THE SEARCHERS [1956] review

John Wayne is a Man. He may have been born in 1907, but he cuts a perfect form for starring in movies set in the 1800’s. There is no greater hero of the American West.

Such is the John Wayne we see throughout THE SEARCHERS, a hard man possessed of wisdom no others have, yet a man who is not incapable to yielding to reason. A Man so sure his ways are right, he allows others to give orders, only to show his wisdom when the others’ plans fail.

The movie starts out with Wayne returning from the Civil War, for some reason three years after it ended. Peace doesn’t stay long for him and almost immediately he takes upon himself a Herculean task: to find a kidnapped white girl taken by the Camanche. He is more than willing to do this alone, but grudgingly takes on a young partner who he should seemingly have more feelings for.

As always, John Ford shows great American western vistas. … My favorite shots, however, were when Ford uses door frames themselves to frame shots. … The score by Max Steiner is noticeable, but in a good way. The scenes are meant to be bold and dramatic, and the score punctuates that.

There was maybe a bit too much of the slapstick comedy for my taste that finds itself into movies of this genre, but there were also some good laughs.

I think to most people it would never occur to try and take the course of action Wayne’s character does at the end, for we are not of that time. The sense of honor nowadays is almost nonexistent and life is clung to far too desperately. THE SEARCHERS shows us that if a Man wanted to spend his life on any given day, the choice to do so might not necessarily even be his own. Yet not all lives are spent in vane, and honor and perseverance can bring peace.

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