The Searchers by John Ford 1956 (USA) 1h 59

Number 7 in the British Film Institute’s Critics’ top 100 films of all time.

“The Searchers manages to be both a rousing adventure movie and a melancholy film poem exploring the American values at the heart of the Western genre.”

Ed Lowry, International Dictionary of Films and Filmmakers, 1990
Cinema’s poet of the Wild West, John Ford already had countless westerns (among over 100 films) under his belt before reteaming with regular star John Wayne for this disturbing story of racism, obsession and revenge.

Intending to kill his kidnapped niece (Natalie Wood) when he finds her, assuming her long since defiled by her Comanche kidnappers, morally complex Ethan Edwards is the role that convinced many that Wayne could truly act. Ford sets the hulking actor against the awe-inspiringly rugged terrain of Arizona’s Monument Valley and, in the iconic final shot, frames him within the doorway of a homestead, standing outside on the cusp of a civilisation where he can never fit in. It is one of the medium’s most unforgettable images of isolation.

A lifelong fan of Ford’s film, Martin Scorsese created in Taxi Driver (1976) a kindred tale of an obsessive avenger attempting to rescue a young girl from malign influence.

Try and make it to the MLC Librairie Café for 6.45 to get a drink and have a chat, then we'll have a brief introduction to the director and film, and start the film promptly at 7.00, with time afterwards to discuss. Please do try to be on time out of respect for others watching the film.

This is an English language film with no subtitles. Although there is no cost to this screening, I will ask you to buy a 1 Franc raffle ticket in order to have the chance of taking the DVD home with you. It is also helpful to Francis, whose premises we are using, if you buy a drink.