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While John Ford may have received his four Best Director Oscars® for his ‘serious’ films, such as The Grapes of Wrath (1940) and The Quiet Man (1952), he is surely best remembered for his Westerns, defining the landscape of the West and the people within it for a generation of film-goers. In 1956 he released what by many is considered his crowning glory, The Searchers, starring Ford’s long-time collaborator and leading man John Wayne. This partnership was one of the most fruitful in Hollywood, and it produced this epic that was named Greatest Western of All Time by the American Film Institute in 2008.
The film tells the story of Ethan Edwards (Wayne) - Civil War veteran, prodigal brother and lone rebel – and his long search for his niece, Debbie, who was abducted by a Native American tribe, the Comanche, after the tribe killed the rest of her family. Ethan is accompanied on his search by his brother’s adopted son Martin Pawley (Jeffrey Hunter), whose youthful naivety and hope counteracts Ethan’s hard-bitten and jaded world-view. It becomes clear very quickly that Ethan is on a mission not only for revenge, but also to kill Debbie now that, as he sees it, she has been corrupted by the Comanche; Martin however is determined to stop him, and to take Debbie back home.
There is an underlying current of racism running through the film, mainly emanating from Ethan. He shows contempt for Martin’s mixed-race heritage, being one-eighth Cherokee, and he is determined to kill Debbie in his belief that she can no longer re-enter white society after living with the Comanche. It could be said that Ford justifies this racism through the clear motive of revenge that is driving Ethan, but the treatment of Native Americans in Western films has always been contentious. Ford, however, does allow the Comanche chief, Scar (Henry Brandon) the chance to explain his reasons for his violent behaviour, reasons which link him to Ethan in their shared desire for vengeance. Scar’s family were killed by white settlers, and his hatred for them mirrors Ethan’s own hatred for Scar’s race.
Despite all these missions for revenge, one of the films strongest points is also one of its most tender moments. It is implied that Ethan loves Martha, his brother’s wife, and that she also has feelings for him, although none of this is actually verbalised. It is all suggested by Ford’s expert direction and it is clear that this is Ethan’s real motive for revenge. Although the relationship is never developed, cut short by Martha’s untimely death, within a few shots Ford manages to create a tragic back story of lost love and desire.
Even if you only see one Western in your life, this one should be it. And if you’re not into Westerns, it should be seen purely as an important piece of American cinematic history. With the iconic shots of Monument Valley, shot in widescreen to allow the format to encompass the never-ending landscape, it is a beautifully filmed and beautifully crafted epic that should be on everyone’s list of films to watch.
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