In John Ford’s The Searchers (1956), Ethan Edwards (John Wayne) searches for years for his niece, who was kidnapped as a child by Comanche. In this scene, he and his nephew Martin Pawley (Jeffrey Hunter) finally find Debbie (Natalie Wood), but she sends them away, fearful of the response of Chief Scar (Henry Brandon).
Discussion Questions
After watching this clip from The Searchers, consider the questions below. Then submit your response.
1. What iconographic elements identify this film by genre? How does this sequence use these generic elements in its own way?
2. How are central themes of the western enacted in the struggle between Ethan and Martin? Between Ethan and Scar?