The Searchers Conflict

The most serious Native American stereotypes are clearly visible in films of the early twentieth century in Hollywood westerns. The big screen stories about western cowboys defeating Native tribes proved to be extremely popular and lucrative. Hollywood then started producing western tales in incredible quantities . In most Westerns, white cowboys represent courageous, brave, and quick witted men while the Indians are the dimming past. Cowboys are logical. “Indians” are irrational. Together, cowboys and Indians are the ego and the heart of the Anglo-Saxon identity. Native American characters in twentieth century films have ranged from stereotypes including the bloodthirsty, raging beast to the noble savage. Still other Indian characters, whether they are heroes, bad guys, or neutral, were the characters with little to no character development or range in their personalities. These stereotypes have their origins in popular American literature dating as far back as the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. Jacquelyn Kilpatrick, author of Celluloid Indians, notes that popular stories “centered on Native American savagery served as outlets for violence and pent up aggression in an early American society that prided manners and respectability.” (Kilpatrick 2) In these stories, the Native American population was seen as bad, though individual members could be represented as good. These stereotypes continued for years. One author, James Fenimore Cooper, began publishing a series of stories titled The Leatherstocking Tales in 1841. Kilpatrick emphasizes that Cooper

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 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.

The American western frontier, still arguably existent today, has presented a standard of living and characteristics which, for a time, where all its own. Several authors of various works regarding these characteristics and the obvious border set up along the western and eastern sections have discussed their opinions of the west. In addition to these literary works by renowned authors, one rather convenient cinematic reference has also been influenced by these well-known, well-discussed practices of this American frontier. “True Grit”, a film recently remade in 2010 by the Cohen Brothers, crosses the boundaries of the west allowing all movie-goers to capture one idea of the western world. The movie, along with a few scholarly sources

Some themes that are included are justice and love. In ‘Lone Ranger’ (Directed by Stuart Heisler), it is seen that a hero dubbed the Lone Ranger, a western version of Robin Hood, is depicted as a saviour of the innocent. When he is enlisted to unknowingly help the bad guys Lone Ranger decides to help the Indian Tribal people recover their lands. In ‘The Dressmaker’, Tilly seeks a personal injustice that happened to herself when she was blamed for the murder of her half-brother, Stewart, when in truth he killed himself by mistake. Here we can see that both themes of injustice are battled by each of the protagonist’s own moral code and abilities. Having a faulted yet lovable protagonist can make the modern audience want to support them in their adventures and trials, and also able to relate to the character’s situations. Love is another key theme in spaghetti westerns with the classic idea of ‘damsels in distress’. Having this stereotype makes the audience believe that the hero and their ‘damsel’ are meant to be. When Teddy dies, it gives Tilly the courage to be fearless towards the curses she proclaims to

The Characters in the play are the movie goers who happen to be Native American and John Wayne in the movie. The movie was written for a different audience than the one watching.

Ford’s Stagecoach is an epic and revolutionary approach that displays the desert terrain and western inhabitant’s struggles. Stagecoach follows the lives of seven strangers in their attempt to arrive to Lordsburg, New Mexico. Each of these characters reflects the various types of people found in the western world. The film is laced with many American ideals of the time such as xenophobia, chivalry, the conventional standards of women, and much more. Stagecoach defies the conventional western film because it is no longer just men in a desert terrain with rifles.

The story formula for Stagecoach structures around characters in the Tonto and introducing the characters, traveling to Lordsburg, stopping at Dry Fork way station for food and unforgettable dinner table scene, traveling towards Apache Wells in the snow, Mrs. Mallory’s baby born in Apache Wells, finally getting to Lordsburg but got attacked by the Indians, and ended with Ringo Kid in a shooting conflict. Stagecoach did a great job in the characters types. There are the protagonists, prostitute, gambler, schoolmarm. These are the specific character types in Western movies. The setting of the movie is on point. It’s in the American West and takes place in the 1880s. The location of Monument Valley is a favorite location for John Ford. The presentation of Stagecoach has many great exterior shots that collocate the characters with the environment they occupy. The stars in Stagecoach does fit in a Western movie. Like John Wayne, he stars in many Western movies. What makes Stagecoach a western is the traditional western theme. Like the fight between whites and Native Americans. There is a good use of the American West’s open plains and mountains.

The Native American culture is something that is cherished by their people. “Perhaps no other group of people has quite the rich and storied culture as those of the Native Americans. They have a history rich in struggle, strife, and triumph (Native American Culture).” Dances with Wolves, directed by Kevin Costner in 1990, is about a white man who becomes interested in the Native American culture and decides to befriend fellow an Indian tribe (Dances with Wolves). The Searchers by John Ford in 1956 is about a white man who is on a journey to find his niece who was kidnapped by an Indian tribe (The Searchers). These films do have a few differences but many similarities. Dances with Wolves and

By conquering the frontier, characters in western films portray how they, as well as society at this

“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.

He was the academy winning Western legend, recognized as one of the best filmmakers of all time, his name was John Ford. He started out his career in film in July 1914 as an assistant, labourman and actor for his brother Francis Ford. It was not until 1917 where he made his debut as a director with the lost film, The Tornado and ended his career in the early 1970s with his last film Chesty: A Tribute to a Legend. During his early years, he was making silent films where Westerns were very popular during the time. When the introduction of sound came and the birth of Talkies came, however, the genre started losing its popularity. Yet, that did not stop the director from working on the genre, eventually to the point where he is now credited today as the man who played a huge role in bringing the westerns back to popularity. So, in this video essay, I will be talking about John Ford’s take on Westerns and how he revolutionized the genre.

Typically referred to as ‘Indians’ in popular culture, Native Americans were traditionally seen in Westerns as the antagonists. The Western genre typically tells the story of the colonisation and discovery of America, which saw the major Hollywood studios revive the interest in the Western. Westerns draw on “historical actuality, a romantic philosophy of nature, and the concept of the […] savage” (Saunders, 2001, p. 3). Westerns often split the “depiction of the Indian, with the cruel and treacherous [Indian] balanced by the faithful [Indian]” (Saunders, 2001, p. 3) which resulted in the portrayals of Native Americans witnessed in films today.