The Hollywood Studio System: The Seachers, 1956

The 1956 classic, The Searchers, is regarded as one of the greatest westerns in cinematic history. John Ford does a wonderful job encapsulating all of the beloved qualities of the frontier. John Wayne plays Ethan Edwards, a civil war veteran returning home to the frontier. After a series of diversions, a local Comanche warrior leads a band of riders to raid the home of Ethan's brother. Ethan returns to find the home burned and two of the daughters kidnapped. Ethan and his adopted nephew Martin decide to go and search for the two girls.
Two motifs stand out in the film. First, the relationship between Ethan and the half Indian Martin. Second, the portrayal of the Indians.Ethan never truly accepts Martin as a member of his family. He constantly antagonizes him by calling him names like "half blood". In addition to being in a submissive role to Ethan, Martin is the only "Native" portrayed in a positive light. The rest of the Indians are savages while Martin, with his mixed blood, is able to rise above his savagery and become a hero along with Ethan. All but one Indian are played by white actors in the film. The primary antagonist, Scar, is played by a white actor. He is cruel and cunning, able to outwit Ethan and his family and is able to commit heinous acts of violence such as the rape and murder of Ethan's niece. The only Native actor is the woman playing the old Comanche woman who was bought accidentally by Martin. The Indians are clearly the enemy in this film. Although the film is considered a masterpiece we must still accept the fact that unfair stereotypes are the basis of the Indian character.