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Directed By
John Ford
Written By:
Frank Nugent
Cast:
John Wayne, Jeffrey Hunter, Vera Miles, Natalie Wood, Ward Bond, John Qualen, Harry Carey Jr., Olive Carey, Antonio Moreno, Henry Brandon, Hank Worden, Lana Wood, Patrick Wayne, Dorothy Jordan, Dorothy Jordan
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The Searchers (1956)
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Movie Review by Ben
March 13th, 2008
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Continuing my education in the westerns of John Wayne (as those of you have read my review of "Rio Bravo") we come to an even greater western called "The Searchers." It is a beautifully filmed movie that was directed by the great John Ford, and it features John Wayne in what may very well have been his greatest onscreen performance as Ethan Edwards, a Civil War soldier coming home to a tenuous welcome. When his brother Aaron (Walter Coy) and his family are massacred by Comanche Indians, he sets off on a mission of both revenge and rescue, as he soon discovers the possibility that his nieces may still be alive. Along with him on this journey are the Texas Rangers led by the Reverend Captain Samuel Clayton (Ward Bond), and a step-nephew named Marty (Jeffrey Hunter) who Ethan wants just about nothing to do with.
Like I said, this is a beautifully filmed western by John Ford, and this is the first of his films that I have ever seen. I can see why this is one of Steven Spielberg's all time favorite films, and I wonder if any of Ford's movies are as beautifully shot as this one. We get to see wide shots of the barren fields as they are soon covered by snowfall. Ford makes the passing of time seem all the more evident as we go from one season to another, and we feel the years passing these characters by as they refuse to give up. It gets to where we are as desperate as the lead characters to find the kidnapped children.
John Wayne has said that of all the roles he has played in movies, he considered Ethan Edwards from "The Searchers" to be his best. As a result, he later named a son of his Ethan in respectful homage to the picture. John is simply amazing here as a Confederate soldier who does not feel the need to swear an oath to Texas since his work as a soldier is more than enough. Ethan is not an entirely likable character, and neither Wayne or Ford try to hide the fact that he is a flat out racist, but you stay with him on this journey because you know without a doubt that he will be successful in the end.
Wayne has so many amazing moments in this movie, and the strongest ones are when he doesn't even say a word. John may appear tough and resolute one moment, but in the next shot, his eyes betray the worry and hurt that tear away at his soul. Ethan's life was torn apart when his young and the Comanche Indians attacked his family, and it has filled him with an unapologetically raw hatred at all of them. There's a powerful moment where we see Wayne coming in from someplace he was searching, and he looks like he is about to collapse in horror. We find out later why he was acting the way he did, but what he shows without saying anything is so powerful and it leaves a lasting impression that you cannot get out of your head.
The main relationship Wayne's character has throughout the movie is with Marty, and he is played by Jeffrey Hunter who is based remembered as Captain Christopher Pike from the original pilot of "Star Trek." Marty sticks with Ethan despite Ethan's cold dismissal of him throughout the movie because of his biracial heritage. But it becomes clear as the movie goes on that Ethan needs Marty with him to keep him in check. Ethan's racism is so deep rooted that it could force him to take actions that he may never be able to take back. Marty soon comes to understand that Ethan would rather see a family member dead than have them be defiled by a Comanche. All we can do is hope that Wayne's character looks pass his prejudices before the movie reaches its inevitable conclusion.
Watching this movie today may seem a bit odd because by today's standards, the movie may threaten to seem as racist as Wayne's character. This movie was clearly made back in the days of cowboys and Indians, but the main villains of the piece are only one tribe of villains as well as some double crossing white men who should have known better. Not every Indian in this movie is presented as a bad guy. In fact, one of the movie's best moments comes when Marty finds that he has inadvertently married an Indian woman when he thought he was just buying a sweater. When we later see the fate of that Indian woman later on, we find that Indians end up attacking each other over territory, and that the fate of many of them is not at all deserved.
The movie is filled with incredible vistas that Ford films in all their glory, and it proves to be as exciting now as it was when first shown in theaters. I wonder if any other filmmaker today can accomplish what Ford did with these movies so long ago. We see the characters grow from where they were at the start of the movie, and by the end, Ethan has to admit that he has gained a lot of respect for Marty and is prepared to give all that he has to Marty if he were to be killed. They never really become friends, but they find that they need each other more than either would ever care to admit. There is a lot of heart in this movie behind all that bravado which covers up the fierce insecurity of its characters.
The final shot of John Wayne standing in that doorway while the sun and wind bear down on him is one of the greatest moments in film history. A beautiful moment that stays with you long after the movie is over. It says just about everything you need to know about the character Wayne plays; a man who will always be alone but who will always be doing his job as a soldier till the day he drops dead.
I'm not sure what else I can say about "The Searchers" that has not already been said. It is clear that it is one of the greatest westerns ever made, and nothing will ever take that away. Although some may find that racist attitudes of Wayne's character too much to bear, there is still so much to enjoy here. I was never in a hurry to see "The Searchers," but I'm glad that I did.
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 | BillyBob
Mar 14, 2008 1:13 AM
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| THE SEARCHERS is definitely one of my all-time favorite Westerns. Watching it on a huge, wide-screen TV set is a really awesome experience. John Ford's choice of locations couldn't have been better. |
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