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John Wayne, Jeffrey Hunter, Vera Miles, Ward Bond, Natalie Wood ... see more see more... , John Qualen , John Milius , Hank Worden , Olive Carey , Henry Brandon , Ken Curtis , Harry Carey Jr. , Antonio Moreno , Lana Wood , Walter Coy , Dorothy Jordan , Pippa Scott , Patrick Wayne , Beulah Archuletta , Danny Borzage , Chief Thundercloud , Ruth Clifford , Nacho Galindo , Robert Lyden , Cliff Lyons , Peter Mamakos , Mae Marsh , Chuck Roberson , Bill Steele , Jack Pennick , Shooting Star , John Ford , Vera Ralston

If John Ford is the greatest Western director, The Searchers is arguably his greatest film, at once a grand outdoor spectacle like such Ford classics as She Wore a Yellow Ribbon (1949) and Rio Grande ... read more read more...(1950) and a film about one man's troubling moral codes, a big-screen adventure of the 1950s that anticipated the complex themes and characters that would dominate the 1970s. John Wayne plays Ethan Edwards, a former Confederate soldier who returns to his brother Aaron's frontier cabin three years after the end of the Civil War. Ethan still has his rebel uniform and weapons, a large stash of Yankee gold, and no explanations as to where he's been since Lee's surrender. A loner not comfortable in the bosom of his family, Ethan also harbors a bitter hatred of Indians (though he knows their lore and language well) and trusts no one but himself. Ethan and Martin Pawley (Jeffrey Hunter), Aaron's adopted son, join a makeshift band of Texas Rangers fending off an assault by renegade Comanches. Before they can run off the Indians, several homes are attacked, and Ethan returns to discover his brother and sister-in-law dead and their two daughters kidnapped. While they soon learn that one of the girls is dead, the other, Debbie, is still alive, and with obsessive determination, Ethan and Martin spend the next five years in a relentless search for Debbie -- and for Scar (Henry Brandon), the fearsome Comanche chief who abducted her. But while Martin wants to save his sister and bring her home, Ethan seems primarily motivated by his hatred of the Comanches; it's hard to say if he wants to rescue Debbie or murder the girl who has lived with Indians too long to be considered "white." John Wayne gives perhaps his finest performance in a role that predated screen antiheroes of the 1970s; by the film's conclusion, his single-minded obsession seems less like heroism and more like madness. Wayne bravely refuses to soft-pedal Ethan's ugly side, and the result is a remarkable portrait of a man incapable of answering to anyone but himself, who ultimately has more in common with his despised Indians than with his more "civilized" brethren. Natalie Wood is striking in her brief role as the 16-year-old Debbie, lost between two worlds, and Winton C. Hoch's Technicolor photography captures Monument Valley's savage beauty with subtle grace. The Searchers paved the way for such revisionist Westerns as The Wild Bunch (1969) and McCabe & Mrs. Miller (1971), and its influence on movies from Taxi Driver (1976) to Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977) and Star Wars (1977) testifies to its lasting importance. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

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98% liked it

42 critics

Unrated, 1 hr. 59 min.

Directed by: John Ford

Release Date: March 13, 1956

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DVD Release Date: May 18, 1999

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Stats: 2,433 reviews

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Hank Worden & Jeffery Hunter Cantina scene " The Searchers " ( 1956 ) Vera Miles John Wayne in The Searchers The Searchers Jeffrey Hunter and Natalie Wood The Searchers The Duke Frank Worden
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Flixster Reviews (2,433)

  • fb1664868775
    October 27, 2011
    fb1664868775
    Ford's masterpiece and John Wayne's finest hour, The Searchers is the essential western. Filled with drama, comedy and horror, and shot in beautiful Vistavision.
  • TomBowler
    October 7, 2011
    TomBowler
    One of the greatest Westerns ever with a great performance from the Duke. Full review later.
  • spielberg00
    August 12, 2011
    spielberg00
    Good
  • blkbomb
    June 4, 2011
    blkbomb
    The Searchers deserves the praise it has gotten as one of the best westerns ever made. It has one of the greatest stories of all time and John Wayne gives a great performance. The movie is beautifully shot. The scenery looks great and compliments the story well. Also, I love how... read more all of the characters, besides Ethan, are really colorful. All of the characters have multiple things going on, except Ethan. Ethan only really cares about one thing and won't stop until he gets his it done.
  • SirPant
    January 10, 2011
    SirPant
    There is no denying that The Searchers is one of the most influential films of all time, John Ford raised the bar and made a visually beautiful and original western. You could say he re-wrote the book when it comes to westerns but then again, he kind of wrote the book in the firs... read moret place. The Searchers is a great film but for all the great performances there is some terrible acting. It's also hard to keep track of the passing years too, the narrative is not great. Great but not perfect, certainly not the greatest American film ever made in my opinion but a huge influence on some of the greats.
  • fb619846742
    January 8, 2011
    fb619846742
    A good, well-shot Western concerning a Civil War veteran (John Wayne) whose niece is taken by Indians, and thus he elects to make it his life goal to find her and avenge the rest of his family's death. It is certainly not the "classic" many claim, thanks to a sometimes plodding p... read moreace and an underdeveloped romantic subplot featuring Wayne's sidekick (Jeffrey Hunter) and a woman who is attracted to him (Vera Miles), yet we really don't really understand why. The thing that makes this film worth it is the ending, which is exciting, but then turns suddenly dark and a little depressing, but I for one liked this choice. There are better, darker, more engaging Westerns out there ("Unforgiven", the re-make of "3:10 to Yuma", and "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly" come to mind), but this is certainly a finely done movie. I just do not see it as the 4-star, top ten of all-time masterpiece that many do.
  • ajv2688
    November 14, 2010
    ajv2688
    I hate westerns, and Wayne is really annoying to me, so I didn't care for this movie at all. The movie is also slow and boring. The characters are pretty interesting, though, except for Wayne's, that is.
  • FireStormStudios
    October 18, 2010
    FireStormStudios
    I don't know how people acted in the 1800s but everyone is a jerk in this film. Why is everyone so mean to each other? Regardless of people over emotional ties to people in this film, it was an interesting one to watch. Revenge is a powerful thing, and it fuels John Wayne's qu... read moreest. It had some amazing action shots and some brave stuntmen. It was a little drawn out for me, which found it hard to follow. The journey takes place over several years, but it was hard to tell as the characters didn't change at all. It had good photography good cast. If you are into western style movies, go see this one for sure.
  • rubystevens
    July 10, 2010
    rubystevens
    beautiful cinematography! traveling hundreds of miles, somehow they never manage to leave monument valley! lol. not really a fan of El Duque; aside from the man who shot liberty valance i prefer the films where he plays an evil bastard. didn't seem like much of a stretch for... read more him tho. jus sayin :p
  • ythelastman89
    June 27, 2010
    ythelastman89
    There?s a reason it?s considered the greatest American Western, it?s without a doubt one of the greatest movies ever made in my opinion. It showcases everything that makes John Ford revolutionist he was and John Wayne the legend he was. Taking topics and settings that are now cla... read moressic, this has everything you could ever need. Not many movies have such a large scale and powerful impact, this is truly a legend of the past.

    This uses the idea of cowboys vs. Indians in a very epic way, showing the ugly side of each. While Scar is about as bloodthirsty and evil as villains come, John Wayne?s Ethan shows an equally ugly side. In many ways, the five year story is about changing a man. Racism is shown in full effect and how destructive and horrible it can become. The idea of someone killing their own family because they associated with another culture is scary. The politics of this still ring true today and work as a sort of cautionary tale. However, nothing seems heavy handed or overbearing. It?s more effective in the subtle nature it?s presented in. You see it?s effect only at the tail end of the story. In accordance to this being a story of racism, it?s also a story about family and love. Ethan and Martin?s journey to find and rescue Debbie is so powerful, even after 5 years they never even question giving up or surrendering to the easy way out. Over those five years, their bond together is so strong that they become the father and son that they always should have been. The end result of these stories is completely and utterly breathtaking. The Searchers has the greatest ending sequence of any movie in any genre. It?s power will be forever unmatched.

    John Wayne will always be the biggest movie star to ever live whether you love him or hat him. He has the most extensive library and defines the meaning of a true star. His influence and impact on Hollywood is something that everyone has to acknowledge. His performance in this is in a lot of ways his greatest. It takes everything he had done before and shattered it with this honest yet complex performance. Ethan isn?t just the definition of a broken man, he?s an anti-hero in the truest sense. From when he rides up to the screen until the door shuts you can sense that something incredible has taken place.

    John Ford is probably always going to be remembered as the greatest American director to ever live, no one else will ever match him in terms of originality or shear brilliance. His movies all show something grand and unforgettable. I feel that The Searchers really brings all of his strengths to one place; great storytelling, characters, and visuals. There really hasn?t been many movies to capture beauty like this does. Some of the shots are almost unbelievable and certainly unforgettable.

    I don?t think anyone can truly deny this movie?s impact on the history of film. It defines why people make movies to begin with, very few capture utter brilliance like this. Not only is this a flawless film from a visual standpoint, it has a story and characters to rival anything else. In many ways it resembles human nature and our ability to change and witness love.

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Critic Reviews

Ronald Holloway
June 27, 2007
Ronald Holloway, Variety

Some fine vignettes of frontier life in the early southwest and a realistic presentation of the difficulties faced by the settlers in carving out a homestead in dangerous Indian country. Full Review

Dave Kehr
June 27, 2007
Dave Kehr, Chicago Reader

Through the central image of the frontier, the meeting point of wilderness and civilization, Ford explores the divisions of our national character, with its search for order and its need for violence,... Full Review

Bosley Crowther
May 20, 2003
Bosley Crowther, New York Times

A rip-snorting Western, as brashly entertaining as they come. Full Review

Roger Ebert
December 2, 2001
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

Contains scenes of magnificence, and one of John Wayne's best performances. Full Review

Tom Keogh
January 1, 2000
Tom Keogh, Film.com

The final shot of this genuine epic says everything the Western ever had to say about the price of the American frontier and those forgotten bones upon which a nation was built.

Wesley Lovell
August 15, 2011
Wesley Lovell, Oscar Guy

One of the better examples of the western genre. Full Review

Rob Nelson
September 1, 2009
Rob Nelson, City Pages, Minneapolis/St. Paul

Call Ethan one widescreen reminder of fear and guilt for a country that deserved at least one. Full Review

May 13, 2008
Film4

A mature, dark, ambivalent piece that helped pave the way for the modern western. Full Review

Keith H. Brown
December 7, 2007
Keith H. Brown, Eye for Film

An absolute must see. Full Review

Cole Smithey
September 16, 2007
Cole Smithey, ColeSmithey.com

A truly great western.

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

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Facts

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    • Ethan Edwards: Rev., you went and got yourself surrounded.
    • Capt. Reverend Clayton: We'll, I plan on getting myself unsurrounded!
    • Ethan Edwards: That'll be the day.
    • Ethan Edwards: Let's go home, Debbie.
    • Ethan Edwards: That'll be the day.
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The Searchers Trivia

  • What was the name of the movie where John Wayne said, "That'll be the day?"  Answer »
  • Which of the following films IS NOT a remake?  Answer »
  • In the classic John Wayne film, "The Searchers," who played the captive woman?   Answer »
  • In "The Searchers," who played the part of Martin Pauley?  Answer »
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