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The Searchers
1956
John Ford's classic western combines spectacular scenery with a solid narrative. A civil war veteran trails Indians to rescue his niece. Read more
| Starring | John Wayne, Jeffrey Hunter, Vera Miles, Natalie Wood |
|---|---|
| Director | John Ford |
| Genres | Action/Adventure |
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The Searchers
John Ford's classic western combines spectacular scenery with a solid narrative. A civil war veteran trails Indians to rescue his niece.
| Starring | John Wayne, Jeffrey Hunter, Vera Miles, Natalie Wood, Ward Bond, Henry Brandon, John Qualen, Olive Carey |
|---|---|
| Director | John Ford |
| Studio | WARNER HOME VIDEO |
| Run time | DVD: 1 hr 54 mins Blu-ray: 1 hr 54 mins HD DVD: 1 hr 59 mins |
| Certificate | |
| Collections | 100 Wild Westerns |
| Genres | Action/Adventure |
| Language | DVD: English Blu-ray: English HD DVD: English |
| Dubbed | French, Italian |
| Hearing-impaired | English, Italian |
| Subtitles | DVD: Arabic, Bulgarian, Dutch, English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Romanian, Spanish |
| Released | DVD: 14 Mar 2005 Blu-ray: 18 Dec 2006 HD DVD: 18 Dec 2006 Production year: 1956 |
| Format | DVD |
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Critics' reviews (5)
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Like Monument Valley, where it was filmed, this masterpiece western of revenge and reconciliation from director John Ford is massive and unmissable. It touches the heart of racist darkness and cleanses itself in the process. As John Wayne's Ethan Edwards sets out to kill both the Comanche butcher of his brother's family and the abducted niece who, in his eyes, has turned native, his five-year quest becomes a search for his own soul. Jeffrey Hunter is the conscience along for the ride, but it's the complexity of Wayne's antihero that reveals him as a rootless pioneer, forever framed in the doorways of family homesteads of which he can never become part. Ford's great allegory is of a people lost and found.
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Disturbing Western of obsession and racism which has become Ford's most influential film, in which Wayne gives his most ambiguous performance, being no longer a simple gung-ho hero, but a tormented loner out of step with his society. Its themes of loss an
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Most helpful member's review
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25 out of 32 people found this review helpful
Worthy of classic status?
The Searchers is one of those films regularly quoted in the critics 'best films of all time' and is one of those films that I feel that I ought to have seen. The good thing about being part of this DVD rental scheme is that it allows one the chance to fill the gaps in film knowledge.
So is the Searchers worthy of its classic status? Well, kind of. It is certainly a complex story and works on many levels. There are a number of emotionally distressing scenes that are all the more affecting because film makers of the 1950's were not permitted to be as explicit as they are today. But the era in which the film was made does led to drawbacks - the declamatory acting style, the melodramatic music interfere with rather than enhance character and narrative.
For me the real flaw is with John Wayne - film star sure - but not character actor and the central performance lets the film down badly.
It looks superb and when compared with most of the tosh produced by Hollywood today and is well worth renting, however, this is probably one of those classic films that would benefit from a remake. -
Most recent members' review
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6 out of 7 people found this review helpful
Hate, Revenge, Love
Probably John Ford's best film, 'The Searchers' is the saga of an ex-Confederate soldier, Ethan Edwards, who embarks on a long, obsessive search for his niece Debbie, who was kidnapped by Comanche Indians.
John Wayne should have won an Oscar for this film and not 'True Grit'. Perhaps 'The Shootist' is equally great?
Anyway, John Wayne goes through the wringer emotionally. From revenge to the Comanches for what they did, to hate he shows for his niece becoming a squaw and finally love and forgiveness.
However, watch the ending and you'll see that not all is well. -
News and features
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Godfather and Oz top movie lists
- 20 Jun 2008
The Godfather and The Wizard of Oz have both been named as best films in lists compiled by the American Film Institute (AFI). A jury of 1,500 film artists, critics and historians drew up ten lists, which were divided into ten genres including gangster, sci-fi, animated and Western. President of the AFI, Bob Gazzale, said that this kind of exposure helps to keep classic films in the cultural consciousness. As well as Oz and the Godfather, 2001: A Space Odyssey, The Searchers, Raging Bull and... Read more
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Searchers, The - HD DVD Version
A classic Western regarded by many as the best of the genre, John Ford's THE SEARCHERS has been acknowledged by several directors who came into their own in the 1970s, including Martin Scorsese, Steven Spielberg, Paul Schrader, and George Lucas, as a powerful influence on their work. The film stars ...
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- Searchers, The - BLU-RAY Version
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John Ford's classic western combines spectacular scenery with a solid narrative. A civil war veteran trails Indians to rescue his niece.... -
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John Ford's classic western combines spectacular scenery with a solid narrative. A civil war veteran trails Indians to rescue his niece.... -