TCM the Essentials with Brad Bird "The Searchers" (1956)

[@markswayn2628]

The cause of Ethan's racism becomes more understandable when you look closely at the scene when Scar finds Debbie in the graveyard. She's sitting in front of Ethan's parents' graves, with his mother's epitaph clearly saying, "Killed by Comanches". It looks like his father's grave has the same date, so it points to a massacre. The irony is that like the dead Commanche warrior he shot, Ethan is destined to never find contentment and will be forever blown by the winds.

[@shangpush]

These guys are definitely movie people. They overlook many elements. Much of what makes The Searchers great is the screenplay . . . the narrative. It has the existentialism of a French novel. So much foreshadowing, so much psychology, so much "arc" in the characters' development. The transformation of Martin from "boy" to a "guardian" like Ethan, albeit without his dark side. The oedipal conflict between them ie "Aunt Martha." The fact that Martin's love interest even looks like Aunt Martha! The picaresque aspect of their quest as we see the West from many angles. We are on the edge of our seats until the end. But they are right: the audience leaves full and paradoxically, emotionally drained. For those who have seen The Searchers once, watch it again. You'll have many "oh, that's why" moments. And tears. A masterpiece.

[@michaelhuck]

When I watched this movie the first time I was a teenager and hated it so much I stopped watching after the first 45 minutes. Later I wondered that so many of my friends had such a high regard for this movie and with 55 I finally bought it on dvd and watched it and was blown away. I have no idea how many times I´ve watched it since, sometimes twice a week. I always considered Wayne a good and a great actor who took his work extremely serious and this part is certainly the best he ever had as an actor. My favorite Wayne-Ford picture still is "Donovan´s Reef" because this is such a beautiful movie with so many great characters but The Searchers certainly is one of the greatest pictures ever.

[@nickmitsialis]

Many folks think Ethan Edwards was the role that should have won Wayne the Oscar. That being said, the first time I saw this movie and fully understood it was in 1982, when I was in college in Greece (Tuesday night was 'Western Movie Night). The next day, on campus, my mates & I all commented what an absolute SOB Ethan Edwards was--very uncharacteristic of Wayne's traditional image.

[@jameswiglesworth5004]

Why did you not like it as a teenager, I first saw it aged 12 and was blown away by it, still am aged 70, however it has lost some of it's impact with the passing of time and I would now say Wayne's greatest film is "The Shootist"

[@michaelhuck]

@@jameswiglesworth5004 I was used to see Wayne in movies like El Dorado, Rio Bravo, Hatari! and I just could not stand all that hate. Later I understood as Mr Hitchcock always said "It´s only a movie!" and I realized what a damn good actor Wayne is, especially in The Searchers. Or to make it clear, when I was a teenager I obviously was too stupid to realize what a great movie this is. It´s the same with a lot of movies. The first time I watched "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" I did not like it at all, now I think it is hilarious. I think when I grew older I just looked at movies in a different way. There are so many things you just don´t get when you watch them the first time. Just watched The Fast and the Furious and then re-watched it with directors comment. When I watched it without comment I did not realize the Stageoach-homage at the beginning, only when Cohen told so I understood. It is so great to have now all those movies with making ofs and comments and I think there just are some movies you have to watch more than once to really like them.

[@atm1919]

I accidentally came across this movie, when I was 8 or 9 when I was home sick from school. I had seen all of John Wayne's classic westerns (including true grit) I saw John waynes name on the vhs box and I figured I'd give it a try. I put it in and as soon as I finished it, I rewound the movie and watched it again. I couldn't believe how good it was and how I'd never seen it. I guess my parents thought it was too adult for me at the time, I'm thankful I took a gamble on it

[@TheSaltydog07]

You can't step into the same movie twice. The film did not change. You did.

[@WilliamSilva-ml5nw]

A great western... John Wayne's greatest performance on screen!!!

[@devinhapanovich8428]

1st time I watched it late at night 14 years old couldn’t sleep all night…..what a film!

[@williamsnyder5616]

It was almost 67 years when I saw ''The Searchers'' in a little third-run house in Wyoming, MI. I was eight years old then and easily frightened. And so I was scared tol death of a scene when the family waits in their home for the Indians to attack. There was eerie orange lighting in the backgroundas if anticipating the attack. I've seen the scene many times and I still feel for the family.

[@Joemckenzie-85]

I love The Searchers and The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance

[@tracyleesmith5340]

i think its the Dukes best movie ,from start to finish its a masterpiece

[@wimsele]

As an audience, when you know that Debbie secretly is Ethan's illegitimate daughter (and his brother's wife is the mother) things change when viewing this film.

[@RestlessNative987]

What? You’re a genius. I’ve seen this movie 25ish times and you say what? John Ford man, keeps on surprising me year after year

[@TheSaltydog07]

With all due respect to Ben, I miss Robert. ❤

[@scottsmith6631]

I've been a movie and westerns fan my whole life. Thought I had seen them all. A friend had this movie on DVD a few years back and we watched it one afternoon. Ford had a way of getting the best performances out of John Wayne. I was blown away by the movie and Wayne's performance. Ethan is the 'anti-hero'. Violent, racist and angry, but redeems himself in the end. America was tired of the good guy wearing the white hat, especially after WWII. Clint Eastwood has made a spectacular career out of playing the anti-hero. Blondie, Josie Wales, William Munny and even Harry Callahan were all anti-heroes. Those characters spoke volumes to a jaded, post-Vietnam America.

[@waynemcauliffe2362]

My favorite Western

[@renaissancemarinetv3536]

these guys get it...to a degree.

[@peterpellechia5985]

John Wayne had quite a few great performances

[@ianmorrisonmovienutcase5713]

I personally think the reason Ethan doesn’t go in with Debbie and the family at the end is because he’s ashamed of himself that he was about to kill his niece. He knows he doesn’t deserve to go in. He feels he deserves to only be alone and he isolates himself.

[@peterpellechia5985]

The searchers is the greatest western of all time!!!

[@gaylecheung3087]

I saw this movie is it in the late 60s early 70s or public definitely the 80s I loved it ever since and I always look forward to watching it it is one of my favourite movies

[@leeturton9254]

Visually it's so beautiful so interesting...you can see why kurosawa was so influenced by ford..ran is a perfect example another movie with very artful camera work

[@karlzimmerman1833]

The Searchers is one of the great films, but I think Wayne's performance in She Wore a Yellow Ribbon was his best acting job, especially the scene where he chokes up during his retirement ceremony. As an ex-military officer, I appreciate the pacifist message. Interesting that no Indians die in this film--only whites.

[@thatamerican3187]

I'm going to tell you what the Searchers is all about. It's about one man through one act redeeming himself for all the bad shiznit he has done.

[@charlie-obrien]

Yes, and that man is America.

[@thatamerican3187]

@@charlie-obrien Dude seek help//

[@charlie-obrien]

@@thatamerican3187 I prefer Dude, duder or even El Duderino if your not into that whole brevity thing. BTW, I wasn't referring to you. This was Ford's summation on the Settlers and white Americans and their treatment of the Native Americans, whom he came to know quite well after working with them over so many years.

[@ToddSauve]

I think that John Ford, having been in the Pacific theatre of operations during WW2, must have been exposed to many soldiers of the type that John Wayne portrayed in "The Searchers." Many veterans had a very hard time fitting back into the world they had known prior to the war. There weren't that many films that portrayed these type of characters accurately, except for the 1930s gangster films and they became a parody of themselves as time went by. And John Ford was a hard boiled person himself, especially after WW2, so this may have been a bit autobiographical for him. John Wayne is quoted as saying that a scorpion bit John Ford during the filming of this Western--and the scorpion died! 🤔😮🤨😠

[@davidmacnamara8595]

This and good the bad and the ugly best westerns ever

[@hennagaijin100]

Once Upon A Time In The West

[@a.r.t93]

I like DeMilles "The Plainsman"

[@peterpellechia5985]

He had alot more great performances than red river and the searchers

[@jameshorton7496]

Wonder how this movie would've turned out if they had gone by Alan LeMays book. I read it a few years back and in it, Ethan is killed in the attack on the village.

[@63002]

Great movie. Lefties make me laugh. Ben is no robert Osborne

[@johnfrei9057]

John Wayne’s racism? You’re confusing the actor with the role they played.

[@francesbass1322]

Right John Wayne, himself, did a great deal for Native Americans especially helped them be the actual ones in the movies through his own production company. He married at least Two Spanish women. He had many friends who were not white and helped Spanish actors too. It is said he’s racist because of a rolling stone interview where he said two things that were not racist. He said in his opinion the Native Americans were selfish because there was enough for everyone and that he thought since blacks had been held back in education that they should get educated before holding a government political position. Of course I can say anything in this day and time and it be turned into racism. Neither statement is demeaning to either. Well people say all of the time whites were selfish for coming here. I could say that’s racist. Out of over 2000 tribes most Native Americans got along with the Europeans. And there were tribes like the Comanche who were brutal to everyone including other tribes.

[@alberg6290]

besides excellent cinematography vastly overrated -----Ford made 10 movies better than this mess

[@MichaelTelman-we5dm]

I think it's kind of corny,but it's so influential.

[@mypalfootfoot9591]

I guess you have to like John Wayne to believe this is one of the best westerns. I don't!