The Searchers (1956)
Not worth searching for.
Presentation:
Considered John Ford’s masterpiece, it bears resemblance to Spielberg films in tone as the latter was greatly influenced by this film. If you like Indiana Jones and the like, you may love this. I however did not. The film is breathtakingly shot with vast deserts and winter trails, undermined by artificial sets. Perhaps because the film is in technicolor, cinematic elements were more apparent. The film has serious themes under an awkwardly comedic tone, similar to A Wonderful Life and I found it inappropriate and confusing. John Wayne is praised for his performance but I found it far too derivative of Humphrey Bogart. There are also themes about racism that could easily be misinterpreted as a result of the conflicting elements of the film. The dialogue is old fashioned, and presentation antiquated.
Conclusion:
For me this film was unwatchable. The locations were beautiful and couldn’t save the tonal mismatch. For a darker message like this, a film should not have a tone that could be accompanied by a laugh track. I hate everything about classics like these which are too direct and straightforward like a play. It’s impossible to take any themes seriously when people are slaughtered followed by young adults frolicking in childish banter. There’s definitely a lot of searching in this film but I ended up finding nothing.
Recommendations
The collapse of western civilization starts with a face mask.