The Searchers (1956)

Film: The Searchers

Director: John Ford

Country: USA

Released: May 1956

Runtime: 119 minutes

Genre: Western

Studio: Warner Bros

Influenced: Sergio Leone, David Lean, George Lucas, Clint Eastwood, Jane Campion

So pleasing to return to directors covered much earlier in this blog and find that, even in later life, they were still producing masterpieces. What's so interesting about masters like Carl Theodor Dreyer and John Ford is how their best films always returned to the same themes – in Dreyer's case, faith and religion (Passion de Jeanne d'Arc and Ordet) and in Ford's case, vengeance, immigration and community-building in the American West (Stagecoach and The Searchers). Based on a novel by Alan Le May, The Searchers tells the story of Ethan Edwards (John Wayne), a former Confederate soldier who embarks on a quest to find his niece Debbie (Natalie Wood), who has been kidnapped by a group of Comanche Indians.

Fundamental themes in the film include immigration and racism, the maddening effect of revenge on the human mind and the clash of cultures in the American West. Through the character of Ethan Edwards, the film portrays a complex antihero consumed by his desire for revenge against the Comanche tribe, whom he sees as his mortal enemies. The Searchers is one of the first films to explore the complex psychology of an antihero in the Western genre, and this theme has influenced numerous films since its release. As the film progresses, Ethan's single-minded pursuit of Debbie becomes increasingly violent and destructive, causing those around him (and the audience) to question his motivations and sanity.

One of Ford's key technical innovations in The Searchers is the way he uses landscape and the vastness of the American West to create a sense of isolation and despair. The film features stunning panoramic shots of Monument Valley, a region of the Navajo Nation near the Utah-Arizona border that has become synonymous with the Western genre. The use of long shots and wide lenses, as well as the contrast between the barren landscape and the characters' faces, creates a feeling of emptiness and despair that underscores the film's themes of loss and community displacement.

Another technical innovation of The Searchers is its full embrace of Technicolour cinematography, which was still in its infancy at the time of the film's release. Right from the opening scene, we can see how Ford's use of Technicolour allowed him to create a vivid and immersive visual experience, particularly in the film's many outdoor episodes. For me, though, the film's greatest legacy is the moral ambiguity of its characters and the brave way that Ford tackled difficult issues about racism, revenge and community head on, revolutionising the western genre (not for the first time) in the process.