Title: The Searchers
Starring: John Wayne, Jeffrey Hunter, Vera Miles
Directed by: John Ford
Year: 1956
Number on the AFI List: 12
According to the AFI List, I should’ve
liked this movie a lot more than I did. Not saying that it was a bad movie- it
was shot beautifully, Ethan’s (John Wayne) character arch was
fantastic, and the story was compelling, but still, it wasn’t
my cup of tea. I’m still not a Western fan, even
with John Wayne as the leading man.
Ethan’s niece, Debbie, has been
kidnapped by Comanche Indians, led by their leader, Scar, after the Comanche’s
killed the rest of their family. Ethan sets out on an epic journey to find his nieces
with his nephew, Martin (Jeffrey Hunter), the only surviving relative. They face
hardship, hunger, and loss of humanity as they try to piece together where the
Comanche might be. Along the way, we meet Laurie (Vera Miles), the girl
who Martin should be engaged to if he would get his act together. They
provide a sense of family and support as Ethan and Martin go on their
journey together. Even when they finally find Debbie, Ethan has to decide if he wants to save her, or kill her (which provides a fantastic character journey for Ethan).
I will say, the comedic elements of this movie were
fantastic. So many little moments happen in the midst of the drama that
provided laughs. The “fight”
between Martin and Charlie was hysterical, and the reverend getting his behind
sewn up at the end of the movie was the icing on the cake. I especially loved
when Martin accidentally got married to a Native American woman.
Favorite scene: Laurie reading Martin's letter about accidentally getting married.
Will I watch it again: I won’t rush, but I won’t
say never.
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