The Searchers (1956) ****

An epic saga of obsession and revenge, John Ford's The Searchers has been hailed one of the greatest westerns in cinema history. While the mantle of "best western" will never be definitive, I can safely say it's my candidate for that contested title. The plot is relatively simple: Ethan Edwards (John Wayne) returns home to his brother's family only for tragedy to strike. Everyone is slaughtered and he sets out, along with Martin Pawley (Jeffrey Hunter, Star Trek's Captain Christopher Pike), a one-eighth Cherokee orphan rescued by Ethan and raised by his brother and sister-in-law, to rescue his youngest niece from the Comanche raiding party. As the years pass and Ethan and Martin forge a slowly deepening bond, it becomes more and more apparent that Debbie (Lana and Natalie Wood, young and older respectively) may not still be alive, or if she is, then has become so connected with the Comanche that Ethan would rather kill her than bring her home as he originally set out to do. The film is a powerful exploration of hate and racism and ultimately shows that the bonds of familial love can overcome any prejudice, no matter how deeply rooted in a person's soul.

John Wayne excels in the role of Ethan Edwards, a loner who never settled down and whose closest ties lies with his brother's family. He is a hardened man who hates all Native Americans with a passion, most likely due to the fact that his own mother was killed by Comanche. He even looks down upon Martin, a boy he saved and brought home, as being less than human despite the fact he grew up with his nieces and nephew and refers to him as "Uncle Ethan". The manner in which Ethan dotes upon the children when he first returns home shows he practically considers them like his own. He holds a particularly special place in his heart for Martha (Dorothy Jordan), his brother's wife, who it is hinted that the two may have cared for one another more than simply as in-laws. His demeanor changes as soon as he sees Martin, and he clearly does not hold the same affection for him as he does for the other children. The tranquil family scenes serve to highlight the truly harrowing nature of the Comanche attack that occurs the next day and provides an understanding for the seething rage which drives Ethan's quest as the years pass and hope becomes bleaker that Debbie will be found.

The deaths of Martha and Lucy (Pippa Scott) and the manner in which they are killed have a profound effect on Ethan and only serve to strengthen his resolve to continue the search for Debbie even after the rest of the search party return home. The violence is rarely shown and the terrifying state in which Martha and Lucy are killed is never discussed and the audience is told all they need to know through Ethan's reactions. This is a man where the hate has built up to staggering proportions over the years and there are several instances where his professional and detached behavior give way to bouts of irrational anger and violent action. He can be friendly and glib one minute but his attitude can change in a flash. Wayne's portrayal elevates this seemingly detestable man into someone the audience can understand and hope for and it is mostly done with no dialogue and shots of Wayne's reactions. Ethan Edwards was considered by Wayne to be the best character he ever played, even naming one of his sons Ethan. It is certainly one of the most emotionally invested portrayals even seen on the screen and it's a constant reminder than he is not playing the gallant and honorable hero riding in to save the day. Ethan Edwards is a man to be watched and feared as he could easily turn against someone at a moment's notice.

There are lighter moments and they usually come at the expense of Martin who makes the unlikeliest sidekick for a man who detests Native Americans. Martin sticks by Ethan's side because he is the best person to track down the Comanche holding Debbie, who he considers to be his sister. Ethan tolerates Martin being with him because it would be next to impossible to tangle with the Comanche alone should he catch up with them. Despite the lack of affection and camaraderie between the two, the time spent between them slowly starts to thaw the tension and Ethan can even act more casual around Martin as opposed to when he first saw him again at the family dinner. The fact of the matter is with everyone else dead and Debbie with the Comanche, Martin is the closest thing to kin that Ethan has. When he offers him the opportunity to run cattle with Jorgensen (John Qualen), it could be construed that he simply doesn't want Martin around anymore. He berates him for his lack of assets and the fact that he's not kin to Debbie or him or any of the ones who were killed. Before Martin goes to sleep he starts to say something before he's cut off. Later Martin rejoins Ethan and they're back to working together as before, no hostility or resentment apparent. It's possible he wanted Martin to stay behind and out of danger since he's made it clear he will never give up the search.

Even when given the opportunity to settle down with Laurie (Vera Miles), who he's been going steady with since he was three, Martin considers it imperative that he continue on with Ethan. He's worried what Ethan will do to her once he does find her since she has spent so much time with the Comanche. When Martin and Ethan do come across a piece of the war party than raided the Edwards' home, the white captives are in shock and nonsensical and it's a thoroughly distressing sight for Ethan as he can imagine Debbie in a similar state. Once Debbie is found, she claims that the Comanche are her people now and that Ethan and Martin should go before they are killed as Scar (Henry Brandon) has recognized them and knows what they have come for. Ethan is ready to kill Debbie without a second thought, but Martin places himself in the line of fire. Had this been all those years before, right after Debbie was taken, it's quite possible Ethan would have shot through Martin. Truth of the matter is the two have forged a bond which is later reinforced when Ethan bequeaths all his assets to Martin, a formal recognition of kinship. It's this bond with Martin that ultimately reminds him of his love for Debbie so he cannot bring himself to kill her when he has the chance. In one of cinema's most classic images, he returns her home and watches everyone else enter the Jorgensen household before he turns back out to the desert, where he belongs, with the door closing behind him.

Favorite moment: The raid on the Edwards' home is a tension-filled sequence and one of the most frightening which is considerable since no violence is actually shown. Upon realization that the running off of cattle was a distraction, everyone sets back home before the Comanche can strike. The distraught look on Ethan's face conveys the horror he feels about the safety of his brother and his family. Martha and Aaron (Walter Coy) figure out early on what is about to happen and they communicate silently so as not to upset the children. Debbie is sent to hide and we see a shadow cast over her by Scar before the film cuts to the next day. An effective use of suspense and foreshadow makes for one of the most effective sequences in the film and sets up Scar as a cold-hearted villain who Ethan and Martin must follow to the ends of the earth, to rescue Debbie and avenge their family.