“All there is is space, pure and absolute, materialized in the desert landscape” (70). The Searchers portrays this beautifully in the opening scene as Ethan approaches his family’s house. It is very evident that the cowboy and the landscape have a very strong relationship. The cowboys even seem to mimic the background by what they wear. “Men imitate the land in Westerns; they try to look as much like nature as possible. Everything blends imperceptibly into the desert” (72). Ethan wears many muted colors throughout the film that easily blends with the desert. There is a large contrast with the soldiers who offer to help towards the end of the film. The viewer instantly distinguishes between the soldiers and the cowboys because the soldiers wear clothing that stands out more against the desert landscape. The desert itself tells a lot about the person who is willing to pass through it. Deserts are barren and lack many commodities such as water that are needed for survival. “The landscape challenges the body to endure hardship- that is its fundamental message at the physical level. This is a hard place to be; you will have to do without here. Its spiritual message is the same : come, and suffer” (71). Cowboys willingly “suffer” in the desert and that willingness displays the need for cowboys to be thought of as the alpha male. The protagonist must be strong and brave in order to avoid death. Surviving, on its own, proves to be a difficult task since the desert is “the landscape of death” (70).
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