AFI Top 100: #12
Alright, I'm going to make this one short and sweet, because I don't want to have to spend any more time writing about a western than I have to. To be quite frank, I really really really do not like westerns. To put this into perspective: my favorite western is a toss-up between Blazing Saddles (making fun of the genre) and Cowboys and Aliens (what's not to love?). I understand that they are as much a critical part of film history as anything else, but I simply do not see the appeal of them at all. So you can assume how well this review of The Searchers is going to go.
Alright, I'm going to make this one short and sweet, because I don't want to have to spend any more time writing about a western than I have to. To be quite frank, I really really really do not like westerns. To put this into perspective: my favorite western is a toss-up between Blazing Saddles (making fun of the genre) and Cowboys and Aliens (what's not to love?). I understand that they are as much a critical part of film history as anything else, but I simply do not see the appeal of them at all. So you can assume how well this review of The Searchers is going to go.
For starters, which one is John Wayne? My parents have always been western film and country music fans as I grew up, but I was always the one to go in another room and watch Toy Story 2 or the Spongebob Squarepants Movie for the thousandth time. Even if I did stomach my way through an entire western, I would be falling in and out of sleep constantly. I guess this might not have been the best for preparing me to watch western films, but that did not change my opinion on them. I ask who John Wayne is because as recognizable as a name as it is, all of the characters and set design look the exact same. You could show me a clip from this movie, tell me that it was The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly and hell, I wouldn't know the difference. My main problem with the western genre is that it is all so similar, not just in set design and costuming, but in plot as well. They all wear the same cowboy hats, they all have a farmstead in the middle of absolutely nowhere, and they all are racist towards anyone who isn't a Christ-loving Caucasian. It's all the same, and I feel like it always will be.
One of the most prevalent (and irritating) tropes in the western genre would have to be the rivalries against the Native-Americans. And this film did not want to break that tradition, of course. That would be ridiculous. Why create your own original plot line and have well-developed characters when you could just throw some "Indians" in the mix for the main characters to kill? And the fact that John Wayne's character was a Confederate war veteran returning home did not help. I understand that his two nieces were kidnapped by the tribe that was nearby, but why does it always have to be them? I bet you there were clans of white people who were just as worse, probably even more so. And don't even bring up the horrendous ending line, as John Wayne said "Debbie, let's go home" as they quite literally rode off into the sunset. Overall, these stereotypes should not be the most prominent part of a film, but since it was released in the 1950's, it is understandable as to why this film did so well. Thanks, racist '50's!
The only partially good part about this film would be the editing and shot types in a few different scenes. There was an eye-catching motif from the perspective of looking through caves and around corners which was interesting to see. There was also some very good usage of walls and moving cameras in many scenes of the house, which was good for the world-building of it all. I could go off on not just The Searchers, but all westerns, but I'd rather not waste my time and energy. Unless you are a die-hard fan of John Wayne-era excuses for film, then I would not recommend it.
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