Even though this film still has its flaws, it's masterfully directed by Ford and was a great watch. Visually, this film was an absolute stunner (especially since I was lucky enough to see it on a 70mm film print). It's definitely cleverly written, and the two main characters have a great dynamic throughout. Though it would've benefited from less comedic relief, the film does succeed to make both emotional moments and beautifully done action sequences. I haven't seen all too many westerns, but this one was great.

An absolute masterpiece. Quite possibly the best western ever made.

Probably a great movie 69 years ago.

John Ford’s The Searchers is a landmark western that explores themes of loss, hatred, and redemption. Released in 1956 and based on Alan Le May’s novel, The Searchers remains one of the most influential films of its genre. The story follows Ethan, a Confederate veteran who reunites with his family after the war. His peaceful return is shattered when Comanches kill his brother’s family and kidnap his niece, Debbie. Over five years, Ethan and his part-Cherokee nephew, Martin, search for her. Ethan’s growing hatred for Native Americans contrasts with Martin’s hope of rescuing Debbie, who has assimilated into the Comanche way of life. Ultimately, Ethan chooses forgiveness, sparing Debbie and bringing her home. Ford’s cinematography uses Monument Valley’s sweeping landscapes to great effect, with static shots and dynamic blocking to convey the vastness of the frontier. Depth and composition are central, with silhouetted imagery marking pivotal moments—such as Ethan’s departure at the film’s end. Close-ups are reserved for emotional highlights, like Lucy’s terrified scream or Ethan’s conflicted expression as he decides Debbie’s fate. Ethan’s character arc is central to the film. Initially defined by hatred, he mirrors the film’s antagonist, Scar, whose family was also destroyed, leading him to violence. Martin represents hope and resilience, refusing to succumb to hatred despite similar losses. Ethan’s ultimate choice to spare Debbie signals a rare moment of grace, suggesting the possibility of redemption even for the embittered. As a western, The Searchers incorporates many genre staples: Monument Valley’s iconic landscapes, a perilous journey as its narrative backbone, and a rugged hero grappling with moral dilemmas. The film examines frontier life as a mix of domesticity and danger, with characters like Laurie and Martha embodying traditional female roles. Its use of weather changes, firearms, and other symbols of the West grounds the story in its historical and cultural setting. The Searchers is more than a traditional western; it’s a nuanced commentary on hatred, loss, and the possibility of moving beyond suffering. Its layered characters, breathtaking visuals, and emotional depth make it a timeless classic that continues to resonate with audiences.

Great story, but very bad acting and dialogue. I also found the comedic moments totally unnecessary as they take seriousness out of the movie. Music choice was also not very good. You have to understand how old the movie is though.

The Searchers (1956), rating 9/10 Stars. When Hollywood portrayed the originals natives as villains of the invading settlers, in this era they would be called terrorists. As Alfred Hitchcock described the landscape artist John Ford directing with the stars John Wayne, Jeffrey Hunter, Ward Bond, Vera Miles, Natalie Wood. Sometimes the story was too comical with the caricatured characters. I like the theory of some fans of the film that Ethan Edwards searches for Debbie because she is his daughter, Martha, his brother Aaron's wife, had relations with him before the civil war. Also that Ethan was a mercenary of Maximilian of Habsburg in Mexico, he did not want to go home. Also the reason Edwards hates the Comanches or natives was because they killed his mother. Martin should have left the hateful Laurie and it seems to me that he was in love with Debbie, they should have gone to live together. I have sympathy for both versions of Debbie, a little more the cheerful versión played by Natalie Wood's younger sister Lana. I remember what she said about Kirk Douglas. The big Chief Scar or Cicatriz is played by a German Aryan actor with tanning paint. If Jorgensen's son Brad had married Lucy Edwards before the events, both would still be alive.

There is a reason why this is Martin Scorsese's favorite movie: it is simply a rare masterpiece, created by one of the greatest masters of cinema. Yes, it has weaknesses due to the time of its creation, but it is a film full of Old Testament force. A must-see for every film lover.

An absolute brilliant film.Not only the finest Western ever made, but one of the greatest films.It's zero amount of Oscar nominations just show what a sham they have always been.Take a look at the other films that were,that year. WANKERS.

one of the most iconic westerns of all time. john fords direction is a accurate depiction of the american west. john wayne is great as uncle ethan and the music by max steiner is superb. a little slow at times but never boring the searchers is a excellent reccomendation to the western genre.

This is a truly great Western film by John Ford. Not to be missed!

The movie is a western beatiful

Intense western/actioner from John Ford; stars John Wayne, Jeffrey Hunter, Vera Miles and Natalie Wood.

Legendary John Ford Western/Actioner stars John Wayne and Jeffrey Hunter; who play desperado vigilante cowboys... In the old west... They're both members of the Edwards family; a large clan of Homesteaders from Texas... And they're on the prowl to find their relative, Natalie Wood, who's been kidnapped by the Comanche Tribe. Most of this plays like a buddy-cop detective story set in the Old West; it's a Starsky and Hutch for the 1800s. Fascinating and enthralling; infused with alot of intensity and darkness...And unexpected humor...And inspite of many cringe moments; the movie is actually pretty morally complex. There's also a great cast; with a young Vera Miles and Jeffrey Hunter in particular leaving a strong impression... I don't know if it's one of the best movies ever made...But it is very good.. Overall: 👍 recommended

John Wayne being the ultimate badass on a cheif called scar

Hollywood critics are right, it's a Masterpiece. Could have been an early Stanley Kubrick movie if it was made in the 1960s....But John Ford was just as meticulous.

John Wayne at his best!! Should have won the Oscar for this performance!! Great monument valley scenery, and enthralling story, keeps you till the end!!! The ending is unexpected!!

I firmly believe that this is the best performance John Wayne ever gave, its not his standard "larger than life drunk who yells all the time" performance. Wayne is actually quite subdued here. This is Ford at his absolute best as well.

Bad Acting. Soundtrack is not necessary. But it's an old movie.

One reason why The Searchers is one of Wayne's best movies is that it is one of the rare times that we do get to see the flip side of the traditional John Wayne persona. Here he is playing a harsher man with few of the redeeming tender moments that mark his other movies. Worse still, the attitude of his character towards the Comanche is racism of the most brutal kind, and it nearly drives him to murder his own niece. The problems with Ethan Edwards (Wayne's character in The Searchers) seem obvious to us now, but did they seem so at the time? After all, western aficionados were used to seeing the Native American tribes being portrayed in a bad light, and perhaps at the time there were many who would have sided with Ethan. Indeed there is much in the film that would appear to support the idea that the Comanche are savages, and that the white characters' fear and prejudice against them is justified. We see them killing and raping without seeming provocation. They scalp people. They trade their own women for goods, as Martin Pawley (Jeffrey Hunter) finds to his cost when he accidentally purchases a squaw. In this world where the actions of the Comanche are so bad, we are hardly encouraged to feel much sympathy when the white people kill them, and none of the Comanche are fully individualised enough to make us care about them. Added to this, the liberal hero Martin Pawley is a weak and ineffectual character, who is barely able to stand up to his ‘uncle' Ethan, and Ethan survives the movie to become a hero, all pointing to the idea that Ethan's prejudices are endorsed by the film Nonetheless that is not the overwhelming impression that the film leaves, and I do not think it was the intention of director John Ford or actor John Wayne to make us think so. Wayne took this performance more seriously than usual. He was more reserved during its production than was his wont. Later he said that it was his favourite role, and he named his son Ethan after the character he plays here. The movie benefits from Wayne's commitment to the role, because Ethan Edwards is a more complex character than the ones we usually see Wayne play. t is easy to see why Martin is so anxious to find the missing girls. He is the adopted son of the Edwards, and he regards Debbie as his sister. If not a blood relation, he is effectively a family member, and loves them. The motives of Ethan Edwards however are much darker. He loves Debbie enough to give her a gift on his return, but his actions in seeking to find her do not appear to be motivated by kind or affectionate sentiments. Rather he seems to be motivated by hatred of the Comanche. The precise cause of Ethan's hatred for the Comanche is not explained. The murder of his brother's family is a major cause, but it seems as if Ethan did not need this added reason to hate them. John Ford provides us with a visual clue. When the young Debbie hides from the Comanche in the cemetery, she sits by a tombstone reads: "Here lies Mary Jane Edwards killed by Commanches May 12, 1852. A good wife and mother in her 41st year." It seems that Ethan's mother was murdered by the Comanche earlier. Ethan's bigotry is a more extreme version of a general prejudice against the Comanche that is shared by the other characters. Captain Clayton calls them "childish savages". Even Martin's sweetheart Laurie angrily rounds on Martin for his persistence in trying to fetch Debbie home: "Fetch what home? The leavings a Comanche buck sold time and again to the highest bidder, with savage brats of her own?" she exclaims. Perhaps the ending is a copout, but it is so sublime that it almost silences all criticism. In the final judgement, hatred may take lives and set in motion a cycle of revenge killings, but love can save lives, and it is this which allows peace and reconciliation. I wrote a longer appreciation (with spoilers) of The Searchers on my blog page if you would like to read more: https://themoviescreenscene.wordpress.com/2018/05/25/the-searchers-1956/

This is probably the most powerful western ever filmed. John Ford makes his characters bold and forceful. Yet he understands the western, which dictates the land dwarfs its men. His Monument Valley cinematography is overwhelming. This saga can be reduced to a simple thread. John Wayne fought and lost for the South. He is a bitter, violent racist. His only connection to "civilized folk" is his brother and the brother's family. There is an insinuation he and his sister in law were lovers previously. A key observation is when he lovingly picks up his niece using both arms and not bending his elbows. She is the child he never had and one of the few, if any, persons he loves. When he sets up to find her, nothing will stop him from saving her. Yet he finally meets her. She is now a grown woman, an Indian maiden. His hatred of Indians emerges and he is now set on killing her. What evil lurks in a man who will do such because he hates Indians? The key to this saga is when he finally rescues her and tells her to come home. He picks her up in the same manner in which he did when she was a little girl. He overcomes his hatred and sees her, not as an Indian maiden, but as the little girl he loved and now loves again. At such moment he has regained his humanity and his soul. He is redeemed for a brief moment. Yet in the final scene he leaves. He is unfit and not worthy and realizes such. This movie is about the journey of man seeking salvation unknowingly. Yet he can only find it briefly. This movie is Ford's and Wayne's masterpiece.