The Searchers 4K 1956 Ultra HD 2160p

Story Movie

Former Confederate Army soldier Ethan Edwards searches for his niece, who was kidnapped by the Comanches who killed his entire family.

Review 4K Movie

For any fan of westerns, this movie is truly iconic. Even in our days, as a result of reassessment of the value of cinematic tapes, Western critics called “The Searchers” one of the best films in the history of cinema, and, accordingly, the best western. This is one of those films that became a hallmark of American cinematography.

The bloody story unfolded in the Texas desert, where the family of farmer Aaron lived. Comanche Indians attacked a peaceful ranch, killed everyone and stole Aaron's youngest daughter Debbie. The lives of Ethan Edwards and Martin Poli on that fateful night lost meaning - they both lost their families. Ethan was Aaron's own brother, and he loved his nieces as his own children. The death of the eldest girl and the kidnapping of the youngest had completely disfigured his soul, which had never known peace. Martin was a foster son in the Edwards family, but during the long years of life on the ranch, the foster family became his own. All these men were left with was a quest.

John Ford shot a western, which can already be called a transitional link in the history of the development of the genre. His main character is an unattractive image, but at the same time heroic, arousing sympathy. An old Confederate, suffering from xenophobia, because of which he is prejudiced even against Martin, because in the veins of the guy flows Cherokee blood. Not too attractive image, performed by John Wayne, became fundamental for the westerns of the following years. Cult Hollywood actor managed to recreate on the set of a true cynic who knew how to love, but could not cope with his own hatred and ego. With furious and convincing fury, he put bullets into the already dead Indian, whose grave desecrated in a fit of anger and pain from the loss of relatives. But the inexorable years passed, and the Comanche tribe seemed to fade into oblivion. Once seeing the former captives of the Indians, Ethan realized that his niece had most likely become a member of a large Indian family. From that moment on, the search took on a different color for him. Ethan no longer wanted to take Debbie home, but wanted to kill her if she had indeed become one of the Comanches. In opposition to the old Confederate is placed the hero Jeffrey Hunter. Martin is disgusted by the cruelty of the “uncle”, the guy is constantly trying to moderate the rage of the old man, constantly demonstrating his hatred for the Indians. The young man, unlike Ethan, has something to lose, spending long years traveling through deserts and prairies - at home he waits for his beloved Laurie, a patient and loving girl. But the thirst to save the named sister is stronger, because Martin realizes that the girl has unwillingly become one of the Comanches, the child was imposed on the Indian life. He, just like Ethan, is ready to kill every Comanche he meets, but not for revenge, but for the return of the girl. It is thanks to the good nature of Martin, at least a little softens the cruel heart of Eaton.

Many viewers on this side of the ocean call the movie unapologetically politically correct about Indians. But if you turn to history, it becomes clear that this is not the case. Comanche Indians have always been famous for their militancy, they made frequent raids on farms and neighboring tribes, so the unscrupulous cruelty of the redskins is not a fantasy of Alan Le May, on whose book this film was made. As for the main character, he kills not only Indians, but also whites, and he probably killed Yankees during the Civil War. Indians in the movie are not always belligerent, on the contrary, a young Indian woman, at the cost of her own life, helps seekers to get on the trail of the nomadic Comanche tribe. In “The Searchers” Ford recreated the true wild west, where everyone was for himself, and decided for himself who to help, who to love, and in whom to put a bullet.

The movie is a classic for mid-century Hollywood cinema. There is a significant bias towards acting, at the expense of some spectacle. Ford even then tried to combine in one tape serious and comedic elements, thus laying the foundations of the modern mainstream. So that the mass audience is not bored, looking at the travels of the main characters in picturesque North America, the director offers his attention entertaining scenes of “Indian wedding” or Martin's fight with the fiancé Laurie. Such an approach to the storyline later became traditional for American westerns, which is why Leone's films, in which comedic notes were absent, were so coldly received by audiences in the United States.

Needless to say, the actors worked their asses off, and John Wayne played the best role of his career? If anyone doesn't believe it, they can see for themselves by watching this wonderful movie. The one thing that always annoyed me about The Searchers (as well as many other westerns) was the white American in the role of the Indian chief. Henry Brandon's role is an unnecessary contrast to the rest of the movie's imagery - too pathetic and ridiculous.

Conclusion: It's hard to say why this particular movie suddenly popped up in the minds of modern critics. In its time, it was praised exclusively in the West, and it is understandable, because “The Searchers” is not a picture for the European mentality. For sophisticated admirers of intellectual cinema the movie is too simple, and for fans of action it is too tedious. But for Americans and fans of the Western genre, this movie is one of the most important films of world cinema.