• The Searchers

6/6/26 (Sat)

John Ford’s 1956 classic features John Wayne as a complex character whose obsessive hatred of the Comanche tribe recalls his self-destructive pursuit of revenge on his own disciple in Red River. The roots of his loathing are signaled in a gravestone revealing that his mother was murdered by the tribe – but the equally fanatical Scar, the head of the tribe, recalls that his children were killed by the white settlers. The cycle of vengeance thus continues unbroken.

Wayne is undoubtedly racist in his revulsion of all Comanche despite an evident familiarity with their language and customs. Upon finding the corpse of an unknown Comanche warrior, he shoots its eyes out so that its soul will “wander among the winds” without ever reaching paradise. Also, he disparages his brother’s adopted quarter-Cherokee son, and actively seeks to kill his now-grown-up niece (or, some critics speculate, possibly his daughter), who as a child was abducted by the Comanche and now considers herself more Native than white. It should be noted that both the whites and Comanche lovingly raised children from the other side, so the problem would seem more fear of the unknown than race per se. Still, critics harping on prejudice against Native Americans fail to see that the story here is strictly about Comanche, a fairly violent group who were not necessarily friends of other tribes. Lumping them all together as “Native Americans” seems rather, well, racist. The shot of the family’s home in the middle of those vast empty lands made me think that there must have been a way to share the continent.

Wayne has a beautiful act of redemption at the end in the quietly powerful scene with his niece. He had intended to murder her for going “Native” but, meeting her face to face, is overwhelmed by his emotions. That is, his love for her ultimately triumphs. He sweeps her in his arms, telling her simply, “Let’s go home, Debbie.” A great moment in filmmaking. Racist act or not – as mentioned, the girl seems to have been treated perfectly well by the Comanche, so it’s his biased image that he’s rescuing her from – it is an inspiring transformation as he releases himself from his demons, suggesting that salvation is possible even for the worst characters.

Ford then manages astonishingly to top that just minutes later as they return home. Everyone is united and goes happily inside, leaving only Wayne standing alone. Forgotten by the others and with no one at his side, he turns and walks quietly off to wander alone among the winds. It is a haunting image.

Some of the comedy in the film is strained, as with the fight between the two beaus, and could have been excised. Also, the lame theme song and dated dialogue, especially in the early scenes, could be teeth-grinding. I noted the lack of bodily contact among the family members even when Wayne reappears after many years and is giving away gifts, a far cry from the hugs and kisses common these days. It felt rather Japanese. Maybe that’s the way things were out West. On the other hand, the cinematography was thrilling, though I suppose it’s hard to go wrong in those locations.

The search for the girl was tense and exciting, and the characters and story well crafted. Wayne in particular says only what needs to be said and no more, a much more evocative approach than the dialogue. Despite his nasty prejudices, I couldn’t take my eyes off him as a character. I see that numerous critics are biased against the film because of Wayne’s political views, a subject similar to that addressed in Giant in NY last month. In any case, he was consistently fascinating, and if his transformation came too late, it was still a memorable moment.

Weighed down by the plodding comic scenes, this is essentially two films at odds with one another. Still, the good parts are pretty great. I wish they had been more courageous in sticking to the drama.