John Ford's Analysis Of The Film 'The Searchers'

All of this proves that Hollywood is not doing a good job in making up for the blatantly racist films of the twentieth century. Hollywood needs to do more to reverse the stereotypes of early film because such stereotypes are still seen today along with their respective repercussions.

In 1939 John Ford masterminded a classical western film by the name of Stagecoach. This film has the integrity of a fine work of art. Being that it could be considered a work of art, the impression left on a viewing audience could differ relying on the audience's demographics. However, it is conceivable to all audiences that Ford delivers a cast of characters that are built on stereotypes and perceptions conjured from 'B' westerns that preceded this film's time. Each character is introduced to the audience in a stereotypical genre, as the film progresses, these stereotypes are broken down and the characters become more humanized. This is apparent with a handful of characters being

In the movies The Searchers by John Ford in 1956 and Cowboys and Alien by Jon Favreau in 2011 there is a large variation of how race and gender are represented in the movie. Even though these movies are 50 years apart there is are obvious links and differences in how race and gender are portrayed in these two movies. Race in The Searchers is portrayed by marginalising the Cherokee Indians. In The Searchers the Cherokee Indians are portrayed as “childish savages”, who hunt and kill “innocent” family’s and people and are the antagonists of the movie. However the Westerners are portrayed as the heroes of the

In the 1953 film Shane directed by George Stevens, mysterious hero Shane helps settlers in the west claim their property against land owners who are greedy for land. The film follows Shane as he meets the Starrett family who are fighting to keep their land. This film is an example of a classic Western film, with elements that reflect a uniqueness about the film in comparison to other Westerns, both cinematically and thematically.

John Ford built a standard that many future directors would follow with his classic 1939 film “Stagecoach”. Although there were a plethora of western films made before 1939, the film “Stagecoach” revolutionized the western genre by elevating the genre from a “B” film into a more serious genre. The film challenged not only western stereotypes but also class divisions in society. Utilizing specific aspects of mise-en-scène and cinematography, John Ford displays his views of society.

William Forrester (Sean Connery), a famous author who turns out being a hermit states, ¨you must write your first draft with your heart. You rewrite with your head. The first key to writing is... to write, not to think” (Finding Forrester (2000)). A powerful quote to that accurately depicts the powerful storyline of 2000 drama film, Finding Forrester. Set in modern-day New York City, Jamal Wallace (Rob Brown), a sixteen-year-old child genius is faced with the challenge of choosing academics or playing basketball at his remedial school in the Bronx. Jamal internal conflict is answered by socially awkward, classic novelist, William Forrester, who wants to help him find his voice through writing. The only problem is, Jamal´s writing is

The setting of the story is the family is in an old country house back in the day and it´s a very old western style. The characters in the movie are

Both films critique White racism and violence. Dunbar is guilty of the Whites and realizes that they are involved in a system where the Native culture, habitats, and populations are being destroyed. To purge his overwhelming sense of guilt, he switches sides and fights against his old comrades. White society is the demon while the Native Americans are apotheosized. In The Searchers, Ford presented Ethan not as the hero but almost as a subtle villain, a racist that embarks on a fixated and zealous mission that is fuelled by his hatred of Native Americans. Ford uses Ethan to depict the wrong actions of Whites.

Maya Angelou once said “Prejudice is a burden that confuses the past, threatens the future and renders the present inaccessible” and this sentiment is apparent in the novel Song of Solomon and the film Searchers directed by John Ford . In both these works of fiction prejudice is an underlying theme to the central plot in the fiction. Throughout the stories it becomes apparent the cause, cost and cure for prejudice taking the form of racism in both these works of fictions. The root of the prejudice in Song of Solomon comes from slavery and the legacy that the generations that follow carry with them.

The client is a 26 year old, single, male, African American. He is an active duty ship’s serviceman seaman serving in the United States Navy, aboard the USS Belleau Wood (LHA-3). Seaman (SN) Fisher is residing on board the USS Belleau Wood (LHA-3) that is permanently stationed at San Diego Naval Base, 32nd Street in California. SN Fisher was given orders to report to Navy Mental Health Services Department on base as Involuntary Command Referral for diagnosis and treatments, to get an evaluation and expert psychiatric recommendation about whether the service member is mentally fit to stay in the United States Navy. SN Fisher is unwilling to begin counseling,

“Film is more than the instrument of a representation; it is also the object of representation. It is not a reflection or a refraction of the ‘real’; instead, it is like a photograph of the mirrored reflection of a painted image.” (Kilpatrick) Although films have found a place in society for about a century, the labels they possess, such as stereotypes which Natives American are recognized for, have their roots from many centuries ago (Kilpatrick). The Searchers, a movie directed by John Ford and starred by John Wayne, tells the story of a veteran of the American Civil War and how after his return home he would go after the maligned Indians who killed his family and kidnapped his younger niece. After struggling for five years to recover

Throughout world history, it is evident that Native Americans have struggled in society ever since the landing of Christopher Columbus in North America. Ever since the film industry began in the 1890s, Native Americans have been depicted in many negative ways by film makers. One particular way film makers degrade Native Americans by making their white characters convert into Indians or “go Native” and eventually they always become better than the original Indians in the film. This notion has been repeated in many films, three significant films were it is evident is in The Searchers, Little Big Man, and Dances with Wolves.

According to Michael Budd in his essay, “A Home in the Wilderness”, the Western genre is “based” on distinct “oppositions” that operate to complicate character relations and move the plot forward (2). Within these various oppositions, Budd highlights one of the most prominent is the juxtaposing “settlement and wilderness” which can be seen at the forefront of films such as Ride Lonesome directed by Budd Boetticher in 1959 (2). In Ride Lonesome, the main character of Ben Brigade is an aging bounty hunter that seeks revenge against a bandit that murdered his Wife; Landscape in the film is used to demonstrate the volume of isolation he feels that ineptly separates him from the

From the very beginning of the early stages in American cinema, African Americans had a presence on the silver screen. The twentieth century created a new era of cinema that consisted of films produced for and targeted to an all-Black audience. “Race films” which existed in the United States for over thirty years (1913-1948), were films produced by African Americans that focused on Black themes and highlighted the talents of African American directors, producers, scriptwriters, and actors.

Throughout this class, various discussions and blogs have been used to analyze the different elements of films such as theme, cinematic techniques and genre. It is time to bring all of these separate elements together in the analysis of one specific film, according to class text, “analyzing levels of meaning below the surface story can greatly enhance enjoyment as well as understanding of a film” (Goodykoontz & Jacobs, 2014. p. 10.03). There are several different approaches to film analysis including formalist, auteurist, and generic or any combination thereof. Utilizing a genre theory lens, the 1956 film The Searchers will be analyzed addressing contextual information, story/plot, aesthetic choices, social/personal impact and how these areas come together to develop the film.