The movie starts with the door opening with Wayne framed in the doorway. We're looking at Wayne from the inside. His character is a loner and outside of normal society. He's allowed in periodically to interact with them but in the end, when he's no longer needed, the door is closed on him and he returns to his loner life outside of normal society.
I have never gotten this movie and I am a big John Ford fan. It's a cut above the usual John Wayne flick, but that's not saying much. Martin Scorcese loves it, though, so what do I know.
I agree completely and I am a big John Ford fan. This has to be the most overrated film of all time. Definitely a cut above the usual Wayne western dreck, though that's not saying much. Martin Scorcese loves it, so what do I know.
@LovelesOne Not happy, bitter sweet . Debbie is returned after years with the Comanches to an uncertain future in a world she barely remembers. Look again and watch for her hesitation as she's guided inside the house.
And Ethan, what does the future hold for him? The only purpose in life he had was finding Debbie, using it to vent his rage, only to find his humanity. The door shuts as he walks to his horse to "wander forever between the winds".
This scene is simply perfect, it uses a style called "show and tell" where nobody says a word and its unnecessary too. just a simple look at one another and a hug, that is all that is needed to be done. also its just genius how it ends with the shot in the door way and all you really see is john wayne standing and admiring what he just did for that famlily. these type of scene are through out the entire movie. it really is one of the most beautiful movies ever created.
Big masculine men can show emotions in movies, this is a prime example of Duke at his best sadly the icons of real men are a dying breed unless Hollywood can create a new one then the idea of masculinity is gone only to be replaced by the same generic remakes that spew forth every year.
Hollywood doesn't have the intestinal fortitude to do a movie like this anymore. Instead they force feed that Multiculturalism and Diversity propaganda down our throats. They've got everyone walking on eggshells.
@tremendulous J Edgar came out last month. It contained racism and distrust toward Germans, strong anti-communism and homophobia which was typical during this period of America.
i remember the day the duke died, it was a sad day,and i also remember the networks tribute too the duke. 1 has the duke walking away , from the movie "the high and the mighty" and the this one the "searchers" and the door door closing behind him. i always think about that day, and how sad and teary eyed i was.
You know, this ending and this entire movie are kind of like my "cut off point" to separate true western/film fans with understanding and those who just don't. There are those who seem to get the complexities of ALL the characters and the amazing beauty of this film and of Ford and of Wayne's performance... then there are those who think "its dumb" or "overrated" or "racist" (laughable interpretation).
Ok I guess you don't HAVE to love this movie like I do, but I feel that way. Amazing film
This and "Sands of Iwo Jima" were Wayne's best performances by far. John Ford was about to go through his change in viewpoint about the Old West when he made "The Searchers" , and you can sense this at certain points in the film. The line from Chief Scar when he tells Ethan about the deaths of his sons at the hands of the white man is one and Jeffrey Hunter's character protesting the killing of his Indian "wife" is another.
When Wayne grabs his own arm briefly at the end, it's a tribute to Harry Carey, whom Wayne grew up on. Carey would grab his own arm often, a kind of trademark move. Carey's widow Olive and son Harry Jr. were in this movie (also playing mother+son). Apparently, Olive was behind the camera watching this scene being filmed and wept at Wayne's gesture.
My favorite western. The setting in Monument Valley was made for westers and John Ford is unequaled in bringing it to life with stories that will last longer than Monument Valley itself. Imade a special side trip to see this beautiful country on a trip out west recently. Absolulely beautiful.
People get too hooked into this ending if you watch the whole film its incosistnt, full side stories that are either unfunny or unengaging and silly(looking at baldy in particular). At least it has a great ending unlike Red river but I feel like the flaws really mar the whole film i just wished he would focus more on Ethan. The man who shot liberty Valance is in my opinion a much richer film though.
@carbine125 The ending isn't inconsistent. The movie opens with a similar door framing shot on the Edwards homestead. The shot shows the loneliness and isolation of Ethan which influenced such other masterpieces as Martin Scorsese's "Taxi Driver."
@mwelle1 Look i'm just saying a lot of people rate the film too highly when i get the feeling they only remember the ending. Many parts of the film of the film are quite beautifal its just its marred by silly bits that refrain the film in becoming great as a whole. The ending is wonderful and many other parts in the film are, its just let down by other weaker parts in the film.
@carbine125 I know what you mean. I just watched the Blu-ray (which has breathtaking cinematography of monument valley). The sillier bits are the letters being read by Vera Miles in the cabin on the large wooden bench. Those parts dragged a little. I thought the fight scene at the end was a little hokey (biting the leg and all). Then again, what movie about Texas isn't going to have a good fight scene? It was hard to believe that John Wayne wouldn't kill Natalie Wood in the end.
@ChingaChe Ha, ha. The funny thing is I just read his review, and agreed with almost everything he said. John Wayne is so cool I hope I don't end up voting Republican. Just kidding!
@mwelle1 You know funny enough i actually quite liked that he didn't kill her I know it was totally out of character but it was like he was about to kill when at the moment he thought "No I won't" it sounds hokey when you talk about it but I don't know to me its hard to explain it just showed some humanity and pathos to it. Which of course is totally inconsistent to a man who just scalped someone but i like it, I'm a romantic i guese.
@carbine125 It was also interesting how important ideas were not explicitly stated. The relationship between Martha and Ethan is told through their nuanced performances, the way she holds his "Johnny Reb" coat. In the scene when they cut to the Edwards homestead before the Comanches attack, Debbie hides in front of the grave of her grandparents. It requires pausing the video at the right time to see that the grave reads they were killed by Comanches--a motivating factor in Ethan's hatred.
Powerful ending. John Wayne silently also bidding a personal farewell to his friend Harry Carey. But regardless of that point, the culmination of a fine performance, in a finely directed, perfectly written film. Thank you John Ford, John Wayne, and Dad (for introducing me).
Does anyone remember a film where J Wayne was an officer in the Civil War, and his son who he hardly knew, joined the army just to get close to him. JW wanted to keep it strictly business. Also, his son fell off a horse showing off to him while doing a drill where you stand in between 2 horses and ride both of them? I saw it with my grandpa in the early 1980s. I'd love to know what it is called. Thanks.
When I was a young boy, I would watch this movie on a black and white TV and not feel a thing. As a grown man, I just about bust out into tears when I watch this ending as if I were saving my own daughter.
I read recently, that Ford wanted to make this film with Fess Parker, who at the time was with Disney and had played Davy Crockett. Hunter did a more than credible job perhaps Parker might have been a better match for Wayne. Still, it's hard to second guess the end product.
It's said that when asked what performance he was most proud of, the Duke would answer, "the Searchers," but then refused to speak further about it. My guess is, he had to go to a pretty dark place to play Uncle Ethan, and he didn't really care to revisit it too much by elaborating. The man, and his family, have come to realize that he is still so full of hate, he nearly murdered his own neice. He has no home any more. Today, we would say he was suffering from PTSD due to the war.
A dark place...yes indeed he did have to go to a very dark place and for Wayne it was playing against type rather like Henry Fonda in Fort Apache and Once Upon a Time in the West. It takes an accomplished actor to establish a persona such as Wayne had by 1956 and so when he played this roll it caught critics and fans off guard and the film was not appreciated at the time. It wasn't until the 1970s that The Searchers came to serious critical acclaim, too late for Ford but not Wayne.
Oh I think it was far more than PTSD that afflicted Ethan. He had a serious hated for Indians, which the book made clear and the movie less so. If you pay very close attention...when Debbie is hiding out by the Tombstone, you can just make out the writing. Ethan's mother and father were killed by Comanches. And let's not forget that he found Martin Pawly after Indians had killed his family. There was a lot of interracial hatred in Texas and the West generally.
@whydoihaveanaccount1 Everyone goes into the house, reunited after a long struggle and many hardships, to begin anew and rebuild relationships. Ethan starts to follow them, then turns away, acknowldeging his nature and status as a loner and outsider, as well as a carrier of dark thoughts and doer of dark deeds.
Books have been written about symbolism in The Searchers. If people express emotions about it, especially its sending, that not unusual. When released, the film didn't do well but many directors/film critics who were grew up in the 1950s-60s have said this film was their inspiration. The film becomes with each passing year; today, it's generally acknowledged as one of the best western films ever made and Ford's greatest film. It's a film that is warrants strong emotions.
@RogerHWerner Good words tyvm an inpiration indeed. especially when the lone man walks away and knows somewhere his happiness is out there... well said. :)
Some years ago, I think it was UCLA, held a forum on 'The Searchers.' The forum resulted in a book that considers every aspect of the film. The ending was given extensive treatment. Research into Ford's thinking revealed that Edwards walks away alone understanding that he'll always be alone because that's his 'cross to bare.' The ending is bittersweet because although Ethan finds his niece, he's stoically forced to accept his aloneness when he'd prefer to be with family. It's a sad ending.
Great scene from probably the greatest western ever made. Total shame that this filmed failed to have 0 oscar nominations. Wayne should have got the best actor oscar and the film should have been at least nomintated for several other categories.
The film received no Oscar nominations and it was panned by critics. Yes, critics of the time didn't like the film. The Searchers remained unrecognized until c 1970 when a new generation of movie directors and film critics began to exert their influence. The Searchers fame as a great film increased over time and today it's not only considered a marvelous western and Ford's finest accomplishment but it's one of the greats films ever made.
@destroyer8604 I think many thought, and rightly so, that Ford had attempted to justify mass murder for revenge in the film. Hence the dry run at the academy awards.
Your mindless comment has nothing to do with the subject at hand, which is my praise of The Searchers' ending. Your personal disagreement of a political remark I made on another issue has caused you to criticize a film I praised based solely on your hatred of me. This is a childish action on your part.
As a side note, The Searchers is voted the 12th greatest American film of all time by AFI and hailed by Martin Scorsese as a personal favorite. It's not just liked by me.
The Smithsonian Institution considers the film a masterpiece, placing it in the top 25 American films ever made. Virtually every living critic of consequence considers The Searchers Ford's masterpiece and one of the great films ever made. There's no point debating the film's greatness. If some folks don't like it, it's still a free country and their opinion is valid for them: This however, doesn't change the fact that the film is one of the greatest ever made.
I agree. But the individual purposely posted a negative comment because he was stalking my activity on YouTube after I posted a comment against Israeli Apartheid. His comment was a childish attempt to get a rise out of me.
this is the movie that he should have won best actor...and ford should have gotten it for best picture and best director...there is no western that comes close to the depth of this film
@gohead2head whaat?! Haha. What's your name? Yeah! He really knew the material. I wish they taped his lectures like they do some of our other classes on YT.
My son told me about youtube, He told me 'Hey pop, they have lots of "old stuff" posted on it that you'd like" and he was right, and the ending of The Searchers is one of them. I see that 322 other people also like this clip, and yet 10 people took the time to say, I don't like this clip. Here's a flash for you 10, "John Wayne" and the movie "The Searchers" will be around a long time after your all dead, and trust me, No One will ever remember you! Long live John Wayne!
maybe be not the best ending, that belongs to either ace in the hole or i am a fugitive from a chain gang, but to me this is definetely the saddest ending
@bonacman Yeah man, I totally agree! Jeff Bridges sure did mess up that remake of The Searchers, the ending to that film didn't have nearly the amount of emotion or depth.....oh wait.
Are you kidding me? Is this some kind of joke? Saying thats one of the best film endings is preposterous. Don't start forcing yourself to like a movie just because the critics glorify it. Ignore the critics opinions and then watch it so you can come up with your own conclusion about the movie.
Yeah! how could this be one of the best film endings. I have a long list of contradictions too! So we can both go around just contradicting what people say so we can feel totally smart and clever.
im always pulled back to this scene.. i love it so much..i feel that everyone loves him, and he knows it. but yet.. he is alone as he turns...still yet alone. but loved. yet for some reason alone ...chokes me up one of the best in cinema. yes. i agree with that. :) A!
what an embarresment. even for the 50,s. this is the kind of mindset crap that led to the cultural revolution of the 60`s. never mind some of the worst editing ever done from hollywood. some of the props were obviously 70 years ahead of their time. [ sunburst guitar ?] i have seen stagecoach ,and that was a good movie. what the hell happened here? how can any sane person even think that there is a comparison with this stereotyping dribble and leone films?
@jonlarkster Apart from Duke's WW2 dagger, where's the 1950s Sunburst gitbox dude ? Knock it if you know it, or say what old westerns don't have the white elite mindset of their time, including Clint Softwood's Leone shit. We still await a true vanquished version from Native American Indians, once hinted at by Burt Reynolds. Blazing Saddles set some records straight, and true Texan Larry McMurtry gave us a truer Texas plus Brokeback gay-cowpokes. And hey was Annie Oakley straight or Bi-Lez ?
what an embarresment. even for the 50,s. this is the kind of mindset crap that led to the cultural revolution of the 60`s. never mind some of the worst editing ever done from hollywood. some of the props were obviously 70 years ahead of their time. [ sunburst guitar ?] i have seen stagecoach ,and that was a good movie. what the hell happened here?
@46spoony nice to see someone else who thinks john wayne sucks :) although id say the good the bad and the ugly and once upon a time in the west are the best of all time. unforgiven is definetely up there though, id have clint over "the duke" any day
Well what can we say but that John Wayne not only embodies the spirit of America but that he was the ultimate good guy, the hero that we all want to be. In this particular role we see his character overcoming hatred and prejudice and in a moment of great insight improving himself to become a better human being.
and He walks out again for the night...Mission completed...it was a good day today. :) Be well good man, and be safe.....be well...all is good! :) A!!!!
To even further appreciate this masterpiece one must read Alan Le May’s novel by the same name on which this movie is based. If you do, you will appreciate certain details which John Ford made sure to recreate on the screen, and most importantly you will get a better understanding of the timeline. It is truly amazing how Ford managed to fit so many years into two hours without losing too much.
Without this ending, I doubt nowadays we would see bittersweet ending of "Hero journey". Lucky Luke for example, although each story is funny and witty, but it always end up with him riding on the sunset all alone, a modern classic with Fallout where your character walk all alone on the harsh wasteland.
Probably because he been all alone living in the harsh desert and thus "normal" civilian life is not for him. For example people who gone to war and witness many atrocities when they return home, the life is not the same anymore, this was shown for UN soldiers who was in the Yugoslavian civil war, many of these UN personnel was like changed people when returned "home".
The end of this film brings up so mixed feelings... we should be happy for Debbie returning home... but the last scene can only make me feel melancholic for Ethan doesn't have a home to get in...
What an incredibly profound and melancholic ending. For Ethan, there is no home to turn back to... like the dead Indian they found under the rock (shooting the eyes), Ethan is doomed to wander and drift forever. The way he grips his arm shows Ethan's vulnerability. It is so magnificent, and as the door closes (like the final curtain fall) we are left to question what direction Ethan will be taking next. John Ford demonstrates pure poetry... and how can anybody say the Duke wasn't a great actor!
@GocoProductions You're so right. How tragic that real heroes (Audie Murphy, Billy Mitchell) always seem to end up isolated from the world. At least their loneliness can be beautifully portrayed in films like this. P.S.: anybody that thinks John Wayne wasn't a great actor never saw True Grit or Red River.
This scene inspired 2 scenes for the 1993 movie, "Mrs. Doubtfire". When Daniel is divorced, the Hillard household is a world he can no longer enter. Daniel is only able to pass through that doorway dressed as Mrs. Doubtfire, which he does when Miranda and children first meet Mrs. Doubtfire. And at the end when he comes to take the kids to his place for a few hours, she opens the door but he only takes one step forward and does not enter and says he'll wait outside. It's just like what John does.
When I was a very small boy my parents took me to see the same movie three times within just a few weeks. Quite an odd thing to do maybe. Perhaps not, the movie was The Searchers. I still happen to believe the best Western ever made was "The Wild Bunch", but this is not far behind.
One of the most heart-rending endings ever. Just goes to show what a great physical actor John Wayne was. LIke the great silent stars, he didn't need words. His body said everything that needed to be said.
This is not a racist movie. In fact, Ford examines the extremity of racism by the whites against the native Americans during this period. Most (nearly all) of the violence and hatred in the film is by the whites. The film questions the racist attitute they had at the time towards the American natives, epitomised by Wayne's character. The Searchers, is in fact one of the msot complex, multi-layered films to come out of the Hollywood studio system. The photography and film subtext is legendary.
john wayne's inspiration for putting his hand on his elbow came from his great friend, harry carey....whose wife was just off camera when john wayne posed in that melancholy way...john wayne could see her crying....perhaps the best ending to any western.
@girlishfun Yes, just a great movie, along with Shane and High Noon(best 3 ever Westerns)-my opinion only- with a lot of really great others. I agree with the comments on the ending. I really liked the ending(music) in "Once Upon a Time In the West-another classic. Greeting to you from Newfoundland,Canada.
@1951jmc sorry but all of sergio leones movies are miles ahead of this, the good the bad and the ugly once upon a time in the west are two of the greatest movies ever made
@JuanMacready Actually this movie is not racist, it actually deals with racism. Remember the scene where Martin and Ethan see the aftermath of a massacre of Indians by the U.S. army? Or when Ethan gives that chilling look to the white women that were captives of the Comanche after saying that they weren't white anymore? Or the scene where Scar talks about how members of his family were killed by whites, explaining his motivations?
The movie starts with the door opening with Wayne framed in the doorway. We're looking at Wayne from the inside. His character is a loner and outside of normal society. He's allowed in periodically to interact with them but in the end, when he's no longer needed, the door is closed on him and he returns to his loner life outside of normal society.
macsvens 1 day ago
When that door closes, I actually feel a sense of loss as if something else besides the movie came to an end. Only great films do that to you.
heartfire451 1 week ago
Definitely the best Duke flick!
doublej118jc 2 weeks ago
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as good as it gets.
MrByaeger 2 weeks ago
as good as it gets.
MrByaeger 2 weeks ago
One of the most touching movie endings ever!!
kingbushwickthe33rd 1 month ago
I have never gotten this movie and I am a big John Ford fan. It's a cut above the usual John Wayne flick, but that's not saying much. Martin Scorcese loves it, though, so what do I know.
46spoony 1 month ago
@46spoony How can you be a big John Ford fan and not like John Wayne flicks? All the best of them are made by Ford! Except Rio Bravo.
borskyviolin 4 weeks ago
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No, this is absolutely NOT THE BEST ENDING IN THE HISTORY OF CINEMA!!!!! This wasn't even a good film....
NgaiOlaudah 1 month ago
@NgaiOlaudah
I agree completely and I am a big John Ford fan. This has to be the most overrated film of all time. Definitely a cut above the usual Wayne western dreck, though that's not saying much. Martin Scorcese loves it, so what do I know.
46spoony 1 month ago
Duke held his arm at the end as a tribute to Harry Carey for his wife Olive who had just walked inside. WOW what a movie. Great one for Ward also! KP
Hawkswill 1 month ago
I cry like a baby every time.. This is the best movie ending ever...
ferdonandebull 1 month ago
John Ford was a genius behind the camera, but I have to agree with SardaukarPrime, the happy ending is pretty weak.
LovelesOne 1 month ago
@LovelesOne Not happy, bitter sweet . Debbie is returned after years with the Comanches to an uncertain future in a world she barely remembers. Look again and watch for her hesitation as she's guided inside the house.
And Ethan, what does the future hold for him? The only purpose in life he had was finding Debbie, using it to vent his rage, only to find his humanity. The door shuts as he walks to his horse to "wander forever between the winds".
I tear up everytime I watch it.
cherokeetrace 1 month ago
@cherokeetrace Nice breakdown, very true.
LovelesOne 1 month ago
sorry its "not show and tell" is called "Show but dont tell"
( i saw that i made a mistake after i posted it.
SuperSnaketooth 1 month ago
This scene is simply perfect, it uses a style called "show and tell" where nobody says a word and its unnecessary too. just a simple look at one another and a hug, that is all that is needed to be done. also its just genius how it ends with the shot in the door way and all you really see is john wayne standing and admiring what he just did for that famlily. these type of scene are through out the entire movie. it really is one of the most beautiful movies ever created.
SuperSnaketooth 1 month ago
Big masculine men can show emotions in movies, this is a prime example of Duke at his best sadly the icons of real men are a dying breed unless Hollywood can create a new one then the idea of masculinity is gone only to be replaced by the same generic remakes that spew forth every year.
ScottishCCRfan 1 month ago
Hollywood doesn't have the intestinal fortitude to do a movie like this anymore. Instead they force feed that Multiculturalism and Diversity propaganda down our throats. They've got everyone walking on eggshells.
tremendulous 1 month ago
@tremendulous J Edgar came out last month. It contained racism and distrust toward Germans, strong anti-communism and homophobia which was typical during this period of America.
r0b0hobo 1 month ago
i remember the day the duke died, it was a sad day,and i also remember the networks tribute too the duke. 1 has the duke walking away , from the movie "the high and the mighty" and the this one the "searchers" and the door door closing behind him. i always think about that day, and how sad and teary eyed i was.
Weaponsuser 1 month ago
Greatest western ever made. The Duke should have won his oscar for this film long before True Grit
Dukebond1 1 month ago
You know, this ending and this entire movie are kind of like my "cut off point" to separate true western/film fans with understanding and those who just don't. There are those who seem to get the complexities of ALL the characters and the amazing beauty of this film and of Ford and of Wayne's performance... then there are those who think "its dumb" or "overrated" or "racist" (laughable interpretation).
Ok I guess you don't HAVE to love this movie like I do, but I feel that way. Amazing film
AgentSmithClan 2 months ago 2
No wonder Natalie Wood looks disturbed at having to leave her life with the Comanche to come and live back with these confederate arseholes.
fancythathat 2 months ago
Beautiful
19391945ify 2 months ago
Duke walking out alone into the sagebrush......The last minutes of this film are the American cinema at its peak.
jpearlroth 2 months ago
This and "Sands of Iwo Jima" were Wayne's best performances by far. John Ford was about to go through his change in viewpoint about the Old West when he made "The Searchers" , and you can sense this at certain points in the film. The line from Chief Scar when he tells Ethan about the deaths of his sons at the hands of the white man is one and Jeffrey Hunter's character protesting the killing of his Indian "wife" is another.
jpearlroth 2 months ago
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terrifictanner1 2 months ago
This "happy" ending has always haunted me.
SardaukarPrime 3 months ago 7
Funny though it was the white Europeans who were the invaders.
FGalaxie 3 months ago
Is this ending not amazing? I have watched it over and over. John Ford was a genius.
floridafyme 3 months ago
Never understood why people love this movie, and I like John Ford.
A cut above the typical John Wayne stuff, but that's not saying much and Wayne's acting is as bad as ever. Pales in comparison to Unforgiven.
46spoony 3 months ago
Damn, i love RDR, they took that from here !
snake5807 4 months ago
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beatIequeen06 4 months ago
great movie, great ending- so moving
XSW1000 4 months ago
great movie, great ending- so moving
XSW1000 4 months ago
Just one word.......................awesome!
JCJrocks23300 4 months ago
I`m 40 years old and first saw this at 9.. I cry everytime I see the ending..revenge is a dish best served up cold
showalter4042 5 months ago
Nobody saw a cowboy on the psychiatrist's couch...
Long live the Duke !!!
Duketributechannel 5 months ago 5
@Duketributechannel You'd be surprised. His character in this movie is not exactly on the mental straight and narrow.
elbethere 4 months ago
WOW! A true American masterpiece.
floridafyme 5 months ago
clinisbud, thanks so much for this upload. This is my favorite western by far. Such depth. They don't make them like this anymore.
908shayes 5 months ago
11 people apparently have never heard of the duke ...or could be pinko communists
SuperCatzmeow 5 months ago
i got the chills
Primetiime32 6 months ago
When Wayne grabs his own arm briefly at the end, it's a tribute to Harry Carey, whom Wayne grew up on. Carey would grab his own arm often, a kind of trademark move. Carey's widow Olive and son Harry Jr. were in this movie (also playing mother+son). Apparently, Olive was behind the camera watching this scene being filmed and wept at Wayne's gesture.
zerobeat18 6 months ago
Veo esta peli una vez y otra y me sigue poniendo los pelos de punta, además
ahora se ha incorporado mi niña de 6 años a la que también le encanta
Obras maestras
emilro1 6 months ago
I have to agree a classic western!!
jamespotyka 6 months ago
My favorite western. The setting in Monument Valley was made for westers and John Ford is unequaled in bringing it to life with stories that will last longer than Monument Valley itself. Imade a special side trip to see this beautiful country on a trip out west recently. Absolulely beautiful.
crj52 6 months ago
It's on RIGHT NOW!
TheBurf1 6 months ago
My mum was going to name me "Ethan" all because of this film :)
CauseChemicalsReact 6 months ago
The first movie to end with a door closing.
griffin324 6 months ago
Ford and Wayne's Masterpiece.
Tiger20001 6 months ago
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Easily the best western of all-time, and one of the best movies ever.
deutschland08fn 6 months ago
Whos john wayne?
mrnachonovo1 7 months ago
@mrnachonovo1 Is my "father".
gianca60 2 months ago
People get too hooked into this ending if you watch the whole film its incosistnt, full side stories that are either unfunny or unengaging and silly(looking at baldy in particular). At least it has a great ending unlike Red river but I feel like the flaws really mar the whole film i just wished he would focus more on Ethan. The man who shot liberty Valance is in my opinion a much richer film though.
carbine125 7 months ago
@carbine125 The ending isn't inconsistent. The movie opens with a similar door framing shot on the Edwards homestead. The shot shows the loneliness and isolation of Ethan which influenced such other masterpieces as Martin Scorsese's "Taxi Driver."
mwelle1 6 months ago
@mwelle1 Look i'm just saying a lot of people rate the film too highly when i get the feeling they only remember the ending. Many parts of the film of the film are quite beautifal its just its marred by silly bits that refrain the film in becoming great as a whole. The ending is wonderful and many other parts in the film are, its just let down by other weaker parts in the film.
carbine125 6 months ago
@carbine125 I know what you mean. I just watched the Blu-ray (which has breathtaking cinematography of monument valley). The sillier bits are the letters being read by Vera Miles in the cabin on the large wooden bench. Those parts dragged a little. I thought the fight scene at the end was a little hokey (biting the leg and all). Then again, what movie about Texas isn't going to have a good fight scene? It was hard to believe that John Wayne wouldn't kill Natalie Wood in the end.
mwelle1 6 months ago
@mwelle1 Think for yourself and stop paraphrasing that jerk Roger Ebert. Or is this a class assignment?
ChingaChe 6 months ago
@ChingaChe Ha, ha. The funny thing is I just read his review, and agreed with almost everything he said. John Wayne is so cool I hope I don't end up voting Republican. Just kidding!
mwelle1 6 months ago
@mwelle1 You know funny enough i actually quite liked that he didn't kill her I know it was totally out of character but it was like he was about to kill when at the moment he thought "No I won't" it sounds hokey when you talk about it but I don't know to me its hard to explain it just showed some humanity and pathos to it. Which of course is totally inconsistent to a man who just scalped someone but i like it, I'm a romantic i guese.
carbine125 6 months ago
@carbine125 It was also interesting how important ideas were not explicitly stated. The relationship between Martha and Ethan is told through their nuanced performances, the way she holds his "Johnny Reb" coat. In the scene when they cut to the Edwards homestead before the Comanches attack, Debbie hides in front of the grave of her grandparents. It requires pausing the video at the right time to see that the grave reads they were killed by Comanches--a motivating factor in Ethan's hatred.
mwelle1 6 months ago
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It does not get any better than this!!
dandydon777 7 months ago
Powerful ending. John Wayne silently also bidding a personal farewell to his friend Harry Carey. But regardless of that point, the culmination of a fine performance, in a finely directed, perfectly written film. Thank you John Ford, John Wayne, and Dad (for introducing me).
mtbronco1979 7 months ago
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Does anyone remember a film where J Wayne was an officer in the Civil War, and his son who he hardly knew, joined the army just to get close to him. JW wanted to keep it strictly business. Also, his son fell off a horse showing off to him while doing a drill where you stand in between 2 horses and ride both of them? I saw it with my grandpa in the early 1980s. I'd love to know what it is called. Thanks.
davedaddy101 7 months ago
My all time favorite movie !
24CatYoda 7 months ago
When I was a young boy, I would watch this movie on a black and white TV and not feel a thing. As a grown man, I just about bust out into tears when I watch this ending as if I were saving my own daughter.
ThinBlueLine1969 7 months ago
The song is called "Sons Of The Pioneers (Film Soundtrack)"
MrXDr3AMZx 7 months ago
Only John Wayne could play Ethan. I cant see Henry Fonda, James Stewart, Gary Cooper or any other big name Hollywood stars playing Ethan.
b42baritone 7 months ago
My favorite John Ford/John Wayne film. It was way ahead of it's time.
quincannon40 7 months ago
Word pops. Word
borydrac987 8 months ago
In the first Star Wars (3), remember Luke Skywalker hustling home to his slain aunt and uncle's burning house? - "The Searchers".
alandavis 8 months ago
BEST ENDING IN THE CINEMA HISTORY !!!!!!
epicvlas 8 months ago
I read recently, that Ford wanted to make this film with Fess Parker, who at the time was with Disney and had played Davy Crockett. Hunter did a more than credible job perhaps Parker might have been a better match for Wayne. Still, it's hard to second guess the end product.
RogerHWerner 8 months ago
The Searchers signed photo on eBay.
Search eBay for "The Searchers SIGNED Photo / Postcard"
ElBenno1979 8 months ago
It's said that when asked what performance he was most proud of, the Duke would answer, "the Searchers," but then refused to speak further about it. My guess is, he had to go to a pretty dark place to play Uncle Ethan, and he didn't really care to revisit it too much by elaborating. The man, and his family, have come to realize that he is still so full of hate, he nearly murdered his own neice. He has no home any more. Today, we would say he was suffering from PTSD due to the war.
tjhoenecke 8 months ago
A dark place...yes indeed he did have to go to a very dark place and for Wayne it was playing against type rather like Henry Fonda in Fort Apache and Once Upon a Time in the West. It takes an accomplished actor to establish a persona such as Wayne had by 1956 and so when he played this roll it caught critics and fans off guard and the film was not appreciated at the time. It wasn't until the 1970s that The Searchers came to serious critical acclaim, too late for Ford but not Wayne.
RogerHWerner 8 months ago
Oh I think it was far more than PTSD that afflicted Ethan. He had a serious hated for Indians, which the book made clear and the movie less so. If you pay very close attention...when Debbie is hiding out by the Tombstone, you can just make out the writing. Ethan's mother and father were killed by Comanches. And let's not forget that he found Martin Pawly after Indians had killed his family. There was a lot of interracial hatred in Texas and the West generally.
RogerHWerner 8 months ago
@RogerHWerner Agreed, but hey, you only get so many characters to make your point in a given post, and you can't always cover all the bases. ;)
tjhoenecke 8 months ago
luv old mows harper .
ruandted 9 months ago
There's a John Wayne inside each and every one of us. Gay jokes aside.
strepsil08 9 months ago
-Es una escena memorable, fantastico, emotivo... definitvamente eran otros tiempos de cine. Saludos desde Perú a todos los que aman el buen cine.
-It's a memorable scene, fantastic, emotional ... definitely were different days of cinema. Greetings from Peru to all who love good cinema.
nnandofer1 9 months ago
tragic. goosebumps every time
1jlines 9 months ago
whats so good about this ending someone please explain the redemption in this
whydoihaveanaccount1 9 months ago
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KillSwitch2 8 months ago
@whydoihaveanaccount1 Everyone goes into the house, reunited after a long struggle and many hardships, to begin anew and rebuild relationships. Ethan starts to follow them, then turns away, acknowldeging his nature and status as a loner and outsider, as well as a carrier of dark thoughts and doer of dark deeds.
FoxRunMan 7 months ago
Books have been written about symbolism in The Searchers. If people express emotions about it, especially its sending, that not unusual. When released, the film didn't do well but many directors/film critics who were grew up in the 1950s-60s have said this film was their inspiration. The film becomes with each passing year; today, it's generally acknowledged as one of the best western films ever made and Ford's greatest film. It's a film that is warrants strong emotions.
RogerHWerner 9 months ago
@RogerHWerner Good words tyvm an inpiration indeed. especially when the lone man walks away and knows somewhere his happiness is out there... well said. :)
UmbrellaWatch 9 months ago
Some years ago, I think it was UCLA, held a forum on 'The Searchers.' The forum resulted in a book that considers every aspect of the film. The ending was given extensive treatment. Research into Ford's thinking revealed that Edwards walks away alone understanding that he'll always be alone because that's his 'cross to bare.' The ending is bittersweet because although Ethan finds his niece, he's stoically forced to accept his aloneness when he'd prefer to be with family. It's a sad ending.
RogerHWerner 9 months ago
Great scene from probably the greatest western ever made. Total shame that this filmed failed to have 0 oscar nominations. Wayne should have got the best actor oscar and the film should have been at least nomintated for several other categories.
destroyer8604 9 months ago 7
The film received no Oscar nominations and it was panned by critics. Yes, critics of the time didn't like the film. The Searchers remained unrecognized until c 1970 when a new generation of movie directors and film critics began to exert their influence. The Searchers fame as a great film increased over time and today it's not only considered a marvelous western and Ford's finest accomplishment but it's one of the greats films ever made.
RogerHWerner 9 months ago
@destroyer8604 Right on !!! A CLASSIC!!!!!!!
ctmale1956 6 months ago
@destroyer8604 I think many thought, and rightly so, that Ford had attempted to justify mass murder for revenge in the film. Hence the dry run at the academy awards.
bonnyathome 3 months ago
its amazing how many morons ridicule on a comment ,i,m british and love this film
andyroo175 9 months ago
Is that you John Wayne? Is this me?
skatepunkzero 10 months ago
Great ending!
Silverwire100 10 months ago
@Silverwire100 this ending is more retarded than your comments on Israel.
alexpeters 10 months ago
@alexpeters
Your mindless comment has nothing to do with the subject at hand, which is my praise of The Searchers' ending. Your personal disagreement of a political remark I made on another issue has caused you to criticize a film I praised based solely on your hatred of me. This is a childish action on your part.
As a side note, The Searchers is voted the 12th greatest American film of all time by AFI and hailed by Martin Scorsese as a personal favorite. It's not just liked by me.
Silverwire100 10 months ago
The Smithsonian Institution considers the film a masterpiece, placing it in the top 25 American films ever made. Virtually every living critic of consequence considers The Searchers Ford's masterpiece and one of the great films ever made. There's no point debating the film's greatness. If some folks don't like it, it's still a free country and their opinion is valid for them: This however, doesn't change the fact that the film is one of the greatest ever made.
RogerHWerner 9 months ago
@RogerHWerner
I agree. But the individual purposely posted a negative comment because he was stalking my activity on YouTube after I posted a comment against Israeli Apartheid. His comment was a childish attempt to get a rise out of me.
Silverwire100 9 months ago
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TheErod92 10 months ago
This IS the best western I have seen and I always compare every movie to it no matter the genre.
TheErod92 10 months ago
Any person that says film is a lesser art form should watch this scene.
strepsil08 10 months ago
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strepsil08 10 months ago
this is the movie that he should have won best actor...and ford should have gotten it for best picture and best director...there is no western that comes close to the depth of this film
pres921 11 months ago
Just received an AMAZING lecture on this ending in my film class. I can no longer look at cinema the same way!
JenBenSoFresh 11 months ago 2
@JenBenSoFresh
at UCB?
TheErod92 10 months ago
@TheErod92 Yes! With Prof Michael Cohen :). Are you in that film class?
JenBenSoFresh 10 months ago
@JenBenSoFresh
Haha I knew it yea I'm in that class...it really was like magic the way he just knew that movie!
gohead2head 10 months ago
@gohead2head whaat?! Haha. What's your name? Yeah! He really knew the material. I wish they taped his lectures like they do some of our other classes on YT.
JenBenSoFresh 10 months ago
@JenBenSoFresh
Yeah me too! Hahaha I have tons of Youtube accounts this is the main one though.
FRROWIUTB23 10 months ago
My son told me about youtube, He told me 'Hey pop, they have lots of "old stuff" posted on it that you'd like" and he was right, and the ending of The Searchers is one of them. I see that 322 other people also like this clip, and yet 10 people took the time to say, I don't like this clip. Here's a flash for you 10, "John Wayne" and the movie "The Searchers" will be around a long time after your all dead, and trust me, No One will ever remember you! Long live John Wayne!
E7USMCRET 11 months ago 30
@E7USMCRET Amen brother.
jheadSF06 8 months ago
@E7USMCRET Nice old codger, aren't you.
JonathanBones 6 months ago
@JonathanBones No, not really, but thanks for asking kid.
E7USMCRET 6 months ago
@E7USMCRET Heheh, you are a chuckle. Crack open a beer for me.
JonathanBones 6 months ago
@E7USMCRET Well said!
repose1983 6 months ago
The birth of the John Wayne swagger!
MrSapplease 11 months ago
Wish the door hadn't shut so fast.
qlap10 11 months ago 4
Dances With Wolves , and , The Searchers , are the best westerns ever made .
ruandted 1 year ago
maybe be not the best ending, that belongs to either ace in the hole or i am a fugitive from a chain gang, but to me this is definetely the saddest ending
kingcaesar5 1 year ago
@bonacman Yeah man, I totally agree! Jeff Bridges sure did mess up that remake of The Searchers, the ending to that film didn't have nearly the amount of emotion or depth.....oh wait.
PapaChewie 1 year ago
Are you kidding me? Is this some kind of joke? Saying thats one of the best film endings is preposterous. Don't start forcing yourself to like a movie just because the critics glorify it. Ignore the critics opinions and then watch it so you can come up with your own conclusion about the movie.
gamesandguitars003 1 year ago
@gamesandguitars003
Yeah! how could this be one of the best film endings. I have a long list of contradictions too! So we can both go around just contradicting what people say so we can feel totally smart and clever.
zentelligent 1 year ago
@zentelligent Am I supposed to be laughing with you or at you? I think its the latter.
gamesandguitars003 11 months ago
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zentelligent 1 year ago
im always pulled back to this scene.. i love it so much..i feel that everyone loves him, and he knows it. but yet.. he is alone as he turns...still yet alone. but loved. yet for some reason alone ...chokes me up one of the best in cinema. yes. i agree with that. :) A!
UmbrellaWatch 1 year ago
Magnum comes to the end and house and drops her off.. ride away.. i was away but waiting for your queue.. i love you. is all i have. :)
UmbrellaWatch 1 year ago
what an embarresment. even for the 50,s. this is the kind of mindset crap that led to the cultural revolution of the 60`s. never mind some of the worst editing ever done from hollywood. some of the props were obviously 70 years ahead of their time. [ sunburst guitar ?] i have seen stagecoach ,and that was a good movie. what the hell happened here? how can any sane person even think that there is a comparison with this stereotyping dribble and leone films?
jonlarkster 1 year ago
@jonlarkster Apart from Duke's WW2 dagger, where's the 1950s Sunburst gitbox dude ? Knock it if you know it, or say what old westerns don't have the white elite mindset of their time, including Clint Softwood's Leone shit. We still await a true vanquished version from Native American Indians, once hinted at by Burt Reynolds. Blazing Saddles set some records straight, and true Texan Larry McMurtry gave us a truer Texas plus Brokeback gay-cowpokes. And hey was Annie Oakley straight or Bi-Lez ?
DougPatton1 1 year ago
what an embarresment. even for the 50,s. this is the kind of mindset crap that led to the cultural revolution of the 60`s. never mind some of the worst editing ever done from hollywood. some of the props were obviously 70 years ahead of their time. [ sunburst guitar ?] i have seen stagecoach ,and that was a good movie. what the hell happened here?
jonlarkster 1 year ago
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Gitfidlpickr 1 year ago
Sorry Jeff Bridges! I'll take "THE DUKE" over "THE DUDE" any day! Pilgrim!
TwoUselessLegs 1 year ago
Maybe the most overrated movie of all time. Better than the average Wayne western, though, which isn't saying much. Wayne is as wooden as always.
Unforgiven is a much, much better movie and is the best western ever.
46spoony 1 year ago
@46spoony nice to see someone else who thinks john wayne sucks :) although id say the good the bad and the ugly and once upon a time in the west are the best of all time. unforgiven is definetely up there though, id have clint over "the duke" any day
rampskater0102 1 year ago
both the godfather and goodfellas stole the closing shot for their closing shots.
griffin324 1 year ago
this and the unforgiven are the greatest westerns ever
xxballsonweelsxx 1 year ago
as John Wayne walks off at the end , he is supposed to be taking off the walk of one of his best mates , Harry Carrie .
ruandted 1 year ago
The Open Door to where the Homefires burn, The Promised Land, he can see it, but he can Never enter...
thanksforthemusic 1 year ago 3
Well what can we say but that John Wayne not only embodies the spirit of America but that he was the ultimate good guy, the hero that we all want to be. In this particular role we see his character overcoming hatred and prejudice and in a moment of great insight improving himself to become a better human being.
DrDanielHoward 1 year ago
and He walks out again for the night...Mission completed...it was a good day today. :) Be well good man, and be safe.....be well...all is good! :) A!!!!
UmbrellaWatch 1 year ago
To even further appreciate this masterpiece one must read Alan Le May’s novel by the same name on which this movie is based. If you do, you will appreciate certain details which John Ford made sure to recreate on the screen, and most importantly you will get a better understanding of the timeline. It is truly amazing how Ford managed to fit so many years into two hours without losing too much.
afshina 1 year ago
Without this ending, I doubt nowadays we would see bittersweet ending of "Hero journey". Lucky Luke for example, although each story is funny and witty, but it always end up with him riding on the sunset all alone, a modern classic with Fallout where your character walk all alone on the harsh wasteland.
hanchiman 1 year ago
Wonder. . . What made him change his mind?
akki6041ga 1 year ago
@akki6041ga
Probably because he been all alone living in the harsh desert and thus "normal" civilian life is not for him. For example people who gone to war and witness many atrocities when they return home, the life is not the same anymore, this was shown for UN soldiers who was in the Yugoslavian civil war, many of these UN personnel was like changed people when returned "home".
hanchiman 1 year ago
John Ford!
daswurger 1 year ago
that is the best western ever no one can beat that
MiguelACowboy69 1 year ago 3
que interpretacion de wayne,que aprendan los del actors studio y javierito bardem
hantonjavi 1 year ago 3
The end of this film brings up so mixed feelings... we should be happy for Debbie returning home... but the last scene can only make me feel melancholic for Ethan doesn't have a home to get in...
darthmelkor2 1 year ago
@darthmelkor2 Right; Ethan can never really go 'home';
nickmitsialis 1 year ago
This is the most artistic western movie I've ever seen - and certainly one of the best ever made
omegamann71 1 year ago 5
Thank you for posting this.
DrFeelRealGood 1 year ago
What an incredibly profound and melancholic ending. For Ethan, there is no home to turn back to... like the dead Indian they found under the rock (shooting the eyes), Ethan is doomed to wander and drift forever. The way he grips his arm shows Ethan's vulnerability. It is so magnificent, and as the door closes (like the final curtain fall) we are left to question what direction Ethan will be taking next. John Ford demonstrates pure poetry... and how can anybody say the Duke wasn't a great actor!
GocoProductions 1 year ago 7
@GocoProductions You're so right. How tragic that real heroes (Audie Murphy, Billy Mitchell) always seem to end up isolated from the world. At least their loneliness can be beautifully portrayed in films like this. P.S.: anybody that thinks John Wayne wasn't a great actor never saw True Grit or Red River.
yamsid 1 year ago
one of the best of john waynes movies love it
11eastenders 1 year ago
My absolute all-time favorite western.
stephP909 1 year ago
This scene inspired 2 scenes for the 1993 movie, "Mrs. Doubtfire". When Daniel is divorced, the Hillard household is a world he can no longer enter. Daniel is only able to pass through that doorway dressed as Mrs. Doubtfire, which he does when Miranda and children first meet Mrs. Doubtfire. And at the end when he comes to take the kids to his place for a few hours, she opens the door but he only takes one step forward and does not enter and says he'll wait outside. It's just like what John does.
pytko3 1 year ago
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best movie in any genre, wayne at his best.
VanGoghRothko 1 year ago
best movie in any genre, wayne at his best.
VanGoghRothko 1 year ago 2
The scene when he chasing Debbie and then got her, it make me to be moved to tears :)
TehKillers 1 year ago 2
When I was a very small boy my parents took me to see the same movie three times within just a few weeks. Quite an odd thing to do maybe. Perhaps not, the movie was The Searchers. I still happen to believe the best Western ever made was "The Wild Bunch", but this is not far behind.
knausspiano 1 year ago
where the heck can i get this song :(
tflynn17 1 year ago
@tflynn17
It is a long shot but search The Sons of The Pioneers. It may have been them that sang it.
specklebelly23 1 year ago
@tflynn17 Search on You Tube for "Ken Curtis & The Sons of the Pioneers".
FoxRunMan 1 year ago
One of the most heart-rending endings ever. Just goes to show what a great physical actor John Wayne was. LIke the great silent stars, he didn't need words. His body said everything that needed to be said.
JEMnDC 1 year ago
No other western movie beats Sergio Leone's "The once upon a time in the west" !
DoNotObey1 1 year ago
This is not a racist movie. In fact, Ford examines the extremity of racism by the whites against the native Americans during this period. Most (nearly all) of the violence and hatred in the film is by the whites. The film questions the racist attitute they had at the time towards the American natives, epitomised by Wayne's character. The Searchers, is in fact one of the msot complex, multi-layered films to come out of the Hollywood studio system. The photography and film subtext is legendary.
Nately22 1 year ago 2
john wayne's inspiration for putting his hand on his elbow came from his great friend, harry carey....whose wife was just off camera when john wayne posed in that melancholy way...john wayne could see her crying....perhaps the best ending to any western.
girlishfun 1 year ago 44
@girlishfun Yes, just a great movie, along with Shane and High Noon(best 3 ever Westerns)-my opinion only- with a lot of really great others. I agree with the comments on the ending. I really liked the ending(music) in "Once Upon a Time In the West-another classic. Greeting to you from Newfoundland,Canada.
QWZXM 1 year ago
@girlishfun its not even close to the good the bad and the ugly's ending, or the film itself
rampskater0102 1 year ago
@rampskater0102 DOH
1951jmc 1 year ago
@1951jmc sorry but all of sergio leones movies are miles ahead of this, the good the bad and the ugly once upon a time in the west are two of the greatest movies ever made
rampskater0102 1 year ago
This comment has received too many negative votes show
A racist ending to a dated, racist movie.
JuanMacready 1 year ago
@JuanMacready Actually this movie is not racist, it actually deals with racism. Remember the scene where Martin and Ethan see the aftermath of a massacre of Indians by the U.S. army? Or when Ethan gives that chilling look to the white women that were captives of the Comanche after saying that they weren't white anymore? Or the scene where Scar talks about how members of his family were killed by whites, explaining his motivations?
someguy672 1 year ago 3