The final shot is one of cinemas all time best.

refresh my memory, gulzafor.

This is really really great. I haven't gone through the Western genre as much as I'd like to, but at this moment I think I can call The Searchers one of the most epic, beautifully shot, entertaining, and best overall entries that I've seen from it. If not the best, actually.

Regarding the race issue, I don't think the film is that way at all. It's clear that Ethan and a number of the white characters are prejudiced, but I believe Ford was doing this on purpose for the daring sake of an imperfect hero and criticism about all races and cruelty. The "Luke" character is as sympathetic and as much a victim as the white girl, and the Yankee soldiers and Wayne at times are as much monsters.

John Wayne is very strong here. Ethan is a much stronger and more layered character than I would've expected, battling his own prejudices and lonely anger, it's his movie and his arc and journey is what drives the film. On the other hand Jeffrey Hunter and Vera Miles belong in the Hall of Shame for horrible performances in great films, some of the storyline worked for entertainment value but everything they tried to act dramatic or emotional I cringed. The rest of the supporting performances are solid, as much as they are stock characters.

Ford's cinematography is simply beautiful, the entire landscape is used and captured perfectly for the story. I also loved the winter scenes, rarely has snow falling on characters looked so good and epic. And yes some of the shots are among the all time most iconic and perfect for westerns and cinema in general.

And really, this movie is just fun. It's a blast, an adventure. Takes you on a ride like all good Westerns should do, and many of the scenes are quite exciting.

It's not perfect, mostly because of some one-noted characters and the Hunter and Miles stuff dragging it down, but for the most part, awesome movie.

A/A-

It's pretty much just framing him from a doorway, which doesn't sound like much on paper, but yeah, it's really great.

Very good Western, the best I've seen John Wayne in so far, I havent seen many. Its a little uneven at times and some terrible acting here and there, but John Wayne's character is fantastic, the cinematography typical Ford brilliance, and the story here is top notch.

A

This film at first looks to be a typical John Wayne rescue the girl film. Before this film I thought John Wayne to be a good actor but just the crazy cowboy hero.

His spectacular performance in the film really transformed his image of him being a very powerful actor who can show lots of emotion. I see him now as one of the all time greats now.

All of the great actors start with off with a certain type of style and when the change they either flop, or they become even greater actors. Another example is Jimmy Stewart.

A

I think what I loved the most was the lurid melodrama the whole thing operates under. From the beautiful colour scheme to the stunning vistas to the ridiculous romances, the whole thing has this sheen of silliness and excess. But, of course, underneath it's fucking dark.

John Ford called it a "psychological epic" and I think that works well. It's an examination of the damaged psyche of Ethan Edwards as he seeks revenge, and his blatant racism and excessive violence tie into this. John Wayne is terrific in what's probably his best role, and he totally makes the film.

Jeffrey Hunter and Vera Miles are both over-the-top, yes, but they fit well into the melodramatic sections of the film. It's just that the film is so broad and wide-ranging and, well, epic that there's room for them alongside Wayne's hate-filled Ethan. The film covers so much time and space and characters that it's hard not to like it for its sheer ambition. But when it makes it great, well, you've got a masterpiece on your hands.

Maybe not quite the best Western ever, but certainly up there.

You know, everyone sort of interprets this as John Ford's statement on, and critique of, racism and such.

Yet, I don't think he had any aspirations about a making a film about hatred and bigotry here. I've never been able to understand it as such.

Great movie of a forgotten genre.

And on the Ford question, he was in Birth of a Nation and also one has to realize that this was the accept mindset for a conservative Republican at the time.

The great American bla bla. - 7/10.

Fantastic film, one of John Wayne's best. His transformation is so well done and it really is gripping to watch. The last shot, like others have said, is fantastic as well.

why was my review deleted