“The typical western movie opens with a landscape shot (Pg 69).” In this sense, The Searchers is a typical western, opening on a scene of Ethan riding in from the vast desert. Riding solo, almost out of the land itself, he comes back to home after a long time away to warm welcomes. An almost identical scene is later in the film, but with both Ethan and Marty coming back. The land is daunting – many scenes from the movie make the riders seem dwarfed in comparison to the far reaching horizons and cliffs. No matter if it’s a company like the rangers, or just one man. Though at the same time, “the desert flatters the human figure by making it seem dominant and unique… (Pg 74).” The landscape is crucial to the life of the western, and it is what creates the alpha male.
The cowboy and the land share a bond like no other. When Ethan rides in from the land, it is clear that he is never at home in the house with his family. He constantly stares out at the horizon with clear longing – he belongs there. The land gives him both tests of strength and nourishment, such as the cave with running fresh water. The land fills all of Ethan’s needs. He is satisfied by the land, and his actions imitate it – his silent strength, and resilience (never giving up the search Debbie). “The interaction between hero and landscape lies at the genre’s center…(Pg 81).” The land is always there, it’s constant. Houses and tribes come and go (unfortunately by violence such as fires and raiding here), but the land is always there. When Ethan’s mission was accomplished and Debbie was home safe, he immediately returned to the land where he started his journey from, where he belongs. The ending scene closing on “desert landscape framed by the doorway of house (Pg 69).”
“The typical western movie opens with a landscape shot (69).” In this sense, The Searchers is a typical western, opening on a scene of Ethan riding in from the vast desert. Riding solo, almost out of the land itself, he comes back home after a long time away to warm welcomes. An almost identical scene is later in the film, but with both Ethan and Marty coming back. Marty will eventually stay at home, but Ethan will always go back into the desert. The land is daunting – many scenes from the movie make the riders seem dwarfed in comparison to the far reaching horizons and cliffs. No matter if it’s a company like the rangers, or just one man. Though at the same time, “the desert flatters the human figure by making it seem dominant and unique… (74).” The landscape is crucial to the life of the western, and it is what creates the alpha male.
ReplyDeleteThe cowboy and the land share a bond like no other. When Ethan rides in from the land, it is clear that he is never at home in the house with his family. He constantly stares out at the horizon with clear longing – he belongs there. Ethan did not fit in with the home life, he could not be satisfied by that way of living. The solitude that the desert offers is what best suits his needs. The land gives him both tests of strength and nourishment, such as the cave with running fresh water. The land fills all of Ethan’s needs. He is satisfied by the land, and his actions imitate it – his silent strength, and resilience (never giving up the search Debbie). “The interaction between hero and landscape lies at the genre’s center…(Pg 81).” The land is always there, it’s constant. Houses and tribes come and go (unfortunately by violence such as fires and raiding here), but the land is always there. When Ethan’s mission was accomplished and Debbie was home safe, he immediately returned to the land where he started his journey from - where he belongs. The ending scene closes on “desert landscape framed by the doorway of house (Pg 69).”