The Searchers (1956)

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The Searchers (1956)

6/10

Starring

John Wayne

Jeffrey Hunter

Vera Miles

Ward Bond

Natalie Wood

Directed by John Ford

Known to be the best cowboy movie ever, The Searchers displays John Wayne at his best as he plays an anti-hero in his search and rescue of his kidnapped niece.

The Searchers is a diehard movie, where the lead characters, search for 5 years for their kidnapped little girl.

The idea of cowboys chasing Indians across the desert for revenge is something many will find quite tasteful not to miss. The movie’s high was John Wayne himself, his anti-hero character and his tough man carriage was very convincing; there was a point when I wish he got shot, then he did and I was happy.

The movie’s low to me is the King of Kings 1961 actor Jeffrey Hunter. The movie is filled with pranks that will make you giggle. The movie was shot majorly outside in a desert terrain, which after a while I got tired of seeing.

The Movie plot was set in 1868 and it features Ethan Edwards (John Wayne) who is just returning from the American Civil War, in which he fought for the Confederacy.

He decided to move in with his brother, but things changed when Ethan’s brother was raided by Comanches and the whole family was killed and the little girl Debbie was kidnapped. Now enraged Ethan decides to hunt down the Comanche that took his niece and with him was his 1/8 Indian nephew whom he dislikes.

The search for Debbie went on for 5 years, till one day Ethan and Martin found her, but she had grown and Scar the Comanche chief who took her was also not ready to let go of his prize.

John Wayne is typecast to Western films which led him to wining an Academy Award for the movie True Grit 1969.

The Searches received critical acclaim and was a box office success but it got no Academy award nomination. The movie is ranked 12^th in the American Film Institute 100 movies….100 years and the British Film Institute ranks it 7^th in their sight and sound survey of best movies of all times.

The Movie is directed by 12 time Academy Award winner four of which was for Best Director, John Ford. Ford is an excellent director and his gift can be seen in the way the movie goes and his way of direction.

The fun I had watching The Searchers was trying to figure out the loss ends, the way Ethan looked at his brother’s wife suggested that there might be something going on. Also there is the time when Martin (Jeffrey Hunter) accidentally buys a Comanche wife and we find her with Scar the Comanche who is believed to have kidnapped Debbie.

Well the movie is fun to watch and I do recommend it for all western lovers.