06/29/10 - The Searchers

The Searchers (1956, 119 min)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0049730/

I go to the other local theater today to check out a western double feature. First up is The Searchers and then next is Shane. I've seen quite the number of westerns that have come out since 1990 (except Unforgiven) but I'm not that well versed on the older Ford stuff.

The film follows John Wayne as Ethan Edwards as he goes in search of the captured Debbie Edwards (Natalie Wood) and Lucy Edwards. Helping him in this hunt are Lucy's fiancé Brad Jorgensen (Harry Carry Jr.) and Martin Pawley (Jeffrey Hunter). It turns out that Chief Cicatriz - Scar (Henry Brandon) is the Comanche leader that has taken the girls. After a fifteen year search and quite a few deaths, Debbie is eventually returned home. Other important roles are: Laurie Jorgensen (Vera Miles), Martin's love interest; Charlie McCorry (Ken Curtis), a man who becomes engaged to Laurie when she believes Martin doesn't love her; and Mos Harper (Hank Worden), a friend of Ethan.

The Searchers is unlike any movie I've ever seen before. First, it's the oldest western I've ever seen dating all the way back to 1956 and it's also regarded as the best western ever by a ton of movie critics. But the main thing here is how old it is - it's not like modern westerns. Tombstone and the 3:10 to Yuma remake are focused on action and gunslinging. They're great for their own reasons. Here, though, we tend to focus on story and character development while making the action scenes less important.

The Searchers though, tends to run a little bit too long for my taste. It has a pacing problem I guess. It's not really too long at just under two hours but I feel like it moves awkwardly through time. I mean, fifteen years pass from the first scene to the concluding battle and I don't feel this is adequately conveyed. Sure, there's a couple scenes where there's snow to indicate the changing seasons but a search this long would almost break the wills of both parties involved. That it doesn't is monumental in the character development aspect and this needed to be highlighted more in my opinion. I guess making the movie longer would actually help these pacing problems for me as I enjoyed what was going on in front of me, it's just that sometimes things weren't emphasized in what I felt would be the proper way.

As for the characters in The Searchers, this is where the film really shines. Everyone here is real. It's simply amazing how incredibly lifelike everybody seems. For instance, when Laurie one time asks Martin why he never tells her that he loves her he simply replies that he figured she knew. I mean, this isn't a line that would be said in modern cinema for whatever reason. This flawed and failing love really is displayed realistically here as opposed to the probably perfect way it would be shown in a recent movie. Even mannerisms of the characters are handled great as Wayne and Hunter just seem like they belong the part of their characters. Equally fun to watch are the two lesser characters of Mose Harper and Charlie McCorry. Worden and Curtis are really fun to watch as these goofy characters ham up the scene to perfection. And finally, serving as antagonist for the group is Scar. Brandon is completely stoic as Scar and it works great. The guy probably doesn't say but a few lines but each word uttered carries such weight because of how he portrays the character. The Searchers excels wonderfully at creating amazing characters.

My last comment on The Searchers will be the cinematography. If I were ever to direct a western, I would most certainly include this as required viewing because of the scope with which it is able to film the vast emptiness of the western landscape. Ford captures the barren nothingness that fills the west perfectly by making these incredibly epic shots. The actors are just so tiny compared to the surrounding formations of Monument Valley. I mean, not only does this frame the scene well but it also helps emphasize the huge undertaking these guys are going through as they search for their relatives.

Overall, I gave this film a 7/10. The Searchers is not my favorite western but that might be because I've been raised in a different era of movies. Still, the character development remains exceptional, but the awkward pacing is a big part of what I don't like.