The Searchers

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.”

Stagecoach

After seeing John Ford’s Stagecoach, I don’t think I could ever complain about modern day travel.  Being stuck between two overweight businessmen on an airplane is a luxury compared to the wilds of the open west, even when the flight attendant passes you up for peanuts.  In the days of stagecoach travel, Ford shows us that there are no roads, just the bumpy plains, and no rest stops between towns to pick up any provisions or supplies.  The coach itself is cramped, anymore than three across each of the two seats is uncomfortable, and if a seventh passenger is picked up along the way he just has to sit on the floor.  When the wind picks up, dirt and dust will just fly in.  And if you have to cross Apache territories, just hope Geronimo isn’t leading them on a war path.

Just the idea of traveling on a Stagecoach is dramatic in itself, add in some interesting characters and you have yourself a hell of a movie.  This particular coach’s travelers include a frequently drunk doctor (Thomas Mitchell), a fat-cat banker who has taken off with his client’s money (Berton Churchill), a whiskey salesman (Donald Meek) and a Southern gambler (John Carradine) who joins in at the last minute with an idea of protecting the two women.  Dallas (Claire Trevor) is an ex-prostitute just run out of town and Mrs. Mallory (Louise Platt) is traveling to be with her cavalry officer husband.  Loud-mouth Buck (Andy Devine) drives the stagecoach and keeps Marshall Curley Wilcox (George Bancroft) by his side for protection in case of any attacks by the Apache Indians.  Along the way, they find the Ringo Kid (John Wayne) who has just escaped from jail and on his way to Lordsburg to get revenge on the Plummer boys who killed his brother and father.  Being a Marshall and knowing Ringo’s intentions, Wilcox has to arrest him and take him along their journey.

Throughout the journey, this rag-tag band of strangers must set their differences aside and work together.  When an unexpected medical emergency arises, the doctor must sober up and remember his calling.  After that, everyone knows the dangers of resting for a while, but don’t want to risk the health of their weakest passengers.  As romance between Dallas and the Kid grows, so does the worry over what will happen to him in Lordsburg, whether he lives or not.

The greatest moment in this film is the scene where the Apaches chase and attack the stagecoach.  I honestly wasn’t expecting a chase scene so exciting to occur in the middle of the desert.  The dramatic music mixed with the constant beating of hooves and gunfire is perfect.  Some of the camera angles are quite daring, especially showing the stagecoach drive right over the camera with Apaches on horseback following behind.  Though some of the techniques to make some of the horses fall and appear shot were cruel, it was very effective from a visual standpoint.  Every moment of that scene is pure gold, and gets us to hold our breath up to the very peak of the climax.

There are so many reasons to see Stagecoach.  It was the film Orson Welles watched over and over again while filming Citizen Kane.  I believe you’ll find many great details that cross over into Kane.  Besides seeing how it inspired other great films, I think Stagecoach can be considered one of the first road-trip movies.  Thinking about how it compares to more modern odysseys is some interesting food for thought, perhaps another post for another day.

“If there’s anything I don’t like, it’s driving a stagecoach through Apache country.”

The Alamo

In John Wayne’s directorial debut, The Alamo showcases the historic pivotal battle in 1836 against Santa Anna’s troops in the war for Texas independence fromMexico.  As General Sam Houston (Richard Boone) is in need of as much time as possible to muster enough troops to defeat the Mexican army, he orders Col. William Travis (Laurence Harvey) to defend the Alamo, a small mission blocking Anna from reaching Houston.  To help Travis, Jim Bowie (Richard Widmark) and Davy Crockett (John Wayne) arrive with their men ready to fight.  As the men wait at the Alamo, they watch the Mexican army grow larger and with more firepower than they could ever hope to hold back.  The decision becomes whether to flee or stay and die defending, and the men make the most honorable choice.

This film is done well from a visual standpoint.  The sets, costumes and props all look historically accurate and quite elaborate.  The large replica of the Alamo is absolutely wonderful and the small town set was reused in many later films.  The action scenes are invigorating and exciting.  From cannons blasting to bayonets stabbing, the violent action helps resonate the implications of this historic moment.

I believed what I was seeing, until the characters sucked the legendary history out of everything.  You see, I believed their story, their situation and never doubted their heroics.  I respected their honor and bravery as they decided to stay and fight.  But when not in battle, as real people -talking, having conversations and showing a fleshed out human side- they become childish, and not leaders crucial to Texas Independence.

Part of me hates to say this, but at times this film makes it feel like these men are in the middle of a fantasy cowboy camp hosted by John Wayne.  I want to, but it was hard for me to respect these men.  They had fistfights in the middle of the road for no reason.  There was not much order or structure and everything seems to be about being the manliest man there.  It felt like they were boys for two hours and men for forty minutes.  That’s not a good ratio, Duke.

Much of the time, there is a reverence missing from these men.  We hold the the tale of the Alamo as an important example of sacrifice, bravery and honor.  I understand these men are human, only human and will be imperfect.  But there was something missing from these characters.  I wanted them to make me feel like this was more important than just playing Cowboys and Indians.  Some of the leading characters explain how important this is, but it wasn’t shown well through most of the film, and that’s a huge fatal flaw.

John Wayne poured his own money into The Alamo and made it a real labor of love.  His goal was to bring to life a proud moment in American history about sacrifice for a greater good and standing firm against overwhelming odds.  In 1960, I think that went over well with audiences, but today, I don’t know if most of us can take it as seriously as Wayne wanted us to.  However, it still holds up as a great Western.

Simply put, if you’re a John Wayne fan or love westerns, maybe you will love The Alamo and should forget my harsh words.  But if you can’t stand shotty character development, petty moments fueled by excess cowboy testosterone or the thought of a real life hero like Davy Crockett reduced to the Duke, then skip it.  Mr. Wayne, thank you for the valiant effort in bringing an important piece of American history to life, but you look ridiculous.

“Step down off your high horse, Mister.  Ya don’t get lard less’n you boil a hog!”

True Grit

When Mattie Ross (Hailee Steinfeld) loses her father to a senseless gunfight, she steps up to take care of the arrangements for his body and to take vengeance on his murderer, Tom Chaney (Josh Brolin).  This girl is only fourteen, but with her father gone, she assumes the role as man of the house, and with damn true grit.  She can handle herself, sleeping in the same room as the corpses at the undertaker, and she can handle the men who underestimate her, bargaining like a pro until she gets what she deserves.  To track down Chaney, Mattie hires one-eyed Reuben J. “Rooster” Cogburn (Jeff Bridges), who is reputed to be the toughest U.S. Marshall around.  With his drinking and unruly behavior, Rooster wants to do the job alone, but stubborn Mattie insists on going with him out to the wild Indian territory.  Along the way, Texas Ranger LaBoeuf (Matt Damon) joins the hunt for Chaney and the three are tested to the edge of their grit.

Something I really noticed was the use of proper dialogue throughout the film.  It can be jarring at first, but feels like a Coen trademark.  Many times they have different dialects or speech patterns in their films (the strong Minnesota accent in Fargo, southern dialects in Oh Brother Where Art Thou?).  As I sat in the theater, I contemplated this idea of speech patterns, but realized that this proper speech was just making me listen more intently to the dialogue.  Perhaps that’s the purpose behind the types of speech, to perk our ears up.  That is so clever and simple.

I have yet to see the original True Grit, but according to my husband’s grandfather, this 2.0 version is much better.  He left the theater just beaming about the film, saying it was the best movie he had seen all year.  I’ve also heard from him and other sources that Bridges’ Rooster and Steinfeld’s Mattie are not taken at all from John Wayne or Kim Darby, but made their own darker characters closer to the book.  I seriously doubt Bridges would be competing for Best Actor right now if he had let a Wayne impression slip in occasionally.

The western has felt like a by-gone genera that was made for us to watch as little kids with our grandparents, but this seems to be the first great western for the twenty-first century.  The Coen brothers have resurrected the western from its old cowboys and Indians days into a darker, meatier film that can stand among today’s topics.  With some Coen deadpan laughs, classic western cinematography, a little blood and make little Mattie the toughest of the grit trio, you have got an amazing film.  Besides, who would have imagined sticking bad-ass Rooster Cogburn next to geeky Zuckerberg?

“If you would like to sleep in a coffin, it would be all right.”

If The Academy is looking to award the best resurrection of a by-gone genera, the Oscar for Best Picture will go to True Grit.

How the West Was Won

Do kids still play Cowboys and Indians today?  I’m guessing that game was at it’s peak around the early sixties with the abundance of Westerns in theaters throughout the fifties.  From what I remember, the game was basically the Indians making a bunch of noise and throwing pretend arrows or tomahawks at the cowboys who would eventually win by shooting the Indians with their pistols.  It was assumed, unless I decided to argue some history and yell, “Custer’s Last Stand!” that the cowboys were the good guys and would always win.  There are so many more interesting old west situations for kids to think up, maybe after seeing How the West Was Won kids became a little more creative with their games.

The story, narrated by Spencer Tracy, follows the Prescott family through fifty years in the old west.  Around the 1830’s the family sets westward on the Erie Canal and loses the mother and father when their raft gets into rapids.  From there, sisters Eve (Carroll Baker) and Lilly (Debbie Reynolds) split.  Eve marries Linus (James Stewart), a mountain man who has helped the family along the river, and sets up a farm where their parents are buried.  Meanwhile, Lilly continues westward, eventually landing in California to make and lose a fortune during the Gold Rush.  The Civil War brings tough choices to Eve and her boys.  Later, her son Zeb (George Peppard) becomes a Marshal trying to keep peace between the Indians and the men building a railroad right through their hunting grounds.

This film tries to be as big as all of the old west.  There’s pioneers, mountain men, cowboys, Indians, wagon trains, the Civil War, the Gold Rush, train bandits and a buffalo stampede.  Problem is it just feels like Hollywood just trying to make the biggest western ever and teach some history.  I don’t think they taught it too well, but giving John Wayne the role of General William Tecumseh Sherman will keep the kids from getting bored with their learning.

You might notice that the whole film looks like a panoramic postcard that got folded into thirds.  That’s because this is a Cinerama film, which was to be shown specifically at a Cinerama theater.  It was where three 35mm reels simultaneously projected onto a curved screen, like a non-digital IMAX of the 50s and 60s.  I’m sure it was a sight to see back then, but consequently, on all other mediums save for their specific screens there is that annoying “crease” where the separate films meet.  It’s a great idea, I was rather impressed reading about this idea, but the crease does take some getting used to.

I must say that the buffalo stampede is an amazing scene.  You will not believe how many buffalo are running around, I was completely gobsmacked.  And the angles of this captured on film are so daring, I wondered how many of their cameras were just trampled.  If epic westerns or stories of old western history don’t catch your attention, just skip straight to the stampede scene, crank up the stereo and watch it over and over.  It’s by far the best part of the film.

“This land has a name today, and is marked on maps. But, the names and the marks and the maps all had to be won, won from nature and from primitive man.”

The Longest Day

Many of my generation have grandfathers who served in WWII.  Each have their individual stories, whether they were in the Pacific, Europe or just waiting.  My Papa never talked about it, but he was one of the thousands of men who stormed the beaches of Normandy on D-Day.  Knowing that has always sent a sense of pride and a chill of reality whenever I see a film depicting that historic day.  The Longest Day chronicles the events just before and through the D-Day invasion.

Throughout the film, we are shown the events as they unfold from multiple perspectives.  There are British and American troops waiting anxiously on whether or not they will invade, some in the rain on cramped boats for days.  We see German officers more interested in their war games, not expecting the Allies to take the risk of invading in bad weather.  There is also the French resistance, waiting for codes over the radio.  From seeing each angle, the cause and effect is very clear and gives the viewer a wonderfully informed look at D-Day.

Sadly, to depict all angles of the invasion,the film sacrifices nearly all character development.  Though the film boasts its large cast with big name actors, there is not enough time spent with any one character to make him more than a flimsy caricature.  John Wayne, Henry Fonda, Sean Connery, Red Buttons, Richard Burton and Robert Mitchum are only a small fraction of the cast.  The main problem is that there are simply too many characters to show in this small space of time.  Directors Ken Annakin, Andrew Marton, Bernhard Wicki and Darryl F. Zanuck seemed to realize this might be a problem, so they tried to help us out by putting up each character’s name and rank as they are introduced in the beginning.  I applaud the effort, but there’s still too many to keep track.  One historical day, from multiple vantage points, boiled down to three hours of film can only show these characters as vague figures such as British paratrooper, American Private, German officer, and French civilian.

The visual aspect of The Longest Day is absolutely astounding.  The black and white cinematography and thought out camera angles bring out the perfect details of the many sets.  One image that sticks in my mind is the German slogans carved in a wooden beam in a building where German soldiers are shooting at the Allies from as they are moving into the town.  Multiple times we are shown aerial long-shots of soldiers moving up the beach or into towns.  These shots really reflect what a large scale this film was made on, how many nameless extras worked together with no CGI.  And the action scenes are filmed precisely, with real explosions sending dirt and smoke flying into the air, again with no fancy computer tricks.

I would suggest seeing The Longest Day if you are interested in an in depth view of D-Day from multiple perspectives.  While the individual stories are sub-par, the film does an excellent job of showing the cause and effect of each event throughout D-Day.  The classic actors aren’t shown enough to really draw a fan in.  I believe Henry Fonda has only one scene, and Sean Connery has less then five minutes of screen time.  Your fair-weather viewer would probably prefer Saving Private Ryan, with its modern effects, more heartfelt story and strictly American point of view.  However, film and history buffs should see The Longest Day, if not both.

“You remember it. Remember every bit of it, ’cause we are on the eve of a day that people are going to talk about long after we are dead and gone.”

The Quiet Man

The film stars John Wayne as ex-boxer Sean Thorton, who is returning from America to his home in Ireland.  His little town is nestled into the quaint countryside where men drink porter like water, everyone goes to church and lovely Mary Kate tends to sheep, among other duties.  At first, it’s odd to see Wayne in a tweed suit and cap instead of cowboy garb, but it grows on you after a while.  Besides, it’s nice to see him in a lush green setting rather than the dusty old west.

When Sean returns to his little Irish town, he sets his heart on the beautiful redhead Mary Kate Danaher (Maureen O’Hara).  Unfortunately, she’s the younger sister, and only woman in the house at the Danaher home, where local hot-head ‘Red’ Will Danaher (Victor McLaglen) and his brothers live.  You get the feeling that a woman is like a good appliance essential to a home, and that’s why Red won’t let Mary Kate go until he starts courting another woman.

As Sean and Mary Kate start courting, Sean becomes annoyed with the ridged customs.  The couple dresses up like they’re going to church, aren’t allowed to hold hands in the cart and when they walk, the cart follows right on their heels.  “I don’t get this,” Sean explains a little dismayed.  “Back in the States, I’d drive up, honk the horn, the gal’d come runnin’.”  When they find a moment to break free, it makes it all the more exciting with a heartfelt classical romance.

The real trouble brews just after Sean and Mary Kate are married.  At the reception, Red has too much to drink and asks his new girlfriend to marry him.  Like I said, he needs to replace the appliance and quick.  But he’s embarrassingly shot down, triggering his rage against Sean.  Red punches Sean, bringing back better left forgotten memories of the ring.  An even bigger blow to Mary Kate is when Sean refuses to hand over her treasures she’s saved to bring to her new home.  So here’s that last hurdle the film presents: Red won’t give up the money without a fight, Sean is afraid to fight because of his past and Mary Kate won’t have any peace until she gets her money back.

The last part of the film comes down to your basic Irish stereotypes coming to life.  It’s probably best to have a good stout in your hand while watching, otherwise it might be hard to tolerate.

I bet a lot of you have seen part of this film already without realizing it.  Remember when E.T. has had a few beers and is watching t.v while Elliot is at school setting the frogs loose?  That iconic kissing scene he watches that prompts Elliot to step on a kid to kiss the blond girl is the first kiss between Sean and Mary Kate.  Yay trivia!

This is more of an Irish tale than a classic John Wayne film.  If you’re really into Wayne only in cowboy mode, this might be odd for you at first, but I think you’ll be rallying with him by the end.

On a final note, I don’t care what decade or country you’re in, you don’t just yank a woman around by the wrist like a spoiled child in for a spanking.  “Mister, here’s a good stick to beat the lovely lady.”

The Long Voyage Home

This forgotten gem stars John Wayne.  Based on four one-act plays by Eugene O’Neill, the film follows the lives of the sailors aboard a freighter ship.  They’re comrades and stick together through thick and thin, but at sea, loneliness and of fear enemy submarines come between them and make them suspicious of each other.  When they’re not facing the troubles at sea, they’re having too good of a time on land.  The real tension comes when they need to make sure that Ole (Wayne) gets aboard his ship so he can go back home to Sweden.  They drunkenly run around town for “one more drink” and “just one dance” trying to live as much as they can before they’re cast back to the sea.  While Ole is waiting for his friends to have their fill, a man has been following them, trying to find one more man to sail on a famously dreaded ship, the Amindra.  Till the end, it’s a nail biter to see if Ole will get home or not.

Wayne fans will notice something very odd; he’s playing a Swedish man.  At first, Wayne was apprehensive to the role, thinking people would laugh at his attempt at a Swedish accent, but director John Ford talked him into it.  I’ll admit, it’s a little funny at first to hear Wayne’s cowboy voice say, “Ya, from Sveeden.”  But we’ve got to give him props for branching out, he does it well and we never laugh at him.  Maybe with him.

In my opinion, The Long Voyage Home only bows Rebecca in cinematography.  Shots are set up beautifully and leave a lasting impression of the film.  When a man is punched in the barroom, the camera is graceful as he stubles down the bar.  A man is killed in a lifeboat and covered with a tarp flapping in the wind is captured with surprising elegance.  We watch men approach their ship from under the boarding ramp.  It’s genius, beautiful and more sophisticated than I expected for 1940, but then, so is John Ford.

The Long Voyage Home is a good movie for guys.  They can join this band of shipmates as they drink, party and face hard times together.  Sorry, no quote today.