cinemezza

[cinemezza]

John Wayne makes his Ethan just as legendary as himself. It is like watching the fictional character impersonating the man in real life. His naturally enduring persona is one of the biggest strengths of the film. In a much eulogized film career this performance is right there at the top. Jeffrey Hunter as Martin Pawley plays the second fiddle and understudy to Wayne's Ethan. Whatever emotions Ethan lacks is more than made up by Martin. He is gullible, naive, slow but not a lampoon. Pawley's compassion for Debbie stays with you and at times it seems like he is the only redeemable character in the picture. Hunter weaves magic in his performance and matches toe to toe with Wayne. Vera Miles as Lorie Jorgensen plays Martin's love interest and shines every time she appears on the screen. Ward Bond as Rev. Captain Samuel Clayton does full justice to his part. He manages to be sedate, funny and the dignified captain all at once. The cinematography by Winston C. Hoch is poetic and the movement possibly the swiftest ever witnessed. Max Steiner's score keeps you hooked and presents a melody for every possible emotion displayed in the film. The abducted girl represents lost innocuousness of society. Since most of the inculpable people are dead, natural or not, she is part of the next generation which hints at redemption. She represents hope. A hope of a better future, far different from the present bad blood. And so Wayne must retrieve utopia from the clutches of evil and redeem their society. Also worth noting is the fact that it is Ethan, an emigrated rider, who must search for her and bring her back. In a way, it laments that the need for a powerful exterior force to bring peace to an overtly hostile environment. Much has been written about the final shot of The Searchers. It provides an agonizing truth that the men who bring peace and lay the cornerstone of a better society are often shut out from the civilization they helped build. Ford already provides a harbinger earlier in the film through a visually compelling scene. During the night of Ethan's return, Martin sits resented on a porch due to the formers cold behavior. Later he enters the house to bid good night. Shortly thereafter, Ethan has a minor altercation with Aaron. So he walks out and sits exactly where Martin sat. The director suggests here that even though the latter isn't naturally fit to be there he will find his place with them but there will be no such arrangements made for Ethan.

[cinemezza]

' Seems like he never learns there's such a thing like a critter who'll just keep coming on. So we'll find 'em in the end. I promise you. We'll find 'em. Just as sure as the turnin' of the earth! ' Civilization is an important step in the history of any society. The promise of a better future is so alluring that it is easy to stamp over the glorious past and the cultural heritage attached with it. Whenever people migrate to a new place in search of a better opportunity, their star gazed eyes tend to overlook both the traditionally significant aa well as the moribund aesthetics of the place. In this sense there is a possibility of looking past the aboriginal people and squelching whatever they long for. The most common outcome of all this is hostility between these set of people. The Searchers (1956) is set amidst this backdrop with the feuding parties being the a host of native tribes and the settlers. Set in Texas 1868, the film, adapted from Alan Le May's 1954 novel, begins with a beautiful shot of Martha Edwards opening the door of her completely dark house as she yearns for a possible respite from her menial lifestyle. The shadowy house is contrasted with the naturally lit outdoors. What she sees instead is a rider travelling towards them. The rider in question is Ethan, her husband, Aaron's brother. Ethan's arrival is used by the director John Ford as a medium to let the audience enter right at the centre of story as the central characters and the present conditions are explained to him. The next day, a diversion created by a recalcitrant native gang manages to bring out the sheriff, Sam Clayton, his fellow officers as well as Ethan and Martin Pawley, a half breed raised by the Edwards, miles afar from their place resulting in an incursion of their house. Aaron, Martha and their son, Ben, are all suggested dead with no evidence of their young daughters, Lucy and Deborah. The deceived crew wander in search of the missing girls and an unexpected combat with the assaulters befalls. Later, circumstances lead the association to part and with the simultaneous knowledge of Lucy's death, Ethan and Martin take it on themselves to find Debbie. With no knowledge of which gang abducted her, not a whiff of her present whereabouts and with the harrowing climate of Texas against their side, they ride on in a journey spanning years, facing different circumstances, uncertain about the futility of it all. But they must continue their search for her and this forms the core of the rest of the picture. John Ford manages to bring a wide range of emotions in his characters. What is worth exalting is the fact that he manages to evocate the same with the audience be it the warmth of the family, Ethan and Martha's subtle romance, the frostiness between Ethan and Sam, the amusing romance between Martin and Lorie, Martin's comedic marriage with a native girl and most of all, the complex alliance of Ethan and Martin. His direction is almost flawless while managing a riveting drama scene after scene. Ford never let's the intensity waver despite reducing the acuteness with comedic scenes. He is in full control of the ship with the only grouse being possibly more screen time for the Indians. Ford plays out much much of the film from those around Ethan. We are never sure what's going on in his mind. Plus he never explains his plans either so the supporting cast learns of his actions at the same time as the audience does. While this could have gone awry for the film, a huge benefit for the film here is that Ethan's assured behavior doesn't distress. He is a tested war veteran and his tacit understanding of the situation helps him get out of difficult times. Another good hand played by the director is that he hasn't made the man the know all demigod. So Ethan is subject toviolent outburst as well as certain actions that are on the verge of being reckless. While the important players rely on him there is a measure of uncertainty to the proceedings. A strong direction demands equally robust performances and that is what the cast delivers. John Way