The Searchers

Name: The Searchers
Genre: Adventure, Drama, Western
Released: May 26, 1956
Duration: 119 min
Rating: 94
Cast: Harry Carey Jr., Henry Brandon, Jeffrey Hunter, John Qualen, John Wayne

1956

METASCORE

Universal acclaim based on 15 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 41 Ratings

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7.3

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7.3	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 41 Ratings

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The Searchers

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Movie Details & Credits

Warner Bros. | Release Date: May 26, 1956 | Passed

Starring: Harry Carey Jr., Henry Brandon, Jeffrey Hunter, John Qualen, John Wayne, Ken Curtis, Natalie Wood, Olive Carey, Vera Miles, Ward Bond

Summary: An American Civil War veteran embarks on a journey to rescue his niece from the Comanches.

Director: John Ford

Genre(s): Adventure, Drama, Western

Rating: Passed

Runtime: 119 min

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Metascore

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Critic Reviews

100

Michael Wilmington

John Wayne's Ethan is his all-time top performance: funny, romantic, hard-bitten, scary, the personification of machismo. Read full review

100

Louis Black

A meditation on survival, The Searchers is about the loss of faith and the death of heroes. Read full review

100

Dave Kehr

The Searchers gathers the deepest concerns of American literature, distilling 200 years of tradition in a way available only to popular art, and with a beauty available only to a supreme visual poet like Ford. Read full review

100

Jack Moffitt

This C.V. Whitney production is undoubtedly one of the greatest Westerns ever made. For sheer scope, guts and beauty I can think of no picture of the Indian Wars of the Southwest to compare with it. Read full review

100

Roger Ebert

The Searchers contains scenes of magnificence, and one of John Wayne's best performances. Read full review

Staff (Not Credited)

There is perhaps some discrepancy in the play between Wayne's heroic image and the pathological outsider he plays here, but it hardly matters, given the film's visual splendour and muscular poetry in its celebration of the spirit that vanished with the taming of the American wilderness. Read full review

Pauline Kael

You can read a lot into it, but it isn't very enjoyable. The lines are often awkward and the line readings worse, and the film is often static, despite economic, quick editing.

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User Reviews

Colebrax

Mar 3, 2021

Check out my podcast where we do the deep dive on the history behind John Ford's 'The Searchers': https://wrongreel.com/podcast/wr544-the-searchers-cynthia-ann-parker-and-the-comanche/

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

AJ_13

Jul 2, 2021

While having many strengths, its most remarkable aspects are the stunning landscapes and visuals and its interesting approach to racism.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

DawdlingPoet

Nov 25, 2021

I enjoyed this Western for the cinematography and some aspects of the plot, the somewhat strong women but it did feel perhaps a little bland at times. Its quite a shout-y film, so if that doesn't appeal then perhaps its best to give this a miss. There are lots of scenes involving maleI enjoyed this Western for the cinematography and some aspects of the plot, the somewhat strong women but it did feel perhaps a little bland at times. Its quite a shout-y film, so if that doesn't appeal then perhaps its best to give this a miss. There are lots of scenes involving male characters fighting with one another, trying to prove each other the better one - that sort of thing. Of course im aware of the, how shall I put it?, non-PCness of such films and I did cringe at scenes where scalps were shown and the idea of the brutal savagery of supposed indians (native Americans) but I can also see that this film may be appreciated as an example of a classic American western too. There were one or two mildly amusing moments present too (such as one when a cowboy is bent over, having to get someone to pull sharp items out of his behind 'did that hurt?' 'no! shutup boy...' that sort of thing).

Its definitely cheesy but its not an awful film - its not great, its relatively good, I'd say. I think I enjoyed more than I disliked it, so I'd recommend it on that basis, yes.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

imdbsupport

Feb 11, 2021

You can read a lot into it, but it isn't very enjoyable. The lines are often awkward and the line readings worse, and the film is often static, despite economic, quick editing.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

TheEventsOf1989

Jan 25, 2020

"The Searchers" has definitely not aged well. The story is extremely simple, they're are some strange plot holes that audiences seemed to gloss over. On top of that, the role of the Native Americans in the story is extremely unrealistic, besides the fact that they are all played by white"The Searchers" has definitely not aged well. The story is extremely simple, they're are some strange plot holes that audiences seemed to gloss over. On top of that, the role of the Native Americans in the story is extremely unrealistic, besides the fact that they are all played by white actors, perhaps excusable because of the times, there antagonistic forces are simply overly evil and hateful, and the are given no real depth. The visuals are gorgeous, and the landscape and set design is immaculate, but the story is hindered.… Expand

0 of 2 users found this helpful02

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