good laugh while taking a swig of beer and shooting an enemy from a mile away.

This for me is, again, what I find to be a flaw with all these old ham-it-up American westerns, is there's implied grit, but NO emotional reaction from the characters. And if there are, it's just throwing a temper tantrum like Martin Polly.

All in all, a little corny(but what John Wayne movie isn't?), but all around very enjoyable. With great cinematography and a tough leading male performance, The Searchers is a western not to be missed by anyone.