The Searchers

An uneven film. At it's best, it's great. At it's worst, it's Ford's trademark brand of painful comic relief and/or melodrama.

Boring.

Described by the director as a "psychological epic," The Searchers is John Ford's most revered Western, for its visual richness and profoundly ambiguous critique of the genre's racism. A rip-snorting Western, as brashly entertaining as they come.

John Wayne's best performance, combined with majestic landscape shots across the years. It deserves it's place as John Ford's masterpiece.

I enjoyed this Western for the cinematography and some plot aspects but it did feel a little bland at times. Its quite a shout-y film, so if that doesn't appeal then perhaps give it a miss. There are lots of scenes involving male characters fighting, trying to prove each other the better one. I did cringe at scenes where scalps were shown but I can also see that this film may be appreciated as an example of a classic American western too. A good, if dated, film overall.

A perfect film about a man who knocks up his brother's wife before heading off to fight for the dumbest government ever attempted by man. Upon returning home, his family is killed by raiding indigenous Americans who take his niece (daughter) for use as a sex slave. He embarks on a ruinous personal journey to kill her for being spoilt by the race he despises before ultimately deciding to just bring her home. After rescue, he walks away from his secret daughter back into the American outback.

John Wayne's politics sucked but John Ford uses Wayne brilliantly in one of the most beautiful-looking films. And on top of that, it deals with the real theme of racism. Extraordinary

Not normally a fan of westerns but this was a very fun film.

cine-scope forever!

Really good.

Waynes antihero has many levels and can not be boiled down only to the racist elements. Never has Death Valley been shot so beautifully.

The Emperor's New Clothes? Maybe influential, and yeah America has some nice landscapes. But the plot dragged, the acting was hammy and the tone all over the place. Its racist and misogynistic outlook was probably dated even in 1956. Leone's films, made less than a decade later, are light years ahead. Disappointed after deciding to watch after reading so many glowing reviews.