Study Guide: The Searchers, John

Ford (1956)
Chapter 2: Unit 3

American Context (1861-1868+)

The civil war and its implement

The end of the 19th Century has been a very important period for American history.
Indeed, it was very rich in decisive historical events such as the civil war and the Westward
expansion it allowed. Both these events are crucial regarding the many and varied impacts
they had on the country in general.

The American civil war started in 1861 and ended in 1865. This war
opposed two sides of the American territory on the sensitive topic the
American economy and so slavery: the North and the South. On the
one hand, the 16th president of America, Abraham Lincoln, elected in
1860, supported the abolition of slavery. He thought in the Northern
belief that, in the years ahead, the economy would rest upon the
development of industrial engines and not the exploitation of the
triangular trade. Consequently, he didn't see any interest in slavery. On
the other hand, the Southern states which economy was built on the
triangular trade were supporting slavery. Admittedly, they depended on
the slaves since they were providing them with the needed resources.
That way, seven Southern states allied to fight against The Union: the Northern party led by
Abraham Lincoln and its want to abolish slavery.
The war lasted for 4 long years, during which many soldiers died for their ideal. In the end,
the North won and slavery was finally legally abolished in 1865.

Unfortunately, war always has consequences and

mostly, tragic consequences. The civil war was no exception
to the rule since it has made six hundred thousand deads.
But more than that, it had a strong impact on both American
people's living conditions and mindsets since it also had
great economical consequences. As a result, a massive part
of the American people needed a fresh start to repair their
lives in a way, whether mentally or materially. Thus, the
Western territories, yet unexplored and uncharted, were the
best way to make their wish come true and many Americans
followed their dreams in order to realise them.

That way, the Westward expansion had finally started. Everyone saw the West as a
great opportunity to grow a business, a more joyful life and so the movement began to
spread. This expansion that followed the end of the civil war led a strong print on American
history. Undoubtedly, it was a new beginning for everyone, a new chance. A paragraph
written by the journalist Horace Greely, in 1865, is a great example of the hopes Americans
had for the West and the fact living in the towns was starting to feel suffocating. He wrote
“Washington is not a place to live in. The rents are high, the food is bad, the dust is
disgusting, and the morals are deplorable. Go West, young man, go West and grow up with
the country.”
 However, living in the West was not as easy nor great as it could look like. Indeed,
there were many outlaws and criminals since institutions, such as police or justice, were not
yet developed in lands as new and unknown as the Western territory were around 1868. As
the only enforced law was the survival of the fittest, the West was a very dangerous place to
live where people were not civilized at all.
Besides, Frederick Law Olmsted described it very well in his letters. He
depicted the people in the West as ungrateful beings, ungrateful towards
what nature had given them. In fact, preserving the landscapes was
nothing they felt concerned about. Thus, they were not ashamed of
making it filthy. The landscape architect refers to them as
non-self-righteous people since he realised people only behaved out of
fear of the authorities. Yet, since there were no in the West, there was
also no respect.
Moreover, some Americans did not consider the West as a part of the
American territory as it was not only occupied by Natives. Indeed,
Frederick Law Olmsted also wrote these lands were occupied by many
Chineses and Mexicans who already had their business there. That way, the cohabitation
between all of them could sometimes be boisterous, which didn’t help to make the place
safer. Indeed, Westerns such as The Searchers describe quite well the tumultuous
understanding between Natives and Americans. Indeed, other Americans thought the West
was, before anything else, a part of the American territory and shall not be occupied by
anyone else than them. That way they wished to take back their lands from the so-called
filthy hand of the Natives and accomplish their duty according to the idea of Manifest
Destiny. As a result, there were often fighting.
Finally, the West can also be considered as a difficult place to live regarding the fact
that there weren't plenty of jobs and they were neither pleasant nor safe. For instance, you
could be a cowboy which means you had to look after cattle all day long in the middle of the
desert. Furthermore, it was a very harsh and perilous job since you could be the victim of a
stampede and die.

Nevertheless, life in the West could also be seen as a great place where to share goods and
culture. Indeed, the people that moved to the West were minorities. That way, it ended up
being a huge zone of cultural and racial interactions despite the rivalry between Americans
and people that were already here since not all thought the way others did.

To conclude, the West was definitely a hard place to live based on the historical context and
the lack of amenities. But, the West was, even more, a hard place to live in 1868 since it was
right after the civil war and the wounds it inflicted were not healed yet and still very painful.
Yet, it also had its advantages and remains a watershed in American history.

The Western Genre

Characteristics and History

The Western genre is a novel, short stories, motion pictures, television, radio shows
and movie genre which emerged at the end of the 19th century. This genre’s typical plots
mostly take place in the West of America, post-civil war. As we are tackling a western movie,
I will mostly be focusing on the Western movie characteristics, but they are a lot similar to
the other Western artworks’ features, even if I refer to them as Western movie
characteristics.
 * Most of the time, the Western movie plotline focus on a cowboy, a ranchman, a
conquerer, a lawman or a bounty hunter. Western movies often deal with a fight
between the good and the evil, each embodied by a character or a group of characters.
Besides, as Western movies are full of cliches about the man’s archetype and the women’s
place, it must involve a strong man as the main character. That way, the powerful hero must
have enemies who stand for evilness, usually, their opposite. They may be Native
Americans, bandits, highwaymen or criminals. Regularly, they are lonesome men living with
no strings attached who appears to have gotten through great ordeals.
Though, Western movies aren't only about fights, revenge and acting against the evil, they
also are about love stories and romance. That way, this type of movie, almost all the time,
involves a damsel in distress, a widow or a housewife: commonly “weak” women that need
the big muscled men to protect or avenge them.

Besides, as the Western expansion deprived, in a way, the Natives of most of their
lands and caused conflicts between the white settlers and Natives; the opposition of those
civilizations is one of the basic Western themes. That way, Manifest destiny, which is the
religious belief that white civilized men must bring progress to the uncivilized West in the
name of God, also is part of the classical Western implicit themes.
A typical Western movie must tackle moral topics such as the legitimacy of killing someone,
racial purity and racism, the sense of justice and honour whom all are related to what the
patriarchy expect of men. Admittedly, manhood, masculinity and manliness are crucial to the
Western man figure and as he usually is the main character of the artwork, it appears logical
they would tackle such topics even if it is implicit.

That way we can establish a list of the most common plots in Western movies which would
be:
● Revenge stories where the plotline often involves an elaborate chase and pursuit by
a wronged individual. It may also include elements of the classic mystery story.
● Cavalry and Indian stories. The plot revolves around "taming" the wilderness for
white settlers.
● Outlaw story. Outlaw gangs dominate the action.
● Marshal story. The lawman and his challenges drive the plot.

* Western films have some specific settings such as

isolated ranches, Native American villages, or small
frontier towns. Oftentimes, these settings appear in
deserted and without much structure. For example, you will
for sure find the typical Far West features such as immense
red-grounded arid plains with huge reliefs and hilly
landscapes. Usually, these movies are shot in California and
Utah.
The arid landscape is relevant to the story as it has its own identity and can even be
considered as a character itself. It appears as the coveted land which can be both an
obstacle; a threat to the hero’s achievements, or a fruitful land that provides supplies.

* Most of the time only the natural landscapes are

shown but, as Western movies may also depict
Western development, you can find some scenes where the
action takes place in boomtowns. The town set is also
almost always the same,
a long and large red-grounded road surrounded by wooden
buildings and, of course, one of them has to be a saloon.
In some Westerns where civilization has arrived or where
towns are more developed, you can find a church, a general store, a bank and a school.
However, these movies mainly take place in arid landscapes.

* There also are typical Western movie features such as the soundtracks. Music can
be a key element of Western films. If the main character is a lonesome one, it is part
of the lonely vagabond’s cliche. Watching a scene where the hero is playing the harmonica
near a little campfire by a starry night in the desert is not uncommon. Indeed, if it is not the
hero who is playing the harmonica, there must be at least a harmonica soundtrack in the
movie. Moreover, Westerns may feature some iconic outfits such as the Cowboy's outfit. For
instance, a movie Cow-boy will undoubtedly wear a stetson hat, a waistcoat, a bandana
wrapped around the neck, a gun in a holster and boots with spurs.
The housewife will also wear a thick gown with an apron which is the typical attire that
characterises her.

To conclude, I will list some classical Western movie figures that have marked this genre.
James Stewart, Lee van Cleef, John Wayne, Gary Cooper, Clint Eastwood and Maureen
O'Haran are all famous Western movie actors and, for one of them, actress. Besides, Sergio
Leone, Howard Hawks and John Ford are for sure the genre's most renowned directors.

John Ford
Portrait

John Martin Feeney, nicknamed John Ford, was born on February 1st
of 1894, in Cape Elizabeth, Maine, in the U.S.A. He died on August the
31st of 1973 in California, Palm Desert, in the U.S.A. John Ford was
an American film director mostly renowned for his Westerns such as
Stagecoach(1939), The Searcher (1956), and The Man Who Shot
Liberty Valance(1962). While he was active as a film director, he
directed more than 140 films and is regarded as one of the most
influential and important filmmakers of his generation thanks to his
techniques and skills which were remarkable at the time.
He won four Best Director Academy Awards, which is more than any
other director have ever received, and also earned Oscars for two wartime documentaries.
In 1973, he was the first recipient of the American Film Institute's Life Achievement Award. In
the same year, Ford received the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Indeed, his multiple
rewards are proof he was one of the greatest filmmakers.

Ford was an Irish, American and New Englander man. Both his parents
were immigrants. Ford got his start in Hollywood as an assistant in the
production of his older brother's movies, Francis Ford. By the time, John
Ford made his debut as a director in 1917, when his brother's career was
on the decline. However, he did not have success as soon as he had
started. Indeed, between 1917 and 1928, John Ford worked on more than
60 silent films, that we nowadays have lost except for a few of them, which
did not achieve great success. John Ford had his first significant success
as a director in 1924 with The Iron Horse, a movie dealing with the building
of the First Transcontinental Railroad. He didn’t have another great
success until he released Stagecoach in 1939, which many critics consider as one of the
best films of all time. It earned seven Academy Award nominations including Best Picture
and Best Director. Though World War II had already started and Ford soon had to serve his
country. After his service in the war, he continued producing movies regarded as classics in
the present day despite being dogged by ill health and declining eyesight.
Ford's next Western didn't appear until 1956. Starring Jeffrey Hunter and Natalie Wood, The
Searchers quickly became a classic. In 2008, the American Film Institute named it the
Greatest Western of All Time. Besides, in 1962, John Ford released The Man Who Shot
Liberty Valance starring James Stewart and John Wayne. Many critics consider it the last
great Ford film. It was a major success and one of the top 20 money-making films of the
year. Cheyenne Autumn, the final John Ford Western, appeared in 1964. Unfortunately, it
was not a success at the box office yet was the most expensive film the legendary director's
had ever shot in his career. Ford died in 1973 before his last movie was even released: A
Tribute to a Legend featuring narration by John Wayne released in 1976.
He still remains one of the best film directors of his generation, if not the best, and an
indisputable master of the Western genre.

The Searchers (1956)

Short summary

The Searchers is a movie dealing with the adventures of Ethan and his brother’s family
who’s living in Texas, in 1868. After 8 years, Ethan finally returns to his brother’s ranch after
he fought in the civil war. His family; that is to say, his brother Aaron, his brother’s wife
Martha and their kids, Lucy, Ben and Debrah nicknamed Debbie, is mostly really happy to
see him after such a long absence but the happy reunion won't last for long. While he and
some other men are looking for the Jorgensen's missing cattle, Ethan finds out they all have
been ambushed, and while they were gone, Natives have set fire to his brother’s ranch.
Martha, Aaron and Ben are dead while Lucy and Debbie have been taken away by the
Natives as a revenge to their lost ones, killed by Americans. As soon as they can, Ethan and
Martin, a young man that was once saved by Ethan as a baby and raised by the Edwards,
leave the ranch to look for the girls. Their search is taking years yet all they could find was
Lucy’s dead body in a canyon but nothing of Debbie. Finally, they come back to the
Jorgensen's, long time family friends that are willing to host them. However, they get a new
lead to find Debbie, thanks to a letter the Jorgensens kept, which contained a piece of
Debbie’s dress. Thus, they leave the house as soon as they can. After another few years
looking for Debbie, they finally find her in a Native’s settlement. Nevertheless, she now is the
leader’s wife, and Ethan refuses to recognize her as his niece anymore. In fact, to him, she
is nothing but a Native. Martin and Ethan choose to return to the Jorgensen’s, but it turns out
they have to launch an attack on the camp where Debbie is kept as revenge on the Natives
who imprisoned an innocent white man. During the fight, when Debbie is at Ethan’s mercy,
he finally accepts her as his niece again and brings her to the Jorgensen's.
The Characters
Introduction

Ethan Edwards was a soldier who served in the civil war, before returning to
his family: the Edwards. He is Aaron Edwards’ brother and appears to have a
strong bond with his brother’s wife, Martha. He is a brave and calm character
who knows how to handle any situation and always manages to find solutions
without losing his motivation.
Yet, he also is extremely racist and close-minded on the Natives’ topic whom
he considers as savages he would be merciless to. Indeed, even when it
affected his niece, he was willing to disown her since he couldn’t see anything
else than Scar’s wife in her. Moreover, he lacks a lot of empathy and is a stubborn man that
loves to have the lead. He rather be alone, managing his business with no one around.
Actually, he even sees his partners as burdens and is willing to use them as baits without
thinking about their consent or endangering their lives.
his contrast invites us to ask ourselves if Ethan is a hero or an anti-hero. Indeed, Ethan is an
intriguing character given he is the main character of the movie yet he holds both the roles of
the hero and the anti-hero. In fact, he acts at multiple times like an anti-hero would and has
amoral values.

* First and foremost, he is full of himself. He wants to be the leader and won’t
cooperate with other men as he sees them as nuisances. He refused several times
to follow the captain’s orders during their first fight with Natives. He also refused to get any
help from the Texas Rangers in the search for the girls, saying they would be useless and
that he does not need any help. I believe we will all agree on the fact that is not a hero’s
behaviour.

* Secondly, he is strongly racist and the fact he shows

explicit hatred towards the Natives is anti-heroic, and for
good reason. The movie shows that Natives are not all as
violent and vengeful as Chief Scar. For instance, the Comanche
squaw Martin accidentally bought is a Native but is not harmful.
All she wanted was to be useful to Martin. However, Ethan
continues to show aversion towards Natives even if only some of them are despicable.
Moreover, he does it through small acts that make him look even less of a hero and, to a
certain extent, pathetic compared to the even-handed Martin. For example, when he shot
more Bisons that they needed to eat and justified his act by saying there would be less of
them for the Comanches, made him look immature. Admittedly, it is obvious that not only the
Natives he hates need supplies but he acted as so and didn't think a second about other
people's needs. He only acted vengefully.

* Thirdly, it goes with the last point but, the most

important reason that makes Ethan an anti-hero is the
fact he is willing to kill one of his relatives because they were
living with Natives, which is strongly amoral. When he had his
first chance to save Debbie, he only wanted to kill her. Then,
when they had to attack Chief Scar’s camp after Mose came
back from it, he, at first, opposed himself to Martin’s attempt to
save Debbie. He did not even consider saving her himself,
which is not the behaviour we expect from a hero. Whereas Martin appears like one. Ethan
is even more anti-heroic when we remember Debbie did not choose to live with the
Comanches and was forced into being the Chief’s wife. Debbie’s situation was already unfair
and Ethan appeared as a heartless man that easily forgot about family bonds because of a
wrongful and racist judgment.

* Finally, the heartless and ruthless anti-hero he

embodies is underlined by the lack of respect he
demonstrates to other people. For instance, he robbed a dead
man he had just shot a minute ago and felt no shame about it.
Moreover, he had no remorse while shooting several times on
a buried Comanche. Besides, he held Martin back when he
tried to prevent Brad from his unavoidable death. That way,
Ethan does not appear as a heroic character at all and even less as he stands at Martin’s
side who, him, is a very heroic character with honourable values.

* However, the only things that make him a hero are the fact
he is skilled and can handle fights as a hero would. Moreover,
he certainly has composure, but he still showed empathy on some
occasions. When he came back from the canyon where he found Lucy,
he seemed very disoriented. Besides, he planned not to tell Brad about
Lucy’s death given he was concerned it would have destroyed him. Most importantly, he
showed empathy towards Look’s death saying she didn’t deserve it which is very surprising
as she is a Comanche.
Furthermore, Ethan has known war, may have lost a lot of friends, has lost his whole family
and still remains lonely, apart from family life. That aspect of him triggers our pity towards
this man that never really deserved such a terrible life. It also allows us to understand why
he would not want to drag anyone in the search; maybe he just wants to protect them but
lacks tact. Finally, the fact he reconsidered Debbie as his niece at the very last moment
showed that he could question his own acts. It also showed that, after all, he wasn't able to
kill his beloved little niece. Thus, he, in a way, also appears as a lonesome man that is afraid
of losing his loved ones and so he will try his best not to show attachment to them, which is
the typical desperate hero's behaviour.

* To conclude, even if Ethan appears, sometimes, as a hero, it’s tricky to call him a
hero. I believe that we can forgive some words and acts to a hero, yet forgiving
Ethan is unfair compared to what he did and say. However, we can’t say he is an anti-hero
and forget about the fact he can also be a heroic character.

Martin Pawley, nicknamed Marty, is the adopted child of the Edwards family
who was saved by Ethan as a baby. He is a brave and compassionate young
man that stands as the gentleman hero in the movie. He helped Ethan on the
search to track down Debbie and Lucy. His relationship with Ethan was
chaotic at first given the boy has Cherokee blood in his veins. Indeed, as
Ethan is strongly racist, he would not approve Martin at first and very much
not recognize him as his nephew. By the end of the movie, we assume Ethan
finally likes Martin, but it’s not explicit. Thanks to his origins, Martin has a
more even-handed approach than Ethan towards the Comanches and wants to keep Debbie
alive no matter what. He also is in love with Laurie Jorgensen but struggles at expressing his
feelings. He is a clumsy boy but has a strong sense of justice. In fact, he is a very likeable
character thanks to his devotion and will to save Debbie no matter where she was raised or
how she grew. He completely embodies the hero values.

Aaron Edwards was Ethan’s brother. He and his wife had 3 children, Ben, Lucy
and Debbie. We didn’t see much of him in the movie, but we can say that he and
his brother didn’t like each other. Obviously, it was because of his wife and
Ethan’s relationship. Aaron looked like a calm man, so as his brother. Yet, he didn’t seem to
be so much of an adventurer, unlike Ethan. From what we saw of him, we can say he was a
simple man. Unfortunately, he died with his wife and his son in the fire the Natives had set to
their house.

Martha Edwards was Aaron’s wife and a housewife, like most of the women at
this time. She was a kind woman and a very concerned mother about her family’s
good. It has never openly been said, but it was obvious her bond with Ethan is not
the kind of bond you would have with your husband’s brother. They may have
been in love secretly. Unfortunately, she died with her husband and her son in the
fire the Natives had set to their house.

Ben Edwards was a joyful little boy. He was a curious child and mostly about his
uncle’s experience with fights and war. He admired his uncle very much and was
a simple kid that liked to laugh at her sister’s love story. As well as his mother and
father, he died in the fire.

Lucy Edwards was the eldest daughter the Edwards had. She was in love with
Brad Jorgensen and wanted to marry him. We don’t know a lot, nor have seen
her a lot in the movie, but we can assume, thanks to her attitude, that she was a
very cheery and kind girl. When the Natives attacked the Edwards’ ranch she
was kidnapped and soon killed by the Natives in a canyon. Her body has been
found and buried by Ethan, near the canyon.

Debbie Edwards is the youngest of the Edwards’ children. She was kidnapped
by Comanches and forced into spending several years living as the chief’s wife.
We can assume she is a king girl and also extremely brave for surviving such
events. Moreover, she has a strong bond with Martin, her brother, and
undoubtedly loves her uncle even if their relationship is intricate.

Brad Jorgensen was the Jorgensen's son who died while he was looking for his
fiancee, Lucy. From what we saw of him, we can say he was brave and
determined. However, he was still an unconscious kid, unaware of the riskiness
of what he had engaged him in which partly led him to his death. However, what
led him to his death was undoubtedly his unconsciousness, yet it was due to
how much he loved Lucy. He was a passionate young man that died for his
beloved’s sake.

Lars Jorgensen is Brad and Laurie Jorgensen’s father as well as Mrs

Jorgensen’s husband. The Jorgensen are the one who welcomed Martin and
Ethan when they came back unsuccessful from their first research. They also
have helped the two searchers in their duty thanks to a letter they kept for Ethan,
which contained a new lead to Debbie. Lars is a respectful and cheerful man that
never fails in helping others. He looks like a simple man that loves to laugh at
everything and appears to have a positive mindset.

Mrs Jorgensen is Lars’s wife and a very gentlewoman. We assume she is a very
concerned mother since she, at first, opposed herself to her son following Ethan
in his revenge. When her son died and Ethan and Martin returned without Brad,
she held no hatred towards Ethan and welcomed them both in the house for them
to rest. She must also be a simple woman that enjoys everything that provides her
happiness.

Laurie Jorgensen is the daughter of the Jorgensen. She has always been in love
with Martin and expected to marry him. However, his absence due to his five-year
search for Debbie finds the young woman often disappointed in him. Laurie is a very
compassionate woman that stands as the perfect wife. In fact, she is the cliche of the good
little wife that waits desperately for her dear to come back while keeping the house clean.
She appears to be the one that will patch her husband’s ropes and cook him his favourite
dishes. Laurie is both a dislikeable character and a likeable one based on the fact she asked
the man she loved to abandon his little sister just for her sake, for her to have her boyfriend
with her. Indeed, her selfish behaviour reminds us of a frustrated kid’s whim which leads us
to hate her. Nevertheless, she triggers pity since she already has lost her brother in this
research. Thus, we can’t blame her for being afraid her beloved won’t come back.

Charlie McCorry is a dispatch. He is the one that delivered the letter containing
the piece of Debbie’s dress that was sent to Ethan while he was looking for Debbie
and Lucy. While Martin and Ethan were on their second trip he was engaged to
Laurie Jorgensen, who couldn’t wait for Martin anymore. Charlie appeared to be a
likeable character based on the fact he was always very smiley. Nevertheless, it is
a character we are led to dislike since he is the one that ruins Laurie and Martin’s
relationship, even if it is not really a healthy relationship.

Look is the nickname Ethan gave to the Comanche woman Marty accidentally
bought while he was trading with some Comanches. She was a sweet woman
who desired to be useful but was mistreated by Martin who found her annoying
and wanted her to leave. She also was frequently mocked by Ethan and finally
left them after they asked her if she knew something about “Scar”. Martin and
Ethan found her dead in a Comanche camp, soon after she left them.

Samuel Johnson Clayton is a captain in Texas as well as an old Edwards’

family friend. He is the one that launched the research for the missing cattle
when Ethan came back. Moreover, he has helped with other men, in the very
first search for Lucy and Debbie. However, as he couldn’t bear Ethan who was
questioning his instructions and saying he didn’t need them that they were
nothing but a nuisance, he came back with the other men and the injured. Also,
he is the one that launched the final attack against the Comanche that was
holding Debbie. The captain is a stubborn man that overestimates himself a bit which often
makes him ridiculous. In fact, he is not a mean character and could even be considered as a
likeable one. Yet, he often appears to hold the plot back and is a bit annoying on that point.

Mose Harper is an eccentric man with a passion for rocking chairs. He helped in
the first search for Lucy and Debbie and was part of the one that came back
home after their first front fight with Comanches. By the end, he also helped
Ethan to finally track down the Comanche chief Scar and save Debbie as he has
been their captive for two days. It is not explicit if Mose is crazy or not, but we can
undoubtedly say he is not wholly mentally stable. Furthermore, Mose is a funny
character, and his passion for rocking chairs has for sure a part in that.

Emilio Figueroa is a man Ethan and Martin encountered in a New Mexico

canteen. He is the man who led the two Searchers to the chief Scar who’s
Debbie as his wife. He seemed kind and very cautious when they met Scar. We
can assume he is a man that sticks to his values and mostly the value of honour
since he gave Ethan back the money he had given him as he judged he didn’t
deserve it.

Chief Scar is a Comanche chief who kidnapped Debbie and Lucy in vengeance
for the deaths inflicted upon his people by white settlers. He must also be the one
that chose to set fire to Edwards' ranch. He appeared to be a tough man but not
violent to no good purpose since he welcomed Ethan and Martin as respectable
guests. Yet, he still kidnapped two little girls and even killed one of them while marrying the
other while she was barely a teenager.
Thus, we definitely can’t say he is a likeable character based on what he did which was meet
violence with violence.

Don’t ever ask me more! (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S6iFW-HoFwc)

The acumen of Brad’s implicit death and its meaning

* The first scene is a long shot on Martin and Ethan and Brad is coming to them
while telling he saw Lucy. The second shot is a mid shot on Ethan and Brad,
alternating with medium close-ups of the same characters while Ethan explains to the young
man that what he saw was not Lucy but just her dress. Then, there is another long shot
where Brad rushes to his horse and rides it while Martin tries to prevent him from leaving;
Martin knows Brad will die in his revenge. But Brad manages to leave, and the camera pans
on him leaving on his horse allowing us to see Ethan tripping Martin to hold him back since
he is still trying to catch on to Brad. The last shot is a mid shot on Ethan and Martin where
Ethan is holding Martin back from following and stopping Brad.

* I choose this scene for many reasons. The first reason is that cinematically
speaking it is very interesting. In fact, it was hard, back in the Fifties, to film at night
and even more in the desert since there was no light at night except the moonlight. Though,
as the director must have wanted this scene to happen at night in the movie, they had to find
a way to make the scene look like it had been filmed at night even if it had not.
Consequently, we here have a great example of the use the filmmakers made of the blue
lenses for cameras. This blue filter we would put on the camera’s lens made the scene look
a bit darker in order to mimic how the landscape would look at night. That is why the colours
look overexposed compared to how dark the image is.
Nowadays, it looks a bit odd but at the time it was useful and there was no other way to
imitate nighttime.
Besides, this scene also is unusual cinematically speaking as Brad’s death is not shown. It is
implicit but very well intelligible thanks to the tragic music and the shooting sounds. It is
interesting in the aspect that, nowadays, death and blood are always shown explicitly in
action movies, whereas it is not in Ford’s movies. Nevertheless, it doesn’t make Brad’s death
less tragic and is proof that movies don’t require to depict graphic death scenes to make
them more dreadful or easier to get.

* Secondly, I also choose this scene since it is a great example of patriarchy and the
required sense of dignity at this time. Indeed, Ethan prevents Martin at multiple times
from stopping Brad even if he knows he is rushing towards his destruction. It is not explicit,
but Ethan that Brad must avenge “his” woman no matter what is the price or his honour will
be tarnished. Yet, he, at first, refused to tell Brad what he had found in the canyon since he
knew it was going to destroy him. Indeed, it also is an amazing example of Ethan’s duality.
Ethan at first acted as a hero when he tried to protect Brad. However, even if he showed
empathy towards Brad’s situation, he did not hold him back and even encouraged him as he
forced Martin to back off. What is striking here is that Ethan rathered Brad’s death for the
sake of his beloved and his dignity as “her” man over his life. While Brad's mother almost
begged him not to drag her son into his revenge given she knew, back when they were going
to start the search, he would die. Indeed, some people could say Ethan didn’t prevent the
boy from rushing towards his destruction because he respected Brad’s feelings. Although, I
don’t think Ethan would have acted the same if it was only about some kids’ feelings, as he
does not usually show true empathy. Admittedly, he didn’t seem to feel so stirred by Brad’s
death we can assume he thought what had to be done was. I don’t see any advantages in
the death of a being over his feelings nor his revenge.
In my eyes, a man’s dignity, and even more a young man’s dignity, should never be
more important than his life, and this scene shows how extreme and amoral was the
patriarchal norm. I would be tempted to say, Martin embodies change and the fact no life
should be sacrificed for an act of revenge or someone’s dignity, but as I don’t know John
Ford’s position on parity and patriarchy, I don’t know if Martin is here to embody the right
mindset or not. Nonetheless, I still believe it is a good thing that Martin appears as a heroic
character that questions the patriarchy and racism towards other ethnicities.

As a conclusion, in my eyes, this scene was interesting as it could be easily forgotten but it
remains intriguing technically speaking and in the light of a man’s life matter opposed to his
dignity.

Thank you for your attention!

I hope you enjoyed it!