R**D
Best Western of all time? Fifty years old and good enough for another fifty years!
I first saw this film as a young eighteen year-old Western aficionado on its first theatrical release to the English provinces in 1956. I came to it with great expectations fresh from reading Alan Le May's book of the same name. I came away knowing I'd seen a great film but I was disappointed on two counts first the search lasts for ten years in the book and second, Wayne's character Ethan is killed off in the penultimate battle with the Indians. In the subsequent years I've seen this film dozens of times and it never fails to amaze me that on each fresh viewing I never fail to notice something new!John Ford and John Wayne collaborated on several films most of them westerns. Although this was their first Western for six years since they completed the last of the Cavalry Trilogy RIO GRANDE (1950). As with the trilogy, Ford once again choose to shoot the most of the film in Monument Valley Utah, when using this his favourite location Ford became an acclaimed visual poet of the West. With Ford's "Western Director" to Wayne's "Western Star" they were unequalled in the making of Westerns producing an outstanding body of work between 1939 and 1962! Although THE SEARCHERS remained totally unrecognised by The Academy Awards for 1956. Fifty-odd years later it still stands at the top of the many peoples list as the greatest Western of all time. Also appearing in most if not all of The Greatest 100 Movies Of All Time Lists.Three years after the Civil War Ethan Edwards (John Wayne) a dark brooding mysterious character returns home to his brother Aaron (Walter Coy) homestead. Ethan takes his brother place on a posse led by Texas Ranger Rev. Capt. Samuel Johnston Clayton (Ward Bond) on the trail of a raiding party, coming across some slaughtered cattle they realise they've been lured away whilst the main Indian party attacked either the Edwards or Jorgensen Homesteads.The main body of the posse head back towards Jorgensen's place whilst Ethan along with Mose Harper (Hank Worden) rest their horses before heading back to the Edwards homestead, meanwhile Martin Pawley (Jeffrey Hunter) who had raised by the Edwards as their own raced on ahead against Ethan's advice. Arriving back at the smoking Edwards homestead their worse fears are founded, the two girls Lucy (Pippa Scott) and young Debbie (Lana Wood) have been taken captive and the rest killed. After the burial of his family a demented Ethan sets out after the Indians with a posse led by Captain Clayton. Following a skirmish with the Indians at the river, Clayton elects to take the wounded back home.Ethan reckons on going on alone but Martin and Brad Jorgensen (Harry Carey Jr.) insist on going too, not least because they fear what Ethan might do the girls. So the three (later two) searchers set out on the trail of the Indians for five long years a couple of trips back to the Jorgensen homestead when the trail was lost and twice pointed in the right direction by Shakespearian Fool Mose Harper, that leads to a band of Comanche led by a chief called Scar (Henry Brandon). At the camp they discover the older Debbie (Natalie Wood) dressed as an Indian girl of marriageable age. Will Ethan carry out his threat to kill her or will Martin be able to stop him?John Ford was the master of conveying terrible events to his audience through suggested violence, like the returning posse coming across the burnt out homestead with Martha's dress laying on the ground outside indicating the horrors that lay inside. Again when Ethan returns to Martin and Brad from finding Lucy's remains we just see the haunted look on his face as he plunges his knife in the earth to remove the Indian blood from the blade, all powerful stuff but left to our own imagination!And not only suggested violence but also suggested love too, hardly a word pass between Ethan and Martha but the viewer is left with little doubt of a passed tender relationship between the two. The long narrative is held together by a couple of visits back to the Jorgensen Homestead and a letter from Martin to Laurie, read out to one and all! Ford's ending of the film has turned out in the end to be one of the most iconic endings in movie history. How could I have been so presumptuous as to think anything else?This Two-Disc Special Edition includes new digital transfer from restored Vista Vision Picture with an introduction by Co-Star Patrick Wayne. Plus: The Searchers: An Appreciation and other extras. Don't miss John Ford's Masterpiece all at a bargain price from Amazon. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
G**E
The best Western of All Time??
I have an admission, as an avid, life-long film goer and watcher of every conceivable genre of Hollywood and way beyond, I had never actually seen this film before today.Looking at it now, 64 years (!) after it was first released, one needs to try and view it in its historical context - the portrayal of women and First Nation Americans at the time, for example, the technical limitations that they had, or the acting style that was considered normal or acceptable. Having said that, I alternated between thinking it was very corny and poorly acted and then thinking it was superb. Probably, it was a remarkable film for the time. It is dark and challenging, with the strong themes of vengeance, retribution and remorse. John Wayne, who frankly I was never really sure could act, certainly has a remarkable screen presence and gives a strong and nuanced performance. Jeffrey Hunter acts at breakneck speed and seems to want to speak his lines as quickly as possible but is a fine supporting role.This is an HD version of the movie, and looks beautiful. Colours and definition are amazing, given the film's age. Music is noteworthy and the sweeping cinematic vistas truly glorious. They say it is John Ford's best film and I think I would probably agree. It also is a remarkable film in that it embraces many plots and sub-plots and noted themes - unrequited love, vengeance, the return of the prodigal son, the pursuit. It's powerful stuff considering it was made in 1956.
A**S
Search out 2Disc edition
There is not much I can add to all that's been written & said about this classic Ford & Wayne western, with strong supporting cast & crew but I can say the 2 disc(2006) Warner Brothers edition(usually with red cover & Wayne + Monument Valley image) is well worth obtaining.On disc1 is the film in a stunning ,digital restoration of the Technicolor /Vistavision print, film ratio 1.85:1 widescreen.The audio is in mono but sounds clear. The film also has German & Spanish language versions with subtitles available in the 3 available languages +6 others. Theres an option to have the film introduced by Patrick Wayne who at fifteen played the slightly comic cavalryman in this film(& does it well).Disc1 also has a trailer & most importantly a good commentary by director/actor/John Ford biographer/all round 'film expert' ,Peter Bogdanovich.Disc2 has 4 short black & white 'behind the cameras' promotional features (available on some single disc issues)that were shown on U.S. TV when the film was released & are fascinating glimpses of that era & contain some good footage. There are two very good documentaries on the film (31 & 33mins) which have plenty of relevant information on the book, the filming, Wayne & Ford + much more & include unseen footage & all extras are also subtitled in a dozen languages.These docs' have input from directors Martin Scorcese,Curtis Hanson & John Milius.When this was released there were also single disc issues that had these extras listed on the misprinted cover, the disc actually just had the 'behind the scenes' segments & was was playable on both sides: 'widescreen' on one,4:3 ratio on the other .So will you regret spending those few extra pennies to get this 2disc edition?,as Wayne might say: "The hell you will".
D**.
Good quility
Good film
A**R
Searchers
Ageless.
L**I
Classic Western
John Ford (Director) and John Wayne joined up once more to bring to the big screen one of the most celebrated westerns ever made.The story centres on the John Wayne character with his young companion doggedly chasing down the Native American band that abducted a small girl after killing her family.The story is wonderfully shot, bringing amazing back drops of the beauty of the American west.I strongly recommend this for anyone wanting a story of faithfulness, love, and adventure that has survived the test of time.
A**E
Classic Western
As good as it gets.
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