The Searchers

John Ford Directs John Wayne to His Best Performance Ever

Continuing my education in the westerns of John Wayne (as those of you have read my review of "Rio Bravo") we come to an even greater western called "The Searchers." It is a beautifully filmed movie that was directed by the great John Ford, and it features John Wayne in what may very well have been his greatest onscreen performance as Ethan Edwards, a Civil War soldier coming home to a tenuous welcome. When his brother Aaron (Walter Coy) and his family are massacred by Comanche Indians, he sets off on a mission of both revenge and rescue, as he soon discovers the possibility that his nieces may still be alive. Along with him on this journey are the Texas Rangers led by the Reverend Captain Samuel Clayton (Ward Bond), and a step-nephew named Marty (Jeffrey Hunter) who Ethan wants just about nothing to do with.

Like I said, this is a beautifully filmed western by John Ford, and this is the first of his films that I have ever seen. I can see why this is one of Steven Spielberg's all time favorite films, and I wonder if any of Ford's movies are as beautifully shot as this one. We get to see wide shots of the barren fields as they are soon covered by snowfall. Ford makes the passing of time seem all the more evident as we go from one season to another, and we feel the years passing these characters by as they refuse to give up. It gets to where we are as desperate as the lead characters to find the kidnapped children.

John Wayne has said that of all the roles he has played in movies, he considered Ethan Edwards from "The Searchers" to be his best. As a result, he later named a son of his Ethan in respectful homage to the picture. John is simply amazing here as a Confederate soldier who does not feel the need to swear an oath to Texas since his work as a soldier is more than enough. Ethan is not an entirely likable character, and neither Wayne or Ford try to hide the fact that he is a flat out racist, but you stay with him on this journey because you know without a doubt that he will be successful in the end.