The Searchers (John Ford, 1956)
No other western that I know of receives such mixed reviews as John Ford's 1956 epic tale of revenge and redemption. The Searchers has been called 'hokey' because of the comic elements...It's been said the movie is all 'over the place' and 'without focus'. It's been labeled 'hateful' and 'bloated'...But I liked it, as it's so much more than meets the eye.
Truly great cinematography isn't just pretty landscapes, it's knowing how to shoot those landscapes and John Ford knew how to shoot a landscape!
What makes the film is the dynamics between the psychological violence of Ethan (John Wayne) and Martin (Jeffery Hunter) on their epic five year man hunt. We don't see the settlers being massacred and we don't see their dead mutilated bodies, we don't need to. What we do see is John Wayne's horrified reaction to what he's witnessed. Ethan has seen something so grisly that he doesn't want the young Martin to see it. That reaction scene is much more effective than a scene of an arrow through a settlers throat. The greatest moment in the film is when John Wayne comes back from a mountain pass after having found the oldest girl dead and violated. His reaction to Jeffery Hunter's question about what he's seen is one of the most emotionally powerful scenes I've watched...and we the viewer don't see a thing. It's John Wayne's that convinces us by his rage at what he had witnessed.
Balancing this violence during the hunt for the younger captive girl, is the scenes of hearth and home which John Ford is so famous for. And that's why we see lighter comic elements, including a wedding party. As that reminds us that life still goes on at home, whilst the two men keep hunting for their adversary abroad. They're missing out on life and love, having traded everything for vengeance.
But what truly makes The Searchers great is the redemption of John Wayne's character. At the start of the film he's so full of hatred towards Native American Indians that his plan is to find the captive settler girl and kill her. In his mind he'll be sparing her from becoming like his hated adversaries. It's a strong performance from John Wayne, one of his best and his character is not likable. In fact Wayne's character is much more the protagonist, than the Indian Chief is...that then makes the final scene so emotional rewarding.
Truly great cinematography isn't just pretty landscapes, it's knowing how to shoot those landscapes and John Ford knew how to shoot a landscape!
What makes the film is the dynamics between the psychological violence of Ethan (John Wayne) and Martin (Jeffery Hunter) on their epic five year man hunt. We don't see the settlers being massacred and we don't see their dead mutilated bodies, we don't need to. What we do see is John Wayne's horrified reaction to what he's witnessed. Ethan has seen something so grisly that he doesn't want the young Martin to see it. That reaction scene is much more effective than a scene of an arrow through a settlers throat. The greatest moment in the film is when John Wayne comes back from a mountain pass after having found the oldest girl dead and violated. His reaction to Jeffery Hunter's question about what he's seen is one of the most emotionally powerful scenes I've watched...and we the viewer don't see a thing. It's John Wayne's that convinces us by his rage at what he had witnessed.
Balancing this violence during the hunt for the younger captive girl, is the scenes of hearth and home which John Ford is so famous for. And that's why we see lighter comic elements, including a wedding party. As that reminds us that life still goes on at home, whilst the two men keep hunting for their adversary abroad. They're missing out on life and love, having traded everything for vengeance.
But what truly makes The Searchers great is the redemption of John Wayne's character. At the start of the film he's so full of hatred towards Native American Indians that his plan is to find the captive settler girl and kill her. In his mind he'll be sparing her from becoming like his hated adversaries. It's a strong performance from John Wayne, one of his best and his character is not likable. In fact Wayne's character is much more the protagonist, than the Indian Chief is...that then makes the final scene so emotional rewarding.