John Ford’s The Searchers is the classic western. It has everything a western needs and more. It’s set in the old west, under a beautiful blue sky and amazing red rock formations in the distance. There are plenty of cowboys riding around, indians they can justify shooting, fights to get into, and a girl that needs saving. And, of course, it stars John Wayne.
The year is 1868, and Ethan (Wayne) has just returned from the Civil War. He hopes to settle in peacefully with his brother’s family, including his nephew Martin (Jeffrey Hunter), who is ⅛ indian. Not long after his return, Comanche indians, led by Chief Scar, lure the men away from his family’s home and kill all but the youngest daughter, Debby. Ethan leads a band of men to track down the tribe and bring the girl home, but it proves to be too dangerous. The band falls to a duo, Ethan and stubborn young Martin. As time goes on, Martin senses Ethan’s dark hatred of the Indians and fears for Debby, who has been living assimilated with the tribe during all their searching.
There’s an amusing side plot, involving a young woman, Laurie (Vera Miles), waiting for Martin. She makes her feelings obvious and has had her heart set on him since they were small children. But in true cowboy fashion, Martin is not as clear about his affections. While he is out searching for Debby for years, he only sends one letter. Poor Laurie may not wait forever for him, and who knows what kind of reputation Martin will return with, if he returns at all.
After the film was over, I felt a little dumbfounded. There were dozens of questions racing through my mind. What can possess two men to search for one girl for over five years? Some interpret underlying secrets to fuel the searching; could Debby be Ethan’s daughter? Ethan has some extreme hatred toward the Indians that comes up before the murders and kidnapping, where did that come from? Is that connected to why it took him three years to return from the war? There seem to be half-hints along the way to a couple of these questions, but nothing to satisfy any real answers.
I’d also like to discuss my dissatisfaction with the ending, so here’s your spoiler alert, skip this paragraph. In one scene, didn’t Debby say she wanted to stay with the Indians? She even went as far as to call them her people. So what was with the sudden willingness to leave with Martin? And Ethan was ready to kill her when she refused to go earlier, he knew nothing of her sudden change of heart, how convenient that he has one too.
Now, don’t let my hang-ups on the plot/writing bring down the film. I was actually very impressed and happy to have finally seen it. The cinematography is splendid, making great use of the beautiful Monument Valley. The framing of the beginning and end shots were much appreciated. There were perfect moments where a beautiful shot, a swell of music really brought an impact on an important moment in the story. Both Hunter and Wayne put on a great performance that I could take seriously and become very involved in both of their characters. There is a good amount of action, as well as laughs and drama. The Searchers really is a great classic western that I have waited too long to see, and suggest everyone check it out.
“Injun will chase a thing till he thinks he’s chased it enough. Then he quits. Same way when he runs. Seems like he never learns there’s such a thing as a critter that’ll just keep comin’ on.”
Why did you soften your review at the end? You were right the first time, its not a very strong story. Yes, the cinematography is pretty good, but I don’t know if that’s enough to recommend it, despite its classic status.
Though I noticed a few issues in the story, it doesn’t mean it’s not an overall good movie. If it wasn’t a good movie, the issues probably wouldn’t have bothered me. Besides, everything else went above and beyond my expectations. I admit to not liking many westerns, but this had me more than interested and entertained the whole time. Gotta recommend it.
I refer you to my comment on “My Movie Year”–1956–in which I listed THE SEARCHERS as one of my best of that year. I never tire of watching it. You are absolutely right in pointing out story-line flaws; but, somehow, the cleverness of the script, the sub-plots, The great performances by Wayne and Hunter, and the cinematography overshadow any faults. And some great moments…Old Mose and his rocking chair, the sequence with “Look”, the scenes with Wayne’s son Patrick as the young officer, the wedding fight, shooting the eyes out of the Indian so his spirit would wander without rest (“you get it, Reverand”)…and John Wayne has never been more John Wayne than in this film. One of the absolutely great Westerns of all times!
You said it, Ken! I knew you were a fan, but wondered if you also noticed the flaws. Thanks so much for suggesting I review The Searchers, got a lot more from the ’50s and ’60s to go.
Not a perfect film (I know people who are really bothered by the fact that there is the occasional scene obviously shot on a sound stage in the middle of all the location shots), but I find it to be so powerful that I don’t really care.
I’m not sure Ethan Edwards’ hatred for Indians needs explanation. As Peter Bogdanovich pointed out in the DVD commentary, all of the things we see in the picture (white settlers shooting buffalo just because it will mean the Indians have less food, cavalry wiping out entire Indian villages including women and children) really happened. It is almost more surprising that Ethan, over the years, softens enough in his view of Martin to make the “half-breed” his heir. The more interesting question is how Ethan knows so much about the Indians that he hates so much.
Ford tended to avoid the “Indians = savages” dynamic of many Western films (Fort Apache, for one example, is very much about how wrong that view is), but this was the film where he really lays out that there was brutal savagery on both sides (it is Ethan Edwards who takes a scalp at the end, after all).
My interpretation of Debby’s original claim that the Comanche are now her people and she wants to stay with them is that it could be she’s just saying that to get Ethan and Martin to leave (so that they won’t be killed). But it’s not clear, and maybe it’s more than one thing. (Also, in that scene I tend to get distracted by the incredible amount of eye makeup Natalie Wood is wearing
).
And, yes, Debby could be Ethan’s daughter, and maybe he doesn’t even know, but I think the main point is that she is the daughter of the woman he loved, and one of the great pleasures of the movie is the way the love between Ethan and Martha is shown, always in silence with small gestures, and the great scene where they say their tender goodbyes as Ward Bond earnestly looks in the other direction, not wanting to see what he shouldn’t.