Review of The Searchers (1956) by Tony F — 17 Jan 2011

John Ford's THE SEARCHERS [1956]: Along with a few other Ford Westerns (like MY DARLING CLEMENTINE) and Sergio Leone's THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY [1966], The Searchers is one of the most important westerns in cinema history. For a film of its type to touch on underlying themes of Racism, Bigotry, the slightly sympathetic view of Native American Indians and it's more realistic portrayal of life in the Western frontier, The Searchers is by far one of the most complex and dark westerns of the classic Hollywood western from the 30's right up until mid the 1950's. This is due to its themes, its blend of humour, implications of violent acts and atrocities off screen, depth of its main characters and stunning cinema photography.

The Plot Line; The film opens in the state of Texas in 1868, when Ethan Edwards (John Wayne) an ex-Confederate soldier rides on home to his brother's farm. When his brother's family see him again they are overjoyed about his return. Especially the youngest daughter Debbie and her adopted brother Martin who is eighth Cherokee , when the Reverend and Captain of the local Texas Rangers comes to raise volunteers for the troop after the Jorgensen's(neighbours of the Edwards) cattle have been stolen. Ethan and Martin along with the rest of the Rangers set off to find the stolen cattle, when it's discovered to be a plot by Comanche's to draw the groups away from the two farms while the Indians raid and destroy the farms. Ethan and Martin ride back to the farm only to discover that the entire farm has been destroyed and that the father, the mother and the young brother have been murdered and the two Girls (Debbie and her older sister Lucy) have been kidnapped.

Ethan and Martin and the Rangers start to peruse the Comanche tribe responsible, it becomes clear after a battle with the Indians; The Rangers then decide to stop the chase due the numbers of the tribe. Ethan, Martin and Lucy's fiancé now continues the search, but when its discovered that Lucy has been killed Lucy's fiancé is killed in a suicidal charge at the Comanche tribe which leave only Ethan and Martin to try and rescue Debbie. The search takes the pair on a long search over a five year period in which the racist Ethan is becoming aware that Debbie has become a wife and accustomed to the ways of the Comanche chief Scar who was responsible for the massacre, and now will destroy Debbie if he catches her.

What is extremely notable about this film is John Wayne's almost uncharacteristic performance he has become known for. Most of Wayne's characters were usually 2-D, shallow, all American Hero's of the West, but with Wayne's powerful on screen presence his acting seems at best decent. But with The Searchers Wayne's character of Ethan Edwards has (what a lot of other Wayne characters don't have) is a lot of depth, flats like racism, an almost unpatriotic side and more of a human feel to his character.

The character of Ethan is quite different for most westerns; he is a middle-age Ex-Confederate soldier who does not surrender, he is stubborn, racist towards Indians, is not a patriotic American like most of Wayne's other characters and is both searching for a purpose in life and does not quit no matter how long it takes. In fact Ethan's character falls between the categories of Hero and Anti-Hero due to his racist ways. When Ethan finds out after Martin and his Five year quest, Debbie has become a white-native American so then his quest switches from trying to rescue the girl to trying to destroy her. In fact in one tense scene where Debbie shows up at the camp, Martin acts as a human shield when Ethan pulls out his gun. With Wayne's iconic presence in this role gives this complex character that supposed classic western hero with enough flats and humanity to satisfy the eyes of any liberal 21st Century viewer.

The other notable thing about this classic Ford Western is its kinder view of Native American Indians. Instead of the Rangers, The Calvary and Ethan being the clear cut true hero's or the Scar and his Comanche tribes being the clear cut true Villains of this film, both sides are shown in a more balanced light. In the winter scenes of the film were Ethan and Martin encounter the Calvary, the two in the next scene stumble upon an Indian camp that has been destroyed with a dead body of an Indian Women, usually in other classic Westerns the Calvary were always see as heroically riding in to save the day against the villainous Indians. But in The Searchers the Calvary's brutal remains of their raid is shown to the audience which is quite uncommon for a Western of its age, plus in the climatic raid against Scar's Comanche tribe, the Texas Rangers like the Calvary are also quite brutal as well. The is even a brief moment when a small group of Comanche men are shooting at the raiding rangers while Comanche women and Children run, even Ethan scalps the dead scar (which of course is only implied when the camera cuts to the next scene).

Director John Ford is was by far one of the most important directors of the early to mid 20th century; Ford has been credit as influencing other greats like Akira Kurosawa, Ingmar Bergman, Orson Welles and even Alfred Hitchcock. THE SEARCHERS is often cited as fords greatest film (and since I've only seen this Ford film) that statement in quite true, each shot is just amazing to look at, in fact this film was the twelfth actor-director collaboration between the Legendary Ford and the iconic John Wayne. The favourite role Wayne ever did was Ethan and in honour of this film Wayne named one of his sons after the role. In fact the only thing Wayne ever said about this film was this was the best film Ford and He ever did.

The Searchers is without a single doubt one of the most brilliant westerns ever made, my rating and easy 100%.