John Ford’s The Searchers (1956) occupies an almost unrivalled position within the history of American cinema. Many film aficionados consider it one of the greatest films ever made, and it appears on numerous top-ten lists on Letterboxd and IMDb. The tendrils of its impact stretch into today. Even if, at times, it is not obvious to the average filmgoer.
Yes, it does offer an unsettling view on race, gender, violence, and national identity. Seventy years on, upon rewatch, these issues have become more pronounced, but one can’t help but think that it was subversive for its time to even broach these topics. On its surface, it is a Western, starring John Wayne in a fine performance as Ethan Edwards. He is the quintessential cowboy, but with an uncommon (for 1956) moral ambiguity.
The film follows Ethan Edwards (Wayne), a former Confederate soldier who returns to Texas and his brother’s estate after years of unexplained absence. It’s not long before the massacre of his brother’s family by Comanche warriors. Ethan embarks on an obsessive five-year search for his abducted niece Debbie (Natalie Wood), accompanied by his adopted, one-eighth Cherokee, nephew Martin Pawley (Jeffrey Hunter).
While this appears to follow the traditional structure of the Western quest, Ford gradually transforms the journey into an examination of obsession and moral corruption. Ethan increasingly becomes less interested in rescuing Debbie. His extreme focus turns to preventing her assimilation into Comanche society, declaring that she would be “better dead” than live as the wife of a Native American.
The Searchers does not celebrate the mythology of the American frontier. No, its importance stems from its flow of constant ambiguity. Ford exposes this, leading viewers to radically different interpretations. Robin Wood argues that Ethan represents “the dark side of the American hero”. Unlike the noble lawmen that dominated earlier Westerns, Ethan exists outside both civilisation and legality. He possesses extraordinary courage and intelligence. But these virtues are inseparable from his violent racism.
Visually, The Searchers remains one of the defining achievements of classical Hollywood cinematography. Ford’s use of Monument Valley transforms the landscape into its own character. The immense spaces are both beautifully free and ominously remote. Cultural critic Richard Slotkin argues that The Searchers exposes the destructive mythology of “regeneration through violence” that has historically shaped American identity. Ethan survives only by embracing perpetual conflict, leaving him incapable of participating in the peaceful domestic society his violence has defended.
The influence of The Searchers upon subsequent cinema is almost impossible to overstate. As a fellow movie watcher stated, “Wow, you can really see its influence in other movies.”
Travis Bickle from Taxi Driver (Scorsese) is one such example. An alienated veteran (this time of Vietnam) whose obsession blurs heroism and insanity, leading to a violent climax. Then there’s Star Wars, where the door scene is replicated, as is the narrative structure. Luke Skywalker’s discovery of his murdered family echoes the destruction of the Edwards homestead almost frame for frame. Steven Spielberg has likewise cited Ford’s framing in his movie Close Encounters of the Third Kind, but instead uses it as a threshold that separates civilisation from the unknown. And on and on the references throughout movie history continue.
Is the reason for the film’s endurance because it refuses to be ideologically simple? Ford is clearly very careful not to celebrate or dismantle the myth of the American West. Instead, his work is provocative; creating enough conflict to continue to provoke debate. It’s a deeply rich film. Like Ethan, the film is impossible to categorise. The film remains a rewarding experience to watch, and the new 4K UHD discs are a great way to do so.
Special Features
- Featurette: The Searchers: An Appreciation
- A Turning of the Earth: John Ford, John Wayne and The Searchers; 1998 Documentary Narrated by John Milius
- Introduction by John Wayne’s Son and The Searchers Co-Star Patrick Wayne
- Commentary by Director/John Ford Biographer Peter Bogdanovich
- Vintage Behind the Cameras Segments from the Warner Bros. Presents TV Series
- Theatrical Trailer
The Searchers is available now on 4K UHD.
