The Searchers is a 1956 epic Western film which tells the story of a man who spends years looking for his niece who was taken by Indians. It stars John Wayne, Jeffrey Hunter, Vera Miles, Ward Bond and Natalie Wood. 1956 was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Epic Western is a sub-genre of the Western movie. ... John Wayne (May 26, 1907 – June 11, 1979), nicknamed Duke, was an Irish-American film actor whose career spanned the evolutionary phase of American cinema, appearing in silent movies and talkies alike. ... Jeffrey Hunter Jeffrey Hunter (November 25, 1926 - May 27, 1969) was a film and television actor. ... Vera Miles (b. ... Ward Bond (April 9, 1903 - November 5, 1960) was an American film actor. ... Natalie Wood Natalia Nikolaevna Zakharenko (July 20, 1938 – November 29, 1981), better known as Natalie Wood, was an American film actress. ...

The movie was adapted by Frank S. Nugent from the novel by Alan Le May. It was directed by John Ford, and much of it was filmed in Monument Valley, Arizona. The film has been deemed "culturally significant" by the United States Library of Congress and selected for preservation in the National Film Registry. John Ford (February 1, 1894 – August 31, 1973) was one of the most accomplished American film directors of the 1930s to 1960s, known particularly as a director of the Westerns, although his tributes to the veterans of World War II and Americana are also equally effective. ... East Mitten and West Mitten Buttes Monument Valley is located on the southern border of Utah with northern Arizona. ... State nickname: The Grand Canyon State, The Copper State Other U.S. States Capital Phoenix Largest city Phoenix Governor Janet Napolitano Official languages English Only State Area 295,254 km² (6th)  - Land 294,312 km²  - Water 942 km² (0. ... Library of Congress, Jefferson building The Library of Congress is the unofficial national library of the United States. ... The National Film Registry is the registry of films selected by the United States National Film Preservation Board for preservation in the Library of Congress. ...

The film can be interpreted as a subtle critique of the sort of Westerns that Wayne normally appeared in (although Wayne himself would probably have disagreed). Wayne's character, Ethan Edwards, is shown as a brooding and disturbed character. The West is shown as a threatening, even slightly sinister place. However, unlike some revisionist Westerns of the 1950s (e.g. Broken Arrow) the Native Americans are shown in a negative light, rather disturbed characters themselves, massacring white settlers, and even sexually assaulting them and abducting their children. Western can refer to: A Western blot is a method in molecular biology to detect a certain protein in a sample by using antibody specific to that protein. ... Revisionism is a word which has several meanings. ... Millennia: 1st millennium - 2nd millennium - 3rd millennium // Events and trends The 1950s in Western society was marked with a sharp rise in the economy for the first time in almost 30 years and return to the 1920s-type consumer society built on credit and boom-times, as well as the... Broken Arrow was the name of a film released in 1950. ... -1...

The film's greatest virtue is the single-minded determination of Ethan (Wayne) in his quest for Debbie (Natalie Wood) who probably does not want to be rescured. Wayne's character has been seen as racist, although Wayne himself was notably free of prejudice. The influence of the film has been tremendous; films as diverse as Taxi Driver and Star Wars have plot and character elements drawn from the film Taxi Driver is a 1976 American motion picture drama directed by Martin Scorsese. ... For the film originally released under the name Star Wars, see Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope. ...

The Searchers is an often cited candidate for the greatest film of all time. It is a favorite of the film school 'Movie Brats' generation including Martin Scorsese, George Lucas, and Steven Spielberg. Director John Ford's reputation was incredible: Ingmar Bergman, Orson Welles, Howard Hawks, Akira Kurosawa, Frank Capra, Elia Kazan, Samuel Fuller and many others described Ford as the greatest living director. Certainly a contributing factor to The Searcher's popularity is the fact that Ford's trademark calm style and wide shots are almost thrown to the wind in this film: it contains perhaps Ford's most radical camera movements and setups. Peter Bogdanovich said of The Searchers that "the bold, vigorous strokes of The Searchers...require more artistry than the direction of The Informer." Another powerful factor is the famous depth of character, the best example being John Wayne's actions in the twist ending. While it is impossible to objectively determine the greatest film of all time, it is possible to discuss the films that have been regarded as the greatest ever. ... Martin Scorsese (pronounced as Scor-SAY-SEE) (born November 17, 1942 in Queens, New York, USA) is an American film director. ... George Lucas George Walton Lucas, Jr. ... Steven Spielberg Steven Allan Spielberg KBE (born on December 18, 1946 in Cincinnati, Ohio but raised in the suburbs of Haddonfield, New Jersey and Scottsdale, Arizona), is an American film director and producer whose films range from science fiction to historical drama to horror. ... John Ford (February 1, 1894 – August 31, 1973) was one of the most accomplished American film directors of the 1930s to 1960s, known particularly as a director of the Westerns, although his tributes to the veterans of World War II and Americana are also equally effective. ... Ingmar Bergman Ingmar Bergman  listen? (pronounced in Swedish, but usually in American English, IPA in Unicode notation) (born July 14, 1918) is a Swedish film director. ... Orson Welles, photographed by Carl Van Vechten, 1937 George Orson Welles (May 6, 1915 – October 10, 1985) is generally considered one of Hollywoods greatest directors, as well as a fine actor, broadcaster and screenwriter. ... Howard Hawks (May 30, 1896 – December 26, 1977) was an American film director, producer and writer of the classic Hollywood era. ... Akira Kurosawa Akira Kurosawa (黒澤 明 Kurosawa Akira, also é»’æ²¢ 明) (March 23, 1910 – September 6, 1998) was a prominent Japanese director, producer, and screenwriter of films, many of which are considered highly influential worldwide classics. ... Frank Capra Frank Capra (May 18, 1897 – September 3, 1991) was an American film director and a major creative force behind a number of highly popular films. ... Elia Kazan Elia Kazan (September 7, 1909 – September 28, 2003) was a Greek-born American film and theatre director and producer. ... Samuel Fuller Samuel Fuller (August 12, 1911 - October 30, 1997) was an American film director. ... Ç“Peter Bogdanovich (born July 30, 1939) is an American film director and writer, born in Kingston, New York. ... John Wayne (May 26, 1907 – June 11, 1979), nicknamed Duke, was an Irish-American film actor whose career spanned the evolutionary phase of American cinema, appearing in silent movies and talkies alike. ...

In 1972, The Searchers made its first appearance on the Sight and Sound poll of the greatest films ever made. At eighteenth place in 1972, it climbed to fifth place in 1992. However, in the latest 2002 poll it fell back to eleventh place.

John Wayne's catchphrase in the film, "That'll Be The Day", inspired Buddy Holly to write his hit song of the same name. Thatll Be The Day by Buddy Holly and The Crickets is credited as being written by Allison, (this being Jerry Allison the drummer with the group), Holly, (the lead guitarist and vocalist) and Petty, (Norman Petty being the manager). ... Charles Hardin Holley (September 7, 1936–February 3, 1959), better known as Buddy Holly, was an American singer, songwriter, and a pioneer of Rock and Roll. ...

‘The Searchers’ follows Ethan Edwards who is searching for his kidnapped niece, Debbie with the intention of shooting her dead. He sees no moral dilemma in murdering the girl once he finds her. Ethan’s half-breed nephew Marty, who after the rest of his adopted family was killed in a commanche raid. He intends to rescue his sister, because she is the only family he has left.

‘The Searchers’ can be viewed as a simplistic action story about two men’s hunt for Debbie and revenge for the death of their family. The film begins with a frontier cabin door opening to the wilderness, this scene presents the visual motif of the framed doorway and threshold between the two worlds. The interior represents civilised values and the settled family, where as the outside represents that of a man’s world. The black silhouette of a woman moves from the darkness, with a shot from a forward-tracking camera, through to the door to see the sunlit landscape. She notices a man approaching, in the centre of the frame, riding in from the desert. This type of shot is typical for a western. Furthermore, as Ethan Edwards arrives home the background soundtrack Lorena is playing. This song is rumoured to be a favourite of civil war soldiers and is also a reminder of the lost love they have left behind during the wartime. Its use in the film is symbolic, given the plot of the film, since it has a reference to the family members who have died during the Comanche raid.

Moreover ‘The Searchers’ conforms to the codes and conventions of a western, with the desert landscape, small close-knit community and also the point that cowboys live in an age that, whether good or bad, you follow a strict code of honour in which you always tell the truth, never cheat an honest fellow and tip your hat to the ladies. This film deals with themes, which include racism, individuality, the American character, and the opposition between civilisation and the untamed wilderness.

In ’The Searchers’, the protagonist, Ethan Edwards has his own strong beliefs. ’Living with the Comanches ain’t being alive’ he insists and sees no moral dilemma in murdering the kidnapped girl once he finds her.

At the beginning of ‘The Searchers’, Ethan Edwards is introduced to the audience, as he returns from war. This is the same for ‘High Noon’ as Will Kane is introduced to us at his wedding. The storylines both conform to the theory, with a pursuit, a combat between hero and villain and in ‘The Searchers’, Ethan Edwards returns home and Will Kane moves away to start a new life with his new wife.

External link

• The Searchers at the Internet Movie Database
• Article at FilmSite
• Ebert review
• Steele Review