The combination of John Wayne and John Ford are almost synonymous with the Western thanks to a creative partnership that spanned five decades and over 20 collaborations. The duo's biggest triumph came with this epic Western that sees 'The Duke' deliver a career-best performance as Ethan Edwards, and the trials and tribulations he faces on a five-year search for his kidnapped niece. A revisionist Western before the sub-genre even existed, the normally stoic and heroic Wayne gives a multi-layered performance that doesn't shy away from his character's ugly side. Almost the progenitor for the antihero that would dominate 1970's cinema, Ethan is a bigoted racist driven by revenge whose single-mindedness has almost completely alienated him from society. The Searchers is a personal tale on an epic scale, featuring all of the stunning cinematography you'd expect from John Ford. A movie that has influenced everyone from Scorsese to Spielberg, the darker elements of the story and moral ambiguity of John Wayne's character were well ahead of their time, offering a fresh perspective on a genre that was becoming increasingly stale predictable. The best movie in the legendary careers of the Western's two most famous Johns.
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