Hailed by “Sight and Sound” as one of the ten greatest films ever made, “The Searchers” is both a beautiful and haunting Western. Gorgeously capturing the scope of the west through portrait-like cinematography, John Ford showed his affinity for natural beauty.
George Lucas cited the visual poetry of “The Searchers” as a major influence on “Star Wars,” and pays homage to the film when Luke discovers the destruction of the Lars Homestead in “A New Hope.”
The film’s frank depiction of the genocide of Native Americans does not romanticize history, and John Wayne’s psychopathic character is a distinct departure from the heroic roles he’s known for.
Civil War veteran Ethan Edwards (Wayne) looks to retire to his family home with his brother Aaron (Walter Coy). However, the homestead is suddenly attacked, and while both Aaron and his wife, Martha (Dorothy Jordan), perish, Ethan suspects that his eight-year-old niece Debbie (Lana Wood) has been abducted by Comanche.
Ethan’s adopted nephew, Martin (Jeffrey Hunter), helps him lead a search party, but the grizzled former Confederate uses the quest to fuel his bloodlust and bigotry. Martin’s mixed race heritage creates additional tension between the two.
The searing incitement of cyclical violence in “The Searchers” is explicit, as Ethan is enraged when he learns that an older Debbie (Natalie Wood) has joined a Comanche tribe.
“The Searchers” has ambiguous themes that invite analysis; given Ethan’s attachment to Debbie, who he bestows his medals to, it’s possible that she is in fact his daughter through infidelity.