The Searchers is a great western-drama from the renowned John Wayne pairing up with acclaimed director John Ford. While I’m not the biggest fan of the western genre with few exceptions, this one still a great drama that is well worth checking out.
The Searchers
— Warner Archive Collection —
(1956)
Genre(s): Western
Warner Bros. | NR – 119 min. – $33.99 | December 20, 2024
Date Published: 01/03/2025 | Author: The Movieman
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Warner Bros. Home Entertainment provided me with a free copy of the Blu-ray I reviewed in this Blog Post.
The opinions I share are my own.
PLOT SYNOPSIS |
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In this revered Western, Ethan Edwards (JOHN WAYNE) returns home to Texas after the Civil War. When members of his brother’s family are killed or abducted by Comanches, he vows to track down his surviving relatives and bring them home. Eventually, Edwards gets word that his niece Debbie (NATALIE WOOD) is alive, and, along with her adopted brother, Martin Pawley (JEFFREY HUNTER), he embarks on a dangerous mission to find her, journeying deep into Comanche territory. |
SPECIAL FEATURES – 3¾/5 |
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This release comes with a matted slip cover. Features are available on both discs. Audio Commentary by Filmmaker Peter Boghanovich who is also a biographer for John Ford and offers insights into the legendary director not only about The Searchers as well as his career as a whole. Introduction by Patrick Wayne (1:52), John Wayne’s son filmed in 1996. The Searchers: An Appreciation (31:01) — This is a retrospective featurette on the film with interviews by Martin Scorsese, Curtis Hanson and John Milius. A Turning of the Earth: John Ford, John Wayne and The Searchers (33:10) — This older featurette covers the adaptation of the Alan LeMay novel. The Searchers World Premiere in Chicago (0:46) is a short newsreel footage. Outtakes (11:42) — Silent footage from the film’s production. Behind the Cameras are four promotional features. Theatrical Trailer (2:27) |
4K VIDEO – 4¾/5, BLU-RAY VIDEO – 4½/5 |
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Warner Bros. releases The Searchers onto 4K Ultra HD for the first time and is presented in the original 1.85 widescreen aspect ratio and a newly restored 2160p high-definition transfer (1080p on Blu-ray as well). This is a wonderfully done transfer, detail is sharp and colors are well balanced throughout. There were no apparent signs of artifacts, aliasing or other flaws. |
AUDIO – 4/5 |
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The movie includes a DTS-HD Master Audio Mono track that does sound quite good, delivering strong dialogue levels but without blowing out the speakers, along with the magnificent score by Max Steiner. |
OVERALL — 4/5 |
| The Searchers is a great western-drama from the renowned John Wayne pairing up with acclaimed director John Ford. While I’m not the biggest fan of the western genre with few exceptions, this one still a great drama that is well worth checking out. |