The Searchers (1956)
John Ford teams up with John Wayne once again for this Western that while not nominated for any academy awards has since been rated as one best Western of all time by the American Film Institute. Civil War veteran John Wayne returns home to visit his brother's family who are shortly all killed in a Comanche attack apart from his young niece who is kidnapped.
The Western and the United States in general have a poor history of relations with Native Americans and in this film we have a study of the racism and revenge that drove that part of history. For once John Wayne actually plays a flawed character in the heavily bigoted veteran who despite his apparent knowledge of Comanche culture and language wants nothing more than to wipe out as many as possible, even his own niece once she has spent too much time living with them. Not only do we have to think about the historic issue of race depicted in the film but we should also remember this was made at a time when the Civil Rights movement was just starting in the US.
While the issue of racism is one of the main themes of the film it is not over bearing and there are still some subtle issues to pick up on line the possible relationship between Wayne's character and his brothers wife. As always Monument Valley provides an excellent back drop for Ford and there are some nice snow scenes that help show the progress of time in a plot that spans five years. Maybe some of the comedic elements are slightly out of place but they do not stick out and over all this is a really good film.
5/5 one of the most thoughtful Westerns of it's era.
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