The Searchers (DVD)

The searchers Texas 1868 Ethan Edwards returns to his brothers farm three years after the end of the civil war. While Ethan and his adoptive nephew Martin Pawley join a company of Texas Rangers to track a Commanche raiding party, the renegades double back to attack and burn the Edwards homestead, kidnapping nine year old Debbie. Then begins a five year odyssesy. Ethan(John Wayne) and Martin(Jeffrey Hunter)journey from South to North from season to season hunting the band that abducted the young girl. And all the long while Ethans obsessive hatred and lust for revenge grows ever more intense. John Ford's film ...  Read the complete review

Overview The Searchers is a classic western starring John Wayne and directed by John Ford. It is regarded very highly both as an example of the Western genre and as a film in general attaining classic status in more recent times despite a less enthusiastic reception upon its initial release in1956. Plot This is very much a rescue and revenge tale. We follow the unconventional hero Ethan Edwards and his eventual companion Martin Pawley in a long and weary quest, played by John Wayne and Jeffrey Hunter respectively. They set out with bold intentions in a group but they alone go the distance and are willing to see it through to the end, however long ...  Read the complete review

As you can probably guess from this film that it was hubby's film choice, much to my annoyance! This film sees John Wayne playing the role of Ethan Edwards. It s set in Texas in 1868. Ethan returns 3 years after the war has ended to his brothers house and the family. He is pleased to be back but soon finds he is being asked to go and help the local men fight off a gang of Comanche Indians who have been threatening the people who live in the area and killing for no reason. As the men all set off to find the Indians they soon discover than they have been set up and the Indians have gone around them and when Ethan returns home he finds the house and ...  Read the complete review

Does The Searchers stand the test of time? After all it was made in 1956 (45 years ago) and for those of you who might think “What would I be doing watching a movie made 45 years ago and starring that big lumbering Ox, John Wayne.” Well, think again. John Wayne starring in a Western is of no great surprise; he is synonymous with this genre. Many of the Westerns he starred in were average and were typically Wayne vehicles. Wayne came first, the movie second and in fairness a lot of them were crap. Mind you it was entertaining crap. For many he was a one-dimensional actor, unable to display any real emotion and even if he wasn’t in a western, you ...  Read the complete review

In each movie genre there are always films that stand head and shoulders above the rest. When it comes to Western's this is one of those films. In fact I'd go so far as to say that "The Searchers" may well be the greatest Western ever. It tells of Ethan Edwards who returns to his brothers farm after the American Civil War. Ethan joins a party of Rangers tracking a group of Commanche who have been raiding homesteads. Whilst doing this the Commanche raid Ethans brothers farm murder the family burn the homestead and take his 9 year old niece Debbie with them. Thus begins an epic 5 year search undertaken by Ethan and his nephew (Jeffrey ...  Read the complete review