Edward S. Curtis (1868-1952)

Edward S. Curtis (1868-1952)

“The Searchers”Study Guide

EMC/JOUR 3000Edward Bowen

“The Searchers” (1956)

C.V. Whitney Pictures, Warner Brothers Pictures

Directed by John Ford

Screenplay by Frank S. NugentFrom “The Searchers” by Alan Le May

Cinematography by Winton C. Hoch

Music by Max Steiner

Location – Partially filmed at Monument Valley, Utah

Starring John Wayne, Jeffrey Hunter, Vera Miles, Ward Bond, Natalie Wood, Henry Brandon, Harry Carey Jr.

The Technical DimensionComposition – The Landscape

The Technical DimensionComposition

The Technical DimensionComposition

The Technical DimensionComposition

The Technical DimensionComposition

The Technical Dimension

Especially in his westerns, Ford loved to create bustling, busy interiors full of life and feeling, and he was equally fond of positioning human figures, alone or in small, vulnerable groups, against vast, obliterating landscapes. A. O. Scott, The New York Times

The Technical DimensionThe Heroic Frame

The Technical DimensionThe Heroic Frame

The Technical DimensionThe Heroic Frame

The Technical DimensionColor

The Technical DimensionLighting

The Technical DimensionStock Company

Frank Nugent (Writer) – 10 Ford filmsJohn Wayne - 14+ Ford filmsJeffrey Hunter – 3 Ford filmsVera Miles – 3+ Ford filmsWard Bond - 20+ Ford filmsJohn Qualen – 8 Ford filmsOlive Carey – 3 Ford filmsKen Curtis – 11+ Ford filmsHarry Carey Jr. - 9+ Ford filmsHank Worden – 8+ Ford filmsPatrick Wayne - 8+ Ford films

http://www.directedbyjohnford.com/performers.html

The Dramatic DimensionThe Introduction of the Anti-HeroInference

http://www.tcm.com/mediaroom/video/457977/Searchers-The-Movie-Clip-Texas-1868.html

The Dramatic DimensionThe Introduction of the Anti-HeroInference

Three year absence

Quantities of gold

The medal Ethan Edwards gives to Debbie is not a Confederate or Union Army medal. It is the Order of St. Guadalupe, the second highest award of the Mexicans at the time (equivalent to the Distinguished Service Cross), a French medal awarded to mercenary soldiers who fought between 1865 and 1867 for the Emperor Maximilian of Mexico. This medal implies Ethan served in the French Mexican Expedition during his mysterious three year absence and also explains his fluency in Spanish.Many Confederates went south after the war and as a Horse Artillery Sergeant (red SGT stripes with yellow britches stripes) he would have been highly paid.

http://www.tcm.com/mediaroom/video/457977/Searchers-The-Movie-Clip-Texas-1868.html

The Dramatic DimensionThe Legacy of Unspoken Love

The Dramatic DimensionRelationships Between the Lines

The Dramatic DimensionRacism as Character Trait

Is the film intended to endorse their attitudes, or to dramatize and regret them? Today we see it through enlightened eyes, but in 1956 many audiences accepted its harsh view of Indians.Roger Ebert

http://www.brentonpriestley.com/writing/searchers.htm

The Dramatic DimensionRacism as Character Trait

Ethan Edwards, fierce, alone, a defeated soldier with no role in peacetime, is one of the most compelling characters Ford and Wayne ever created (they worked together on 14 films). Did they know how vile Ethan's attitudes were? I would argue that they did, because Wayne was in his personal life notably free of racial prejudice, and because Ford made films with more sympathetic views of Indians. This is not the instinctive, oblivious racism of Griffith's ''Birth of a Nation.'’Roger Ebert

With a lot of blacks, there’s quite a bit of resentment along with their dissent, and possibly rightfully so. But we can’t all of a sudden get down on our knees and turn everything over to the leadership of the blacks. I believe in white supremacy until the blacks are educated to a point of responsibility. I don’t believe in giving authority and positions of leadership and judgment to irresponsible people.John Wayne, 1971

The Dramatic DimensionComic Relief

The Socio-Historic DimensionFort Parker Massacre – May 19, 1836The 1836 Kidnapping of Cynthia Ann Parker (Naduah)Battle of Pease River

Cynthia Ann Parker – Kidnapped by a Comanche war party at the age of nine. Family and community viciously slaughtered.

Adopted by the Comanche, lived with them for 24 years

Married Chief Peta Nocona, bore three children.

Mother to Quanah Parker, last free Comanche chief

December, 1860 - Rescued at age 24 by Texas Rangers during a surprise raid at Pease River

Spent last ten years of her life refusing to adjust to white society, escaping once and being re-rescued.

Stands With A Fist

The Socio-Historic Dimension

Britt Johnson

Born a slave in Tennessee around 1840

Moved to Texas with his master Moses Johnson in the 1850s, where he was appointed ranch foreman with unlimited freedom to perform his duties and raise his own horses and cattle.

October 13, 1864 – The Elm Creek Raid. Kiowas and Comanche killed Johnson’s son, kidnapped his wife and two daughters.

Johnson sought after his family for months, until they were ransomed from the Comanche.

Johnson died in a Kiowa attack on his wagon train in 1871.

The Socio-Historic Dimension

The James Box FamilyIndian Peace Commission – 1868 Report

The testimony satisfies us that since October 1865, the Kiowas, Comanches, and Apaches have substantially complied with their treaty stipulations entered into at that time at the mouth of the Little Arkansas. The only flagrant violation we were able to discover consisted in the killing of James Box and the capture of his family in western Texas about the 15th of August 1866. The alleged excuse for this act is, that they supposed an attack on Texas people would be no violation of a treaty with the United States; that as we ourselves had been at war with the people of Texas, an act of hostility on their part would not be disagreeable to us.

The Socio-Historic Dimension

Battle of Washita River, November 27, 1868“Little Big Man” (1970) Arthur Penn

http://youtu.be/wBZkS0uYrpohttp://mtmedia.mtsu.edu:8888/ebowen/Little Big Man.mp4

The Socio-Historic Dimension

Battle of the North Folk of the Red River, 1872

The Socio-Historic DimensionNative American Perspectives

http://www.nativeamerican.co.uk/searchers.htmlNative American Reactions to the Searchers by Tom Grayson Colonnese

Are the westerns of the 1920s, 30s, 40s, 50s and 60s to Native Americans what “Birth of a Nation” is or was to African Americans?

The Socio-Historic DimensionNative American Depictions

http://www.tcm.com/mediaroom/video/315565/Native-American-Images-On-Flim-Movie-Promo-Non-Indians-Part-One.html

The Socio-Historic DimensionNative American Depictions

http://youtu.be/_hJFi7SRH7Qhttp://mtmedia.mtsu.edu:8888/ebowen/How Hollywood stereotyped the Native Americans.mp4

The Socio-Historic DimensionNative American Depictions“Reel Injun” (2009) Neil Diamond

http://youtu.be/htyEJSEZYNUhttp://mtmedia.mtsu.edu:8888/ebowen/Reel Injun Trailer.mp4

The Socio-Historic DimensionNative American Depictions“Reel Injun” (2009) Neil Diamond

http://youtu.be/mTVWtlkXDSIhttp://mtmedia.mtsu.edu:8888/ebowen/Reel Injun Clip 1 Crazy Horse.mov

The Socio-Historic DimensionNative American Depictions“Reel Injun” (2009) Neil Diamond

http://youtu.be/Scp7VWJ5yzQhttp://mtmedia.mtsu.edu:8888/ebowen/Reel Injun Clip 2 Tragedy and Myth.mov

The Socio-Historic DimensionNative American Depictions

I don’t feel we did wrong in taking this great country away from them (American Indians), if that’s what you’re asking. Our so-called stealing of this country from them was just a matter of survival. There were great numbers of people who needed new land, and the Indians were selfishly trying to keep it for themselves.John Wayne 1971

http://youtu.be/m6BA5cDSiAM http://mtmedia.mtsu.edu:8888/ebowen/Reel Injun Clip 3 The cowboy.mov

The Socio-Historic DimensionNative American Depictions“The West Wing – The Indians in the Lobby” (2001) Aaron Sorkin

http://www.flasharc.com/bqo 3:30 7:20 17:20 38:10

The Socio-Historic DimensionNative American Depictions“Cheyenne Autumn” (1964) John Ford

http://vimeo.com/13192460http://mtmedia.mtsu.edu:8888/ebowen/John_Ford_s_Indians Miscegination.mov

The Socio-Historic DimensionNative American Depictions“Peter Pan” (1953) P.J. Hogan

http://vimeo.com/13192460

Why does he ask you, "How?”Once the Injun didn't knowAll the things that he know nowBut the Injun, he sure learn a lotAnd it's all from asking, "How?”When did he first say, "Ugh!”In the Injun book it sayWhen the first brave married squawHe gave out with a big ughWhen he saw his Mother-in-LawWhat made the red man red?Let's go back a million yearsTo the very first Injun princeHe kissed a maid and start to blushAnd we've all been blushin' sinceYou've got it from the headmanThe real true story of the red manNo matter what's been written or saidNow you know why the red man's red!

The Genre Dimension

The American Film Institute defines westerns as “a genre of films set in the American West that embodies the spirit, the struggle and the demise of the new frontier.”

The Genre Dimension

CivilizationCommunityOrder

WildernessIndividualityChaosNatureSavages

HonorJusticeLaw

The Genre Dimension

http://www.helium.com/items/130765-movie-analysis-underlying-myths-in-the-searchers

The film is constantly contrasting the wilderness with the civilized homestead of the white settlers, the Indians who are thought of as primitive and savage, feel at home in the wilderness, whilst the whites do not. The white settler's way of life and traditions, are contrasted with that of the Indians, the ideas of villain and hero also arise, as do issues concerning the contrast between masculinity and femininity.

The Genre Dimension

The Auteur Dimension“Directed by John Ford” (1971/2006) Peter BogdanovichThe Horizon

http://mtmedia.mtsu.edu:8888/ebowen/DBJF 2 Cut Horizon.mov

The Auteur Dimension“Directed by John Ford” (1971/2006) Peter BogdanovichIn One

http://mtmedia.mtsu.edu:8888/ebowen/DBJF 3 Two Rode.mov

The Auteur Dimension“Directed by John Ford” (1971/2006) Peter BogdanovichCinematography

http://mtmedia.mtsu.edu:8888/ebowen/DBJF 4 Under Protest.mov

The Auteur Dimension“Directed by John Ford” (1971/2006) Peter BogdanovichBlocking and Dialogue

http://mtmedia.mtsu.edu:8888/ebowen/DBJF 5 Blocking and Talking.mov

The Auteur Dimension“Directed by John Ford” (1971/2006) Peter BogdanovichPrint the Legend

http://mtmedia.mtsu.edu:8888/ebowen/DBJF 7 Print the Legend.mov

The Auteur Dimension“Directed by John Ford” (1971/2006) Peter BogdanovichAnn’s Theme

http://mtmedia.mtsu.edu:8888/ebowen/DBJF 8 Anns Theme.mov

The Auteur Dimension“Directed by John Ford” (1971/2006) Peter BogdanovichRitual

http://mtmedia.mtsu.edu:8888/ebowen/DBJF 9 Ritual.mov

The Auteur Dimension“Directed by John Ford” (1971/2006) Peter BogdanovichSentiment

http://mtmedia.mtsu.edu:8888/ebowen/DBJF 10 Sentiment.mov

The Auteur Dimension“Directed by John Ford” (1971/2006) Peter BogdanovichKate

http://mtmedia.mtsu.edu:8888/ebowen/DBJF 11 Kate.mov

The Auteur Dimension“Directed by John Ford” (1971/2006) Peter BogdanovichOne Man’s Vision

http://mtmedia.mtsu.edu:8888/ebowen/DBJF 12 One Man's Vision.mov

The Auteur Dimension“Directed by John Ford” (1971/2006) Peter BogdanovichResonance

http://mtmedia.mtsu.edu:8888/ebowen/DBJF 13 Resonance.mov

The Auteur Dimension“Directed by John Ford” (1971/2006) Peter BogdanovichResonance

Harry Carey John Wayne

Legacy

http://books.google.com/books?id=0tcCAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA45&lpg=PA45&dq=the+searchers+stuart+byron&source=bl&ots=SlWD4J2agr&sig=s3c2FBEz-GrxEpKh7oBNmDJTxGY&hl=en&sa=X&ei=3mN6T9qnJKbC2wXGy9iMAw&ved=0CC8Q6AEwAg#v=onepage&q=the%20searchers%20stuart%20byron&f=false

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