The Searchers / La Prisonnière du Désert

This film, directed by the legendary John Ford and starring John Wayne in the leading role, is a western that has achieved mythic proportions. Touted as one of the greatest westerns ever filmed, it is, I will grant you, an entertaining film. In it, John Wayne plays the anti-hero, Ethan Edwards, an ex-confederate soldier, who goes to Texas in 1868 to visit his brother and his family on their ranch. While visiting, a report of marauding Indians in adjacent land draws out the Texas Rangers, and Ethan joins them. When they discover that a decoy has been used to lure them away from the settlement, they hurry back, only to find that Ethan's family was massacred and his two nieces gone, taken captive by Comanche Indians.

Ethan goes to the rescue, joined by Martin Pawley (Jeffrey Hunter), a friend of the family who is himself part Indian. After a while, they discover that only the younger niece, Debbie, has survived. Their quest to bring Debbie back, or so Martin thinks, takes place over a period of five years. At some point along the way, Ethan's relentless quest for Debbie seems to undergo a transition from rescue mission to execution squad in the belief that it is better to be dead than to have "gone Injun".

The film suffers somewhat from revisionist history and its own stereotypic portrayal of Indians. They are portrayed as either savages or buffoons fit only to be the butt of jokes. Moreover, the character of Ethan is an enigma, as he changes from heartbroken uncle to death squad killer in his relentless search for his surviving niece. Ethan embodies hatred and racism, concepts that are tantalizingly laid out but never fully examined or explored, which is why Ethan remains an enigma.

Debbie, played as a child by Lana Wood and as a teenager by Lana's older sister, Natalie Wood, is a symbol from whom Ethan's character gets its raison d'etre. It is she who gives him the will to go on, whether it be for the right or wrong reasons is another issue. Natalie Wood is lovely as the older Debbie, though the makeup has to go, as it serves to take away from the rusticity of the film and jerk the viewer back to Hollywood. This was typical of films in those days. No matter what the situation, the women were always in full makeup.

Still, notwithstanding some of the film's political incorrectness and incongruent production values, it is still an entertaining film and about as good as westerns get. John Wayne is memorable as Ethan Edwards. Handsome Jeffrey Hunter gives an excellent performance as Martin Pawley. Ward Bond, as captain of the Texas Rangers, is terrific. The rest of the supporting cast give performances that vary in quality. Still, this film remains the quintessential western flick and one worth watching.

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