Today’s quick review: The Searchers. In 1868, Confederate soldier Ethan Edwards (John Wayne) comes home to his brother’s ranch in Texas. But Ethan has only been back a few days when Comanches attack, killing most of his brother’s family and carrying off Lucy (Pippa Scott) and Debbie (Lana Wood). Ethan rides out with Martin Pawley (Jeffrey Hunter), his brother’s adopted son, to hunt down the Comanches who killed his family and rescue his nieces.
The Searchers is a Western drama about the harrowing search for two kidnapped girls in the Old West. John Wayne stars as Ethan Edwards, a hard man whose heart turns to vengeance when his family is attacked. Jeffrery Hunter plays opposite him as Martin Pawley, a young man who still holds out hope of bringing his sisters back alive. Their search takes them across countless miles of terrain with no guarantee they will like what they find at the end.
At the heart of The Searchers is a potent moral drama. As the weeks turn into years, Ethan and Martin lose themselves in the chase, turning their backs on an ordinary life to pursue the minuscule chance of bringing Lucy and Debbie home. Ethan in particular transforms from a gruff but supportive man to one consumed by rage, ready to do terrible things in the name of revenge. His obsession gives the film a dangerous quality to it that serves it well.
The other pillar of The Searchers is a plot with a sweeping scope and unpredictable twists. Ethan and Martin chase faint trails, false leads, and lucky discoveries in pursuit of the Comanche band responsible. Each setback is devastating, costing them months of time and making their objective that much more remote. The Searchers does a skillful job of laying out the harsh reality of their search and what it ultimately costs them in the end.
The Searchers is a strong pick for fans of the serious side of the Western genre. Although there are other movies that dabble in similar themes, there are few that take them as far or handle them as well. The Searchers is a nuanced story of revenge that literally and figuratively covers a lot of ground. Those with the stomach to see bitter characters making hard choices will find the film to be well worth the investment.
For another John Wayne movie about the hunt for a kidnapped family member, try Big Jake. For a different Western about revenge, try Once Upon a Time in the West. For a Western that deals with the aftermath of an Apache kidnapping, try Duel at Diablo. For a literary story about payback, try The Count of Monte Cristo. For a classic drama about two friends’ long journey through the wilderness, try Dersu Uzala.
[7.9 out of 10 on IMDB](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0049730/). I give it a 7.5 for a powerful tale of revenge.