07/03/06 The Searchers

The Searchers (1956), directed by John Ford

watched solo; DVD (borrowed from parents) @ home

The more that I reflect on this film after having seen it, the more its deeply-nuanced themes get to me. Upon first viewing, I wasn't thoroughly impressed with what has long been hailed as a classic, but acknowledged the pressing social issues that are prevalent in the film...as well as soak in all the breath-taking scenery that moves about in the open frontier of this western. The latter was due in large part to a relatively new way of presenting a larger aspect ratio & more clarity to the film known as Vista Vision. The former however, is the aspect that grew on me once making my way through the entire film and mulling over the connotations. This classic film from director John Ford has often been noted for its thought-provoking character studies over Americans during the post-Civil War era landscape. John Wayne plays the lead role as ex-Confederate soldier Ethan Edwards, returning home from the war. Upon a joyful reunion with them, the family is soon massacred by what seems to be a Comanche tribe...which fuels a bitter contempt for the Native-Americans by his already prejudiced manner. The only family member to survive the ordeal is the youngest girl, Ethan's niece Debbie, who is taken by the Comanche and raised as one of their own children. This spurns a five-year long Homeric-style quest for both Ethan and his adoptive nephew Martin (and boy do the two not get along for five years) to search for a now teenage Debbie (a young Natalie Wood) and bring her home. Ethan's character is one of extreme prejudices, racisms, sexisms, and all the other isms you can think of...but throughout his journey of pride and revenge, he begins to slowly understand himself and people in general. This bigoted anti-hero (while rumored to be how he may have been in real life, Public Enemy anyone?) was a different approach for John Wayne, who had always been lifted up as this very red-blooded American citizen and hero. The story is one of pure epic proportions, set about a mosntrously raw landscape, and involving two clashing cultures that were forced to coexist (sometimes peacefully, and unfortunately very often violently). It is a touching tale, and one that is quite heavy in subject matter, forcing us all to look closer at ourselves, our past, and our heroes. Hey, but on a much lighter note...we can look to this film to be a source of the classic pop song "That'll Be The Day" (via Buddy Holly & The Beatles)...which was taken from Wayne's trademark line.

3 out of 5 stars