Plot Overview of The Searchers
The film The Searchers, directed by John Ford, is a western movie about the conflict between two communities in the USA. When a soldier returns home after eight years, his village is attacked by the Comanche. The film narrates the life of the soldier, Ethan Edwards, and the revenge mission after the Comanches set their homes ablaze and abducted their wives and children. The soldier set out with Marty to search for their missing family members and punish the kidnappers for their actions. Although Marty seems ambivalent about the mission, Ethan Edwards is dedicated to freeing the captives.
The sound and music aspect of the film is outstanding, and it gives the audience an overview of how gender and sexual identity are portrayed. The key song in the movie is Stan Jones’s “The Searchers Ride Away,” which offers the audience the role of a man in a patriarchal society. Sound is essential to a film because it preempts the movie’s theme and makes the audience eager to finish it.
Vengeance as a Central Motif in Western Cinema
The selected film relates to my favorite movie, True Grit, which shares a common theme of vengeance and gender identity in the then-patriarchal society. The protagonist Mattie Ross discovers that Chaney has murdered her father on his trip to Arkansas, where he had gone to purchase horses. Mattie decides to avenge her father’s death by hiring an assassin, Cogburn.
The murderer had also murdered a senator in Texas, and LaBoeuf was also after him. Cogburn wanted to join LaBoeuf to speed up the search process, but Mattie objected. The film narrates how the trio searched for the killer and killed him toward the end. Her role in the movie shows how women can stand against discrimination in a patriarchal society where they are considered weak.
The theme of vengeance is evident throughout the film, and all actions are motivated by revenge. The Comanches attacked the white settlers and burned their homestead because of the unfair treatment they received from them. Ethan attacks the Comanche camp and kills their warriors in an attempt to save the hostages. Futterman also seeks revenge and hunts down Ethan for the atrocities against them.
The theme of vengeance is also evident in my favorite film, True Grit, as Mattie goes against all odds to ensure that her father’s murderer is brought to book. Although she suffered numerous challenges in the movie to the point when her father’s killer abducted her, her determination and help from LaBoeuf made her victorious in the revenge mission.
Gender Roles and Sexual Identity in a Patriarchal Society
Gender and sexual identity are portrayed in different ways in the film. The first fourteen minutes of the movie help the viewer to conclude that the movie is set in a patriarchal society, and women are viewed as objects for men’s pleasure. After Ethan comes into the house, the main subject of his gaze is Martha, and he stares at her body for a while. Aron also makes Martha the subject of his gaze, and the two men seem attracted to her beauty.
The opening song also describes why men must wonder, why men wake up early in the morning, and why they should be respected. The movies distinguish men’s and women’s roles in society, where women are expected to stay at home and care for children, while men want to provide for their families. Masculinity is further expressed in the movie’s first scene, where his family screams his name and runs after him after he arrives from war, meaning that men are given the status of power and respect in society.
Comparative Perspective: The Searchers and True Grit on Gender and Power
The prototypical Western film portrays the setting of a patriarchal society. The background song and numerous scenes depict how men are given much importance in the community compared to women. Women are treated as objects for men’s pleasure and offer men the responsibility of taking care of their families and protecting them in times of need. When the women were abducted, it was the role of the men to rescue them from the hands of the kidnappers. Both men and women are identified with a specific role in society. Going against one’s gender role would make one an outcast and the subject of ridicule in society.
The Searchers‘ plot analysis underscores the gender roles in the patriarchal society where men are the sole providers while women maintain the homesteads. Ethan Edwards takes part in providing for his family and later assumes the role of protector after his return.
True Grit, on the other hand, further shows feminism and women’s roles in society despite their position. As the protagonist sought to avenge her father’s death, the assassin was unsure of the payment as women were not known to provide. Mattie, however, conducted an aggressive trade with horses to pay off the dues and managed to punish the killer. The films prove that although gender stereotyping and roles have denied women the chance to explore their talents, they can work and help build a better society.