20 Films From The 1950s That Everybody Should Watch

6. The Searchers

Few films - at least by 1956 - had made such appropriate use of the VistaVision widescreen process as The Searchers did. Its vast panning shots of Monument Valley (standing in for Northwest Texas) seem to send home the desolation of the location like no other cinematic technique could have done. Plenty of Westerns had been made beforehand, but The Searchers' visual beauty was undoubtedly a step above the rest. Although considered by some to drag on for far too long, it is a landmark in the Western genre, easily one of John Wayne's most definitive roles. Even disregarding the technical brilliance of the film, it can be carried purely on the weight of its wonderful, iconic characters. Scores of filmmakers have since been inspired by the film, David Lean citing it as an influence for 1962's Lawrence Of Arabia. One of the only things that lets the film down, as noted by critic Bosley Crowther, is that the VistaVision technique makes for a very unforgiving picture. Sprawling landscapes are luscious and rich, but try not to be too distracted by the less-than impressive interior sets. Some things just aren't meant to be high resolution. Also check out the behind-the-scenes film that accompanied the cinema release, one of the first 'making of' documentaries ever produced.