The Film: John Ford and John Wayne collaborated on numerous occasions throughout the decade, shooting out a decent western here (Rio Grande) and a comedy of sorts there (The Quiet Man), but these were just the build up to their greatest pairing: The Searchers. Shot in and around Ford's beloved Monument Valley the story is simple from the outset - Wayne's Civil War vet, Ethan Edwards, returns to his brother's homestead, which shortly after is ravaged by Comanches and his niece kidnapped - but soon develops into something that is both brutal and beautiful. A regular in best of lists across the years, The Searchers went on to influence the likes of David Lean and his latter output as well as Martin Scorsese, Steven Spielberg and, recently, even Breaking Bad creator Vince Gilligan cited this movie as being his inspiration for the show's series finale. Classic Moment: The composition of cinematographer Winton C. Hoch's doorway scene deserves a mention, but the standout scene in The Searchers, the one that makes us realise this is a role Wayne would never beat in terms of complexity, remains his callous mutilation of a slain Comanche in the film's earlier stages.
Shaun is a former contributor for a number of Future Publishing titles and more recently worked as a staffer at Imagine Publishing.
He can now be found banking in the daytime and writing a variety of articles for What Culture, namely around his favourite topics of film, retro gaming, music, TV and, when he's feeling clever, literature.
