The Searchers

Rating:
Summary: The greatest Western ever, or the most overrated?
Review: I have nothing but the greatest admiration for John Ford and John Wayne. Several of their screen collaborations--Stagecoach, The Quiet Man, The Cavalry Trilogy, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance and even the late, genial comedy Donovan's Reef--have a justifiable place on the list of the world's greatest films. It is now common wisdom that The Searchers was the greatest of their collaborations, certainly the greatest Western ever made, and quite possibly the greatest film in any genre. I must regretfully dissent, even though I see what people admire about the film. Wayne's performance as Ethan Edwards may well be Exhibit A for the advocates of Wayne as a great actor, not just a screen icon (Stagecoach, Red River, The Quiet Man and The Shootist are also sterling examples of Wayne's artistry). The magnificent photography of Monument Valley, effectively dwarfing the human characters, is breathtaking, and the film's scenes of stark tragedy are unforgettable (I particularly remember Harry Carey Jr,'s suicidal ride into the Indian encampment). It is the film's comic relief that leaves me with a bitter taste in my mouth. There are exactly two intelligent characters in the entire movie: Ethan Edwards and Chief Scar. They are also by far the two meanest characters in the movie. They are surrounded by a bunch of well-meaning dolts who would stick out like a sore thumb in a Three Stooges short. The young lovers played by Jeffrey Hunter and Vera Miles are so abysmally stupid that we quickly cease to care about them. But Hunter and Miles are Einsteins compared with the third member of their love triangle, played so broadly by Ken Curtis that you want to belt him in the mouth every time he appears on screen. (That Miles can see anything in Curtis makes her character all the more unsympathetic.) These characters, representing what passes on the frontier for civilization, are completely unfunny and unlikable. While I realize that is Ford's point, it makes The Searchers very nearly unwatchable for me. The equation of nice=stupid and smart=mean in The Searchers goes beyond the annoying into the realms of the nihilistic. I might be a little cynical myself, but I flatly refuse to accept Ford's bitter vision in The Searchers.

Rating:
Summary: It Doesn't Get Any Better Than This.
Review: Unbelievably, I have just seen this film for the first time, which is an embarressing admission from someone who fancies themself something of a classic film buff. Westerns have never been my favorite, other than Roy Rogers shorts. I can usually watch them for about an hour, and then a dusty boredom starts to set in. But this film totally captivated me. The director Ford/star Wayne pairing was a famous collaboration, starting with "Stagecoach", another classic, in 1939. In this film, they both reach their peak. Though I grew up watching John Wayne movies, and had a kind of mildly amused understanding of his legend, I always got the impression he was just barreling his way through his roles. In this film, everything he was and represented comes together in a portrayal of steel determination, you DON'T mess with John Wayne. As the man on a mission to avenge the slaughter of his brother's family by "The Indians", and the search for his kidnapped little niece, his performance is totally enthralling. Jeffery Hunter, who was probably the prettiest of all the pretty boys (John Derek, Robert Wagner, Tony Curtis, etc....) that rose to stardom in the 1950's, convincingly plays the adopted part Indian nephew, who escaped the slaughter of Wayne's brother's family, and joins him on his search. Natalie Wood, though her role is small as the grown kidnapped "Debbie", never the less was a fitting choice for the sympathetic portrayal, as she was the 1950's girl that everyone wanted for a daughter. The supporting cast is a "Who's -Who" of great character actors. The famous cinematography totally lives up to it's legend, it's desert hues are breathtaking. And, the famous final shot, which I guess everyone in the world but myself has already seen, well, I choked watching it, not only because of the visual impact of that moment, but for the realization of the irretrievable passing of this kind of film, star, director...This is a wonderful movie experience, that has AMERICAN written all over it, and totally explains the fascination with and the exalted place in movie history of "The Duke."

Rating:
Summary: Great film, mediocre DVD
Review: Given the stature of this film, one would expect a better quality DVD. I can only hope that one will soon be made available. This is perhaps the greatest Western of all time. Wayne turns in his most compelling performance as the lone wolf, Ethan, forced to confront an old Indian nemesis, Scar. Ford sets Wayne against the backdrop of Monument Valley, as Ethan tracks down a teenage girl (Natalie Wood) who had been abducted by Scar. The film can be a little uneven but it tells a very intriguing story. Ford confronts racism and feelings of isolation, steering away for the most part from cliche images of the West. Edward Buscombe has written a fine piece on "The Searchers" for BFI Film Classics which is well worth reading as it fills you in on the making of film, offering notes on Ford's epic vision.

Rating:
Summary: The Searchers
Review: Viewing quality seems to be sat. Delivery time was good. CD case however is thin card board with Chinese writing. I can only hope this is not a "boot leg" copy. This was a used CD listed as band new unopened. Maybe its just my opinion, but I was disappointed to buy a classic CD of the Duke which was covered with orietal writing. Next time i'll buy new.

Rating:
Summary: Imitation widescreen presentation! How sad!!
Review: A fantastic movie and a true classic - and certainly one that really shines when presented in its true widescreen aspect ratio. That said, SHAME on Warner Brothers for butchering this issue with a "imitation" widescreen format (hence my 1-star rating). The packaging claims both Standard format and "matted" widescreen are on the dvd - the latter (at least for WB) means that they take the (already width-cropped) standard screen version and simply [take] huge strips off of the top and bottom of the picture to make the shape approximately 1:85:1 (so an HDTV format screen is filled, no doubt). The result is that when watching this "widescreen" version, one is seeing far less picture than even in the Standard format! I have verified this by comparing the two dvd sides (one standard, the other "widescreen") to one another and to a true widescreen tape that I have. Those reviewers that have been raving about this widescreen presentation, have a look at the standard format side of the disk to see more of the movie ;-)

Rating:
Summary: Overrated
Review: I was very anxious to watch this movie, because of its fine reputation. However, I was to be very dissapointed upon finishing viewing the movie. Uneven acting performances, some pretty bad dialogue, and a story that I just couldn't quite buy. As a result, I didn't really care about any of the characters. The portrayal of Native Americans just does not ring true, revisionist history or not. Some say that this movie has a positive message of anti-racism and anti-bigotry, but the movie's depiction of Native Americans suggest otherwise to me.

I'm not a big fan of John Wayne at all, as I think he is a one-dimensional actor. But he plays a much more interesting character in another of John Ford's movie, which I think is much better than "The Searchers". The movie I'm talking about is not a western, but a war picture - "They Were Expendable".

Rating:
Summary: outstanding western
Review: Well, Ethan Edwards, the loser ex Confederate officer knows all about fighting, the Indians, his tricks, the territory... So, you can suppose that if somewhat bad was to happen, he will achieve a triumph over all dangers. This uses to be in vulgar movies, but "The Searchers" is by nothing vulgar. For what? Well, the answers are several, the magnificent landscapes, the actors, but I think over all it's the story with Ethan's contradictory personality. At first he rides a lot to get to the ranch of his brother Aaron, but there's the case in these house exists a conflict by nothing unknown to him because Aaron's wife loves Ethan who feels he must pay his own brother for staying at the ranch and so, after a long wandering, he has to sleep scarcely only one night in the ranch. Certainly there's an apparently external powerful reason: the cattle stolen by the Indians. The reverend wants to recruit Aaron to prosecute them, however, Ethan imposes his hard character and he goes in the place of Aaron abandoning the ranch in a first search of the comanches, I think very possibly suspecting that really these are a stratagem of Scar, the Indian chief, as his nephew Martin Pawley also fears in spite of his inexperience. This suspicion accomplish in full, and while the ranch is without defence, Aaron, Martha, his son and a few later, his daughter Lucy are horribly killed by the Indians and so it begins the main part of the movie: the searching of the only survivor, the little Debbie. This takes years to do, a lot of penalties, enemies, heat, cold, hunger... and although Ethan and Martin get to find Debbie, these are a Pyrrhic victory because the girl is yet more a Comanche squaw than a white woman. The fight isn't by far a fairplay and the hate of Ethan toward the Comanches reach peaks of madness. The very end is also discomforting, and after the terrible search, Ethan ends out and alone as he began. Nobody needs yet his abilities and he's forgotten and more than possibly, as feared as loved by all. A magnificent movie and a masterpiece of all genres.

Rating:
Summary: Panoranic masterpiece
Review: I really enjoyed this movie, but was not sure why. After reading every review,I can say that it was all of the previously mentioned aspects, the cast, story and scenery played out in a gripping drama. It held your attention. I guess it helps to really like the cast.

Rating:
Summary: Great photography, uneven story
Review: "The Searchers" is about a five year hunt for a White girl (Natalie Wood) taken captive by Comanche raiders in 1868. John Wayne plays Ethan Edwards,a pitiless, obsessed, ex-confederate soldier who leads the search. "The Searchers" is considered Director John Ford's masterpiece and one of the top 100 movies ever made.

I like Wayne, Ford, and Westerns, but "The Searchers" is not one of my all-time favorites. Wayne made better movies: "Red River" and "True Grit" come to mind. And Ford made better movies: "My Darling Clementine," for example.

One reason to see "The Searchers" is the scenery. Ford loved Monument Valley in Arizona and Utah and the photography is awe-inspiring. Nearly every scene takes advantage of the magnificience of the natural scene. A second reason to see "The Searchers" is John Wayne. I've never seen a better image than Wayne's during an encounter with White women who have become Comanche. Without a word, his expression, shaded eyes, and three-day growth of beard convey absolute malevolence.

"The Searchers" is sporadically brilliant, but uneven. Scenes of low comedy spoil the mood created by Wayne's menacing character and Ford's fine photography.

Rating:
Summary: John Ford And John Wayne At Their Best
Review: John Wayne would be the first person to admit he was not a great actor and did so on many occasions. Even his most harshest critics though will admit that in THE SEARCHERS he turned in a very fine performance. His character Ethan Edwards is not the bad guy but neither is he the good guy. He is a complex mix of emotions that Wayne finely brings out.

THE SEARCHERS is a simple tale played out against the spectacular background of the Navajo Nation's Monument Valley. It is the story of two men's 6 year search for 2 of their child relatives who are kidnapped by indians. As the story unfolds it becomes apparent that each has a different motive; one wants to rescue them and the other wants to kill them. Under John Ford's direction it is a gripping , relentless story that unfolds quite naturally. There are scenes where two of three different conversations or things are happening on screen yet Ford manages to have them understandable. The scene of the arrival of the Rangers at the Edward's Ranch at the begining of the film is a masterpiece. A dozen or so characters are flying in and out of the Edward's dining room shouting here, talking there while in the middle of this storm Wayne and the Ranger captain are having a conversation crucial to the story's plot. It should be a disaster but Ford's controlled chaos works beautifully and everthing that is going on is quite clear. He also is a deft hand at subtle humor using it to defuse a scene that may be heading towards over sentimentality. Besides Wayne and Jeffrey Hunter the cast is filled out with a wealth of actors many of whom had worked with the director over the years and formed a sort of unofficial John Ford Repertory Company. The always great Ward Bond as the Texas Ranger leader the Reverand Clayton and Hank Worden as the the slightly out of touch with reality Mose Harper are but two of many standouts.

THE SEARCHERS is Ford and Wayne at their peak and is one of the true classics of the American cinema. You have it here on a small screen but if you ever have a chance to see on the big screen do go as it is quite an eyeful.