The Searchers

Ethan Edwards (John Wayne), an embittered veteran of the Confederate Army, returns to his brother’s Texan ranch in 1868, three years after the end of the American Civil War. When the homestead is attacked and burned down by Comanches, his brother and the sister-in-law Ethan secretly loves are killed along with their son, and their two daughters abducted. Ethan and two other family members, each with their own motives, strike out in pursuit of the Comanches on a search that will last for years. THE SEARCHERS (John Ford, USA 1956) marks a new departure in Ford’s oeuvre, casting the old frontier myth in a sober, disillusioned light. Named “the greatest Western of all time” by the American Film Institute in 2007, the film was extensively restored in 2024 by Warner Bros. in partnership with the Film Foundation. In the course of the restoration, the film—originally shot in VistaVision format—was reproduced in 70 mm for the first time. (Hans-Joachim Fetzer)