The Searchers, a 1956 Western film starring the inimitable John Wayne, opens in the same way that is so typical of Westerns. That opening, of course, is the landscape shot. For several glorious seconds, the West itself is on display. There are no people, there are no animals, and there are no structures to interfere with the audience's unobstructed view of the stereotypically vast Western desert. Suddenly, a figure appears on horseback. He is riding into view of the camera, almost towards the viewer. A small home is shown and it becomes obvious that the destination of the man on horseback is none other than that small home.
This opening scene, while captivating in the sense that no other film or story can completely reproduce it, is not surprising as it is indicative of the Western genre. In Jane Tompkins' "West of Everything," the author articulates that "[t]he land revealed...in the opening shot of a Western is a land defined by absence: of trees, of greenery, of houses, of the signs of civilization, above all, absence of water and shade" (71). This is certainly true of the opening scene of The Searchers. The opening landscape is as barren and, seemingly, as unforgiving as can be imagined in the West. In regard to the opening scene of the Western, Tompkins also explains that "[i]n the instant before the human figure appears we have the sense of being present at a moment before time began. All there is is space, pure and absolute, materialized in the desert landscape" (70). This assertion certainly plays out at the beginning of The Searchers as before John Wayne's mounted character appears, the Texas desert seems so vast that it is difficult to imagine life existing here.
The Searchers chronicles the experiences of Ethan Edwards, played by John Wayne. Edwards is a former Confederate soldier who returns to his brother, Aaron's, Texas home in 1868; three years after the end of the Civil War. Also living in the home is Martha, Aaron's wife, Martin Pawley, the Edwards' adopted son, and the three Edwards children: a son and two daughters. Soon after Ethan's return home, the Edwards family is massacred by Comanche Indians. Only Martin is away at the time and the two Edwards daughters are abducted. Lucy Edwards is soon killed by the Comanches and only the youngest daughter, Debbie, remains in Comanche hands. Ethan and Martin then embark upon a five-year quest to find Debbie, while simultaneously punishing the Comanche for their crime. The fact that Ethan and Martin, both of whom are rugged men, spend five years searching for the Comanche who are holding Debbie is expected as it is indicative of the Western. Tompkins contends that "[t]o be a man in the Western is to seem to grow out of the environment, which means to be hard, to be tough, to be unforgiving. The ethical system the Western proposes...vindicates conflict, violence, and vengeance" (73). The two men embark upon this five-year journey as they are hard, tough, and Ethan especially is unforgiving. They don't merely seek to rescue Debbie, but to avenge the deaths of the Edwards family. This persistence certainly seems to be complimented by the unforgiving environment in which they live.
Obviously, the principal characters in The Searchers are white men. White men are the principal characters in Westerns as, according to Tompkins, "the Western naturalizes a certain racial, gender, and ethnic type as hero" (73). Tompkins notes that this hero is "invariably white, male, and Anglo-Saxon" (73). Clearly, Ethan and Martin fit this description as they are the heroes of the film. They are the men with whom the audience of 1956 was meant to identify. Yes, they sacrifice five years of their life to rescue Debbie, Ethan's niece and Martin's sister. However, they do this as they have to. They are white males. They must strike back at the Comanche Indian who, in their world, is simply not the same as they are. The Comanche are the invaders as they destroyed a home that was built on the land upon which they lived for thousands of years. They are the evil ones as they killed people who were living on land that once belonged to no one. These are the values that the Western promotes.
In regard to both The Searchers and Tompkins' "West of Everything," a contradiction may occur as Tompkins puts forth the notion that "town always threatens to entrap the hero in the very things that the genre most wishes to avoid: intimacy, mutual dependence, a network of social and emotional responsibilities" (86). It seems that within The Searchers, neither Ethan nor Martin truly seem to wish to avoid being in town. Yes, Ethan and Martin do spend five years away from town, however, they do so in an admirable attempt to rescue Debbie from her Comanche captors. Ethan did not have to return to Aaron's home a the beginning of the film, however, he did. Ethan does not seem to be true loner. He enjoys his family when he reunites with them at the beginning of the film. Also, throughout the film, he seems to enjoy, to a certain extent, the companionship of those with whom he is acquainted. Martin is also drawn to town as he and Laurie Jorgensen are childhood sweethearts. Martin leaves Laurie for five years so as to rescue his sister. He does not want to be without Laurie, but he must. Thus, The Searchers seems to be without the negative connotations surrounding the Western town as its two main characters, Ethan and Martin, do not seem to innately want to be without the comforts that town affords.
The Searchers, a 1956 Western film starring the inimitable John Wayne, opens with an iconic landscape shot. As a woman opens the door of a house, the landscape of 1868 Texas, the West itself, is on display. As the woman walks outside, the desert butte and the vast desert floor are revealed. This opening scene, indicative of the Western genre, is captivating as the vastness of the land demonstrates just how insignificant we truly are when compared with the land upon which we live. In Jane Tompkins' "West of Everything," the author articulates that "[t]he land revealed...in the opening shot of a Western is a land defined by absence: of trees, of greenery, of houses, of the signs of civilization, above all, absence of water and shade" (71). This is certainly true of the opening scene of The Searchers. The opening landscape is as barren and, seemingly, as unforgiving as can be imagined in the West. In regard to the opening scene of the Western, Tompkins also explains that "[i]n the instant before the human figure appears we have the sense of being present at a moment before time began. All there is is space, pure and absolute, materialized in the desert landscape" (70). This idea is conveyed within the opening scene of The Searchers.
ReplyDeleteThe Searchers chronicles the experiences of Ethan Edwards, played by John Wayne. As Tompkins contends, "[t]o be a man in the Western is to seem to grow out of the environment, which means to be hard, to be tough, to be unforgiving. The ethical system the Western proposes...vindicates conflict, violence, and vengeance" (73). Ethan certainly seems to be this sort of “hard,” “tough,” and “unforgiving” man. It is revealed that following the end of the Civil War in 1865, Ethan (who fought on the losing side), neglected to return home. Why is it that Ethan has been away for an additional three years? No specific reason is revealed. However, Ethan is a Western “cowboy.” He is drawn to the open desert as, according to Tompkins, “nature gives the hero a sense of himself. For he is competent in this setting. He knows his horse will lead him to water, knows how to build a fire and where to camp. He can take care of himself….the land is everything to the hero; it is both the destination and the way. He courts it, struggles with it, defies it, conquers it, and lies down with it at night” (81). Thus, the Western hero does not articulate why it is that he is drawn to the land. Wandering the open desert is simply the life that he prefers. Specifically, Ethan simply seems to enjoy the independence that his lifestyle affords. As the film concludes, Ethan, having the opportunity to remain with his family, chooses to return to the open desert. As Tompkins concludes, the hero returns on his “way across a dusty plain that reminds us of a fate postponed” (87). Ethan is the independent Western “cowboy.” He knows that while seemingly cruel, the land will consistently supply him with sustenance. People, on the other hand, will not.