exposé The Searchers John Ford

« Exposé the searchers INTRO : The Searchers: —> at the peak of John Ford & John Wayne collaborations —> named the « greatest western of all time » AFI in 2008 & the 12th greatest movie period in 2007 —> came out in 1956 —> set in Texas, filmed in the famous Monument Valley in Utah RESUME: —> Ethan’s brother family is massacred by a Comanche tribe and go rescue Debbie (his niece) who has been taken by the Comanches —> He’s join by Martin (18 yo) who’s been raised by his brother’s now deceased family —> After years of searching, Ethan sees her as a Comanche and is willing to kill her A DEEPLY FLAWED ANTIHERO: What if the heroic cowboy got so corrupted by violence and racism, that he became a danger to his own family ? Partie 1 : Ethan : figure du anti-hero + partie analyse.

Q’est ce qui fait de lui un danger pour les autres et pour sa propre famille à cause de son obsession contre les native Americans ? Lister et analyser les différents faits qui font qu’il est raciste sans trop expliquer pourquoi c’est une révolution dans le western Mechanism of an antihero: —> the movie doesn’t ONLY revolve on finding Debbie but also on what Ethan will do if or when he’ll find her —> it creates suspense but also hope : we know that Ethan has darkness in him and we wonder if he’ll commit a terrible act because of that (EX: Nightcrawler or Joker where they indulge their worst urges) —> In the movie, we wonder if Martin can soften up Ethan at some point —> Is he really capable of killing is own flesh and blood because of his racism and hatred ?? => « Living with the Comanche’s ain’t being alive » -Ethan —> the cowboy is now an antihero with darkness in him Scenes when the violence of Ethan is denounced by the group and he become a anti-hero : -> the group comes across a dead Native American in a shallow grave, and Ethan desecrates the body by firing bullets into the dead man’s eyes, because with “ what that Comanche believes, ain’t got no eyes, he can’t enter the spirit-land.

Has to wander forever between the winds.” -> Ethan shoots buffalo just to deprive the Native Americans of their meat -> shoots a lot of people in the back, including the totally inept Native Americans after one shootout, -> shoot a barkeep who gave him a tip on where to find Chief Scar (in order to get his money back). -> he wants to kill Debby. -> this violence is not well seen by the group and so is not completely normalized by the film and the director, even if in another moment, Martin, who is seen as a positive young man, punch and hurt a Native American woman who likes him and it is supposed to be felt as something funny. Partie 2 : Un film au racisme décomplexé Complicating the fantasy: —> Ethan’s character bring a sort of security & satisfaction: a sort of commanding father figure, extremely violent but choose violence for good (to kill the « bad guys », here the Comanches) —> he isn’t a part of a government or any important role in the country (or not anymore) but he’s a capable man, roaming the world to make it safer and better for his loved ones —> Of course its a problematic point of view: it involves extreme violence and racism (particularly in this movie) —> BUT, it’s still a part of a certain « fantasy » there someone is protecting us and making us feel safe = AN HERO Racist things : -> White homesteaders would build their ranches in the sacred place of the Native Americans without caring -> Native Americans = depicted as caricatures (caricatural and cheep paint and costumes) -> depicted as cruel animals : kill the white men’s cattle with their spears, leave the carcasses to rot on the open terrain, and try to kill and scalp as many white men and women as they can. -> Also depicted as completely inept in every shootout Chief Scar : German born Henry Brandon (whose other roles included Persian, Arab, and Asian villains) Native american Woman: overweight and has a silly smile, so this served as great comic relief in the film.

No respect for her while she in on their side : They call her “Look”, because they can’t be bothered to try and learn how to pronounce her actual name.

They punch her. -> Ethan refers to his adopted nephew Martin as a “half-breed” because he is 1/8th Cherokee, and later also calls him a “blanket-head”. John Wayne, who was even quoted this way in an interview: “I don’t feel we did wrong in taking this great country away from them (the Native Americans) … Our so-called stealing of this country from them was just a matter of survival.

There were great numbers of people who needed new land, and the Indians were selfishly trying to keep it for themselves.” Partie 3 : Revolution dans le Western On a affaire à un perso principal + complexe, sorte de rédemption, remise en question (shot de fin) critique, pk cette figure du anti-hero expliquée dans la 1e partie est une révolution dans le western. —> this fantasy is complicated because they make the supposed « hero » a dark father figure who’s obsessed with violence and racism —> as a former confederate soldier, where does he put his violence now ? —> the last shot of a movie shows that those kind of men (the kind rooted in violence like Ethan) don’t or can’t be part of society, can’t have a « normal » family and a home —> served the complexity of a character like Ethan Troublesome antagonist: Martin is great example —> Despite Ethan racism towards him, they manage to travel and work together and also develop a camaraderie —> Martin’s identity (an heroic figure who is part Native American) he challenges Ethan’s core antihero tendencies like his racism —> Martin is also antagonistic in other ways: he obstructs Ethan from achieving his ultimate goal => killing Debbie —> he challenges Ethan’s beliefs through their interactions and may almost be the reason Ethan had decided to save Debbie instead of killing her —> This pattern - a supporting character of color functioning as a Troublesome Antagonist, helping a protagonist grow out of their racism - is an Oscar magnet (IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT, DRIVING MISS DAISY, GREEN BOOK) 463 -> 1852 580, 582, 311, 362 522, 428, 418, 429 Introduction 255 Today, we are going to talk about The Searchers, a major western directed by John Ford and John Wayne.

This movie is often considered like the peak of the long collaboration between Ford and Wayne, who together helped to define the classical western. Released in 1956, the film is set in Texas but was mainly shot in Monument Valley. These spectacular landscapes became one of John Ford’s visual trademarks and contributed to the mythic image of the American West. Over time, The Searchers has received major critical recognition.

The American Film Institute named it as the greatest western of all time in 2008, and today it is widely studied in film history. At first, the story seems simple.

Ethan Edwards, a former Confederate soldier, returns at his home after the Civil War.

Soon after, his brother’s family is massacred by a Comanche tribe, and his young niece Debbie is kidnapped.

Ethan then spends years searching for her, accompanied by Martin, his adopted nephew. However, the movie is much more complex than a simple rescue story.

It leads us to the central question of our presentation: What if the heroic cowboy got so corrupted by violence and racism that he became a danger to his own family? To answer at this question, we will first analyze how Ethan Edwards is constructed as a deeply flawed antihero.

Then, we will examine how the film both reproduces and complicates racist representations.

Finally, we will explain why The Searchers represents a turning point in the history of the western. Part 1.

Ethan Edwards an antihero figure 580 293 First, Ethan Edwards clearly challenges the traditional image of the western hero. In classical westerns, the cowboy is usually presented as morally right, brave, and protective.

He uses violence only in the name of justice.

However, Ethan is very different.

From the beginning of the movie, we can sense something disturbing about him. He is secretive, emotionally distant, and visibly marked by the Civil War.

Unlike the typical western hero, he does not seem fully integrated into family life or peaceful society. Very quickly,.... »