The Searchers

by Robbo

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Posted on 29 April 2021

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Rating -

The Searchers is a 1956 American western film directed by John Ford, based on the 1954 novel by Alan Le May, set during the Texas–Indian wars.

The searchers stars John Wayne as a middle-aged Civil War veteran Ethan Edwards who, after an 8 year absence returns home to his brothers ranch in West Texas.

Shortly after Ethan’s arrival, cattle belonging to his neighbour are stolen, and when Captain Clayton (Ward Bond) leads Ethan and a group of Rangers to recover them, they discover that the theft was a Comanche ploy to draw the men away from their families.

When they return, they find the Edwards homestead in flames. Ethan’s Brother, his Brothers wife, and their son are dead, and his Brothers daughters Debbie (Natalie Wood) and Lucy have been abducted.

After a brief funeral, the men set out in pursuit. When they find the Comanche camp, Ethan recommends a frontal attack, but Clayton insists on a stealth approach to avoid killing the hostages. The camp is deserted, and further along the trail, the men ride into an ambush.

Although they fend off the attack, the Rangers are left with too few men to fight the Indians effectively. They return home, leaving Ethan to continue his search for the girls with only Lucy’s fiancé, Brad Jorgensen (Harrey Carey Jr) and Debbie’s adopted brother, Martin Pawley (Jeffrey Hunter). Ethan finds Lucy brutally murdered and presumably raped in a canyon near the Comanche camp.

The rest of the film concerns Ethan and Martins attempts to find Debbie and they finally locate her in New Mexico living with a tribe of Comanche as one of the Chief, Scar’s wives.

You will have to watch the film to find out what happens.

The Searchers is my favourite western, widely considered the best western ever made.

The Searchers is a more intelligent western than most, it is beautifully shot with Monument Valley as a backdrop, and features some fantastic performances.

John Wayne gives a more mature performance playing a much darker, complex, multifaceted character than usual.

A man driven by grief and anger over the death of his family, who would go to the ends of the earth to seek revenge.

Jeffrey Hunter as the young, optimistic ,naive nephew nicely balances the darkness of Wayne’s character.

This is definitely on my top 10 list of favourite films.

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