After three long years, Ethan Edwards (John Wayne) returns home a veteran of the American Civil War, only to embark on a multiple year quest of revenge and retribution in hopes of finding his abducted nine-year old niece. Who’s responsible? Chief Scar (Henry Brandon) and his fellow Comanche, who have been seeking their own revenge for the murder of their people. A superb throwback to 1956 with this classic western movie.

Director: John Ford
Writers: Frank S. Nugent, Alan Le May
Starring: John Wayne, Jeffrey Hunter, Henry Brandon

Directed by John Ford and released to audiences in May 1956, The Searchers is widely regarded as one of the finest movies to hit out screens, irrespective of release date and genre that it finds itself in. The much loved John Wayne once stated that playing the character of Ethan Edwards in the flick was in his opinion, the best character he’d ever portrayed on-screen. An incredibly broad comment considering the actors stacked filmography.

Straight away, one of the most impressive aspects of The Searchers is its stunning and picturesque cinematography, set within the heart of the Arizona desert. The location, later identified as Monument Valley, has been frequently used in films of this nature, including several directed by John Ford. Surrounded by towering canyons and wide-open spaces, the setting provides a beautiful and effective backdrop throughout, allowing the viewer to truly appreciate the scenery on display.

Another major strength of the picture had to come in the way the filmmakers managed to convey some genuinely suspenseful and equally as frightening moments, especially in the early stages of the one-hundred and nineteen minute runtime. Though the viewer doesn’t see much action – in the traditional sense of the word – the after-effects of several events that occur are presented to us as being dramatic and equally as shocking at the same time. Something else to note would be the way in which the story was depicted over several years, not just days or weeks, like many westerns of this nature would. Despite the large jump in timeframe on more than one occasion, the story still manages to keep the viewer heavily invested.

In terms of the cast, John Wayne adopted the role of Ethan Edwards and was impressive as the lead, commanding the majority of screentime in the process. Elsewhere, Jeffrey Hunter starred as Martin Pawley, Ethan’s right-hand man, and as previously touched upon, Henry Brandon was tasked with the appointment of the character Chief Scar – the head of the Comanche. As with many western movies, there was an extensive support cast too, which featured the likes of Vera Miles, Natalie Wood, John Qualen, Olive Carey and many more.

On a whole, The Searchers is widely regarded as one of John Wayne’s finest accomplishments and one of the greatest westerns ever released and I’d struggle to argue against that. The flick still manages to hold up impressively, despite being seventy-years old.

“That’ll be the day…”

Ethan Edwards – The Searchers