My journey through the AFI 100 films has led me to _The Searchers_, and I have to say, it’s the first one that I've really had trouble connecting with. Despite its place in film history, several aspects made watching it an unsettling experience. It's important to consider the historical backdrop of the movie. Like many films from that time period, _The Searchers_ reflects the attitudes prevalent then toward Native…

The gorgeous scenery of Monument Valley provides a striking visual setting for what truly feels like a grand movie experience. John Wayne takes the lead in this celebrated tale concerning a man whose family suffers violence at the hands of Comanches, and his quest afterward to find them and exact retribution. Jeffery Hunter portrays his nephew "Martin," delivering a performance filled with feeling and talent, while W…

It's an interesting movie, skillfully crafted, but let down by a disappointing screenplay. This feels like one of those classic Westerns that portrays the cowboy as the ultimate American hero, with women depicted as vulnerable young people needing protection from a gunslinger, and the West presented as a place without rules where everyone does whatever they want. The Native Americans—specifically the Comanche in t…

John Ford’s 1956 film, "The Searchers," follows Ethan Edwards (played by John Wayne) as he returns from the Civil War to his brother's ranch in the Southwest—and to his brother's wife, whom he harbors secret feelings for. After a Comanche raid on the ranch, Ethan and his nephew, who is one-eighth Indian (Jeffrey Hunter), set out to find the Native American group that has taken his niece captive (Natalie Wood). As tim…

What compels someone to wander? Upon returning from a cattle-hunting expedition, Ethan Edwards discovers his brother and sister-in-law murdered by Comanches, with their two daughters missing. Fueled by animosity toward Native Americans and a sense of determination, Edwards and his part-Native American companion embark on a dangerous quest to locate the girls—a journey that will take many years. The Searchers is…