Revisiting THE SEARCHERS in 4K

THE SEARCHERS (4K UHD)

1956 / 118 min

From Warner Archive Collection

Available at www.MovieZyng.com

Review by Mr. Paws😺

After 15 years of resurrecting classics (and cult classics) on DVD and Blu-ray, Warner Archive has finally jumped on the 4K Ultra HD bandwagon. It seems fitting that the label kicks things off with something iconic. And westerns don’t get much more iconic than 1956’s The Searchers.

Before going any further, I should probably qualify my review by confessing I’ve never been a massive John Wayne fan. He starred in some great films, to be sure, but they weren’t necessarily great because of him. Wayne’s career was similar to Ozzy Osbourne’s…perfunctory talent, but surround yourself with the right people and you become a legend. He’s sure as hell surrounded by the right people in this one.

But in revisiting The Searchers for the first time in years, I gotta admit Wayne is pretty damn impressive here. It’s probably the closest he ever came to actually disappearing into a character, playing an enigmatic and cynical ex-soldier. Ethan Edwards’ years-long quest to rescue his niece and kill the Comanche who kidnapped her (after slaughtering the rest of her family) reveals a dark complexity that’s absent from most of Wayne’s other characters. 

Duke's picnic shirt.

Sure, director John Ford and screenwriter Frank S. Nugent had a hand in it, and I still suspect Ethan might’ve been more compelling if played by, say, Glenn Ford. But if John Wayne was gonna win an Oscar, it should have been for this one (certainly not True Grit). It’s arguably his best role, though I personally don’t think it’s his best film (Rio Bravo gets my vote for that one). 

But if not his best, The Searchers remains an easy film to appreciate. Historically speaking, you’d be hard pressed to name another western as influential as this one. Watching with hindsight, you can spot aesthetic and narrative elements of The Searchers in countless other films by notable directors (and not just westerns). And speaking of aesthetics, the simple artistry of that immersive opening shot immediately establishes The Searchers as, not simply a western, but an epic western. Conversely, later scenes obviously done on a soundstage tend to break the spell, however briefly.

But hey, what the hell do I know? The Searchers is widely considered one of the greatest westerns of all time and is certainly treated as such with this outstanding 4K restoration. The movie looks tremendous, revealing a lot of texture and color accuracy in the various settings (and probably why certain scenes look so “stagy”). There’s also an additional Blu-ray with the feature film - which also looks pretty good - and a solid selection of vintage bonus features…as well as a couple of brand new ones.

EXTRA KIBBLES

4K & BLU-RAY COPIES

FEATURETTES - The Searchers: An Appreciation and A Turning of the Earth: John Ford, John Wayne and The Searchers are a couple of 30 minute retrospectives.

AUDIO COMMENTARY - By filmmaker Peter Bogdanovich.

INTRODUCTION BY PATRICK WAYNE - John’s son.

OUTTAKES - Raw footage from the film, appearing for the first time here.

THE SEARCHERS WORLD PREMIERE IN CHICAGO - This is newly unearthed, too (though it’s less than a minute long).

BEHIND THE CAMERAS - This is a series of short promotional featurettes made during the film’s production.

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THE SHOOTIST: The Duke's Swan Song

THE SHOOTIST (Blu-ray)

1976 / 100 min

FROM ARROW VIDEO 

Review by Mr. Paws😼

It’s probably prudent to point out I’ve never been a massive John Wayne fan. He starred in some great classic films, to be sure, but they weren’t necessarily great because of him. Wayne’s career was similar to Ozzy Osbourne’s…marginal inherent talent, but surround yourself with the right people and you become a legend. 

For some reading this…them’s probably fightin’ words.

That being said, 1976’s The Shootist is arguably the one John Wayne film  where his character could not have been played by anyone else. J.B. Books is an aging legendary gunfighter diagnosed with terminal cancer who plans to quietly die peacefully in Carson City. However, his reputation makes that impossible. Word quickly spreads that not only is Books in town, but he’s vulnerable. 

Taking place in 1901, Carson City itself reflects American progress since Book’s glory days…telephones, buildings with running water, horseless carriages and most importantly, changing attitudes regarding his particular skill set, as represented by boarding house owner Bond Rogers (Lauren Bacall). She vehemently disapproves of the way he’s lived, though ultimately empathizes with him. The narrative suggests that, even if Book weren’t dying, the world has already written him off. Still, that doesn’t stop some locals from trying to kill him…either for glory or revenge.

"Back off. Those are my pillows."

Because of Book’s illness and the film’s themes of obsolescence, it is difficult - if not impossible - to separate Wayne from his character. At the time The Shootist was being made, Wayne himself had already endured both cancer and cultural irrelevance. To watch Book come to terms with his place in the world is to watch Wayne, which I suppose adds a level of poignancy the film wouldn’t have achieved otherwise, exacerbated by the fact this was indeed his last performance before succumbing to cancer a few years later (contrary to popular belief, Wayne wasn’t in the best of health, but did not have cancer while making this).

Setting sentiment aside, The Shootist remains a watchable western, but fairly light on action and ultimately not among Wayne’s best films. Don Siegel’s direction is serviceable as always, but he’s certainly no John Ford or Howard Hawks. A few nifty scenes notwithstanding, the whole thing kind of plays like a TV movie of the era. Wayne is his stoic self, of course, either unable or unwilling to convincingly convey the despair of being diagnosed with cancer. But hey, at least he's acknowledging his age. He's also surrounded by a great supporting cast, including Bacall, Ron Howard and old buddy James Stewart.

I suspect I’m in the minority on all this, as there are many fans of The Duke who view The Shootist as a glorious swan song to a legendary career. For them, this Blu-ray debut from Arrow Video is indispensable. The disc boasts a solid video transfer and plenty of insightful, revealing bonus features, as well as a few physical goodies.

EXTRA KIBBLES

NOTE: Free Kittens Movie Guide was provided with a promo disc for review purposes. Physical supplemental material included with the final product (booklets, artwork, inserts, etc) were not available for review.

THE LAST DAY - Video essay by David Cairns.

CONTEMPLATING JOHN WAYNE - Another video essay, this time by Scout Tafora, who tries to reconcile his appreciation for Wayne's influence on American cinema and the man’s repellent world views.

A MAN MAKING MOMENT - This is an excellent 40 minute feature with C. Courtney Joyner, who also discusses director Don Siegel’s career history in considerable detail.

LAMENTS OF THE WEST - Neil Brand discusses Elmer Bernstein’s score.

AUDIO COMMENTARY - By Howard S. Berger.

THE SHOOTIST: THE LEGEND LIVES ON - Archival featurette.

IMAGE GALLERY

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POSTER, BOOKLET, LOBBY CARD REPLICAS (not reviewed)