John Wayne plays his greatest role as Ethan Edwards, the lead character in this 1956 John Ford Western. Ethan is a complex man. You can see it in his eyes. There is longing, loneliness, hate and love. He is a mysterious character who never quite fits in. He rides back into the life of his brother and his wife at the beginning of the film as a door of a Texas ranch house opens. At the end of the film another door closes as all the main characters enter the house leaving Wayne outside. The closing of the door at the end of the movie is one of the most powerful scenes in any Western movie. Edwards watches the other characters enter the house, touches his wrist with his other hand and turns his back. It is obvious that he is an outsider.
He is an outsider throughout the movie. When he rides up to his brother's ranch house, it is clear that his appearance is a surprise and perhaps an embarassment. The brother (played by Cameron Mitchell) says that Ethan is welcome, but it's not believable. There is something between Ethan and his brother's wife (played by Dorothy Jordan). It is not entirely clear what it is. It might be love. It is probably platonic. The truth is that Edwards' loneliness permeates his being.
When his brother and his wife are killed in a Comanche raid and their young daughter taken we see another side of Edwards. He hates the Comanche or "Comanch" as he calls them. "They aren't human", he says. He and young Martin Pauley (played by Jeffrey Hunter) begin a six-year search for the missing girl. As the search lengthens Edwards' motives become less clear. Does he want to kill her? He draws his gun to do so in one scene, but in the end he picks the girl up and carries her back to her people. I have always had trouble reconciling Ethan's action at the end with his hate of everything touched by the Comanche. At one point where he and Martin are looking at other captives, Martin observes that the captives "don't look White." "They aren't White. . .not anymore, Edwards replies." Perhaps that's why he must turn his back at the end. He may not be able to reconcile his feelings about the girl with his hate for the Comanches who have defiled her.
This movie has much going for it. There is the usual strong cast of characters. Harry Carey, Jr. and his mother are on hand. Ward Bond does good work as a preacher and Texas Ranger. The Sons of the Pioneers are here. Ken Curtis provides some light moments in the film. The fight between Curtis' character and Martin Pauley is one of the film's best moments.
The scenery is awesome, but Ford used Monument Valley so often that it looks oddly out of place in this film. The Indians include familiar, if nameless, faces from other films. The Navajos of Monument Valley played Indians in many Ford movies.
If this film has a fault, it is it's lack of humanity. Edwards believes that the Comanches are less than human, but it is he who fails until the end to show his humanity. There is a powerful scene in the film where he goes crazy shooting buffalo. "They won't feed any empty bellies", he yells as he grabs Martin's gun to continue the slaughter. This is not a normal man. There is something wrong with Ethan Edwards. If we don't understand him by the end of the film, it is perhaps because he doesn't understand himself.
This is a great film which can be watched over and over again. The nuances of Wayne's memorable performance make every viewing a unique experience. There is always something there that you missed before.
He is an outsider throughout the movie. When he rides up to his brother's ranch house, it is clear that his appearance is a surprise and perhaps an embarassment. The brother (played by Cameron Mitchell) says that Ethan is welcome, but it's not believable. There is something between Ethan and his brother's wife (played by Dorothy Jordan). It is not entirely clear what it is. It might be love. It is probably platonic. The truth is that Edwards' loneliness permeates his being.
When his brother and his wife are killed in a Comanche raid and their young daughter taken we see another side of Edwards. He hates the Comanche or "Comanch" as he calls them. "They aren't human", he says. He and young Martin Pauley (played by Jeffrey Hunter) begin a six-year search for the missing girl. As the search lengthens Edwards' motives become less clear. Does he want to kill her? He draws his gun to do so in one scene, but in the end he picks the girl up and carries her back to her people. I have always had trouble reconciling Ethan's action at the end with his hate of everything touched by the Comanche. At one point where he and Martin are looking at other captives, Martin observes that the captives "don't look White." "They aren't White. . .not anymore, Edwards replies." Perhaps that's why he must turn his back at the end. He may not be able to reconcile his feelings about the girl with his hate for the Comanches who have defiled her.
This movie has much going for it. There is the usual strong cast of characters. Harry Carey, Jr. and his mother are on hand. Ward Bond does good work as a preacher and Texas Ranger. The Sons of the Pioneers are here. Ken Curtis provides some light moments in the film. The fight between Curtis' character and Martin Pauley is one of the film's best moments.
The scenery is awesome, but Ford used Monument Valley so often that it looks oddly out of place in this film. The Indians include familiar, if nameless, faces from other films. The Navajos of Monument Valley played Indians in many Ford movies.
If this film has a fault, it is it's lack of humanity. Edwards believes that the Comanches are less than human, but it is he who fails until the end to show his humanity. There is a powerful scene in the film where he goes crazy shooting buffalo. "They won't feed any empty bellies", he yells as he grabs Martin's gun to continue the slaughter. This is not a normal man. There is something wrong with Ethan Edwards. If we don't understand him by the end of the film, it is perhaps because he doesn't understand himself.
This is a great film which can be watched over and over again. The nuances of Wayne's memorable performance make every viewing a unique experience. There is always something there that you missed before.