Racism in The Searchers - Assignment Example

This difference is shown very clearly in the scene where Ethan finds Debbie, kills the man who captured her, and then aims his gun at her as well. Martin chases after Ethan, and it is clear that the struggle between the two men is unequal. Ethan is in a stronger position because he is on a horse, while Martin is on foot, like Debbie. When Martin places himself directly in front of the woman, protecting her from Ethan’s gun, even at the risk of his own life, he saves her. This heroic action highlights the extremism of Ethan’s position and makes the audience think about the cycle of violence that results when people are obsessed with the need for revenge.

Martin’s concern for Debbie acts as a bridge between Ethan and Debbie because Ethan recognizes his own shameful attitudes and changes his position so that he eventually carries Debbie back to her family.To a viewer seeing this film in 2011 The Searchers might come across under analysis as a contradiction.  It is a beautiful work of art but reflects extreme racism towards Native peoples. Offer a critique expressing how these two elements were blended so that someone watching the film for the first time might understand and recognize the racism, fear of miscegenation, and justification for genocide without hating the film.

It is very hard not to like The Searchers. One reason is the overwhelming talent of a mature John Wayne, playing his usual type of cranky hero. Another reason is the stunning cinematography of John Ford who recreates the white settlers’ folksy interiors against a stunning backdrop of red craggy rocks, vast deserts, snowy landscapes, and a brilliant blue sky. The preoccupation with the location highlights how harsh the environment was. The white people in the film struggle for their daily existence and their emotions at losing relatives create sympathy and outrage.

On the other hand, the character of Ethan Edwards is obviously a caricature. He is obsessed with revenge, and his notions that a white woman should have no right to live after being with a native man is presented as a flaw in his character, rather than a strength. He is undoubtedly strong, as when he protects others from seeing the corpses of Martha and Lucy, for example, but he is also bitter and lonely. Often the camera angles reveal where the director’s sympathies lie. One example of this is when the funeral for Martha is held on a little hill with rough wooden crosses.

In the background the huge red stones of the Indian territories rise up, dwarfing the little band of mourners. Another example occurs at the end, when Debbie and her family enter the tiny dark cabin, while Ethan is framed in the doorway, while the closing song is playing: “A man will search his heart and soul … go searching a way out there…” Ethan Edwards walks away to keep on searching for his peace of mind, and this suggests that he will keep on struggling with his hatred and fear of the native peoples.

It is a story that does not end there, and that is a big point for the movie to choose as an ending: people leaving the cinema in 2011 can also walk out of the darkness and reflect on what they have experienced.