Some of the greatest movies ever made are very problematic, meaning that they have themes and characters that are pretty questionable and debatable. Such films include Gone with the Wind, Vertigo, Raging Bull, The Apartment, and many others. Legendary western director John Ford’s The Searchers (arguably his masterpiece) is definitely one of the most controversial of them.
Buy The Searchers 4K UHDThe well-known plot concerns John Wayne (an equally beloved and reviled cinematic icon) as Ethan Edwards (a signature role), a Civil War veteran who returns home to Texas. After his brother’s family gets massacred by Comanches and his niece Debbie is kidnapped, he swears instant vengeance. He finds that she’s still alive, and along with his adopted nephew Martin Pawley (a terrific Jeffrey Hunter), journeys into Comanche territory to “save” her.
When I put the word “save” in quotation marks, there’s a reason for that. You see, Ethan wants to find Debbie in order to kill her. As if you didn’t already know, Ethan is a racist and wants to “rescue” her from what he thinks is a fate worse than death. That’s obviously one sketchy aspect part of the film. Another is that Ford had a less than favorable view of Indians with it (along with a few white actors in brownface), and also some pretty dated western stereotypes (including an unintentionally funny pronunciation of the word fiancé). But despite that, there is much to love about the film. The cinematography, how Ford made Monument Valley look, Ethan’s redemption, the many moments of much-needed humor, and the iconic final shot (which symbolizes Ethan’s fate as a simply a drifter) has made The Searchers (for better and worse) a cinematic masterpiece and a landmark in film politics.
Making its 4K UHD debut this week from Warner Archive (also on upgraded Blu-ray), I bet Monument Valley looks better than ever. The special features aren’t new, but they are still enjoyable. They include an archive commentary by director Peter Bogdanovich; 1996 introduction by Patrick Wayne; The Searchers: An Appreciation; newsreel coverage of the film’s world premiere; original theatrical trailer, and more.
So, if this classic (and problematic) film happens to be one of your favorites, and/or you’re a fan of Ford’s influential body of work, then this release should be a great addition to your collection.
Other releases:
Easter Condors (Criterion): A much-admired cult action flick where a group of hardened Asian convicts agree to go on a suicidal mission to Vietnam and destroy an abandoned ammunition dump in order to win their freedom.
Evil Does Not Exist (Janus/Criterion): Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s terrific latest film about a man and his daughter live in a snowy mountain close to Tokyo. One day, the village inhabitants become aware of a plan to build a camping site near his house offering city residents a supposedly comfortable “escape” to nature.
The Conversation (Lionsgate): A new 50th Anniversary limited edition steelbook of Francis Ford Coppola’s legendary 1974 thriller starring the great Gene Hackman as a surveillance wizard who has instant regret when he suspects that the young couple he is spying on will be murdered.
The Holdovers 4K UHD/Blu-ray (Shout Factory): Alexander Payne’s latest acclaimed film stars Paul Giamatti, Dominic Sessa, and Da’Vine Joy Randolph as a savagely disliked professor, a rebellious student, and the school’s head chef who form an unlikely bond when they are the only ones left on campus during the holidays.
