Review of the Searchers with John Wayne

The scene is when Ethan and Marty go Buffalo hunting. The scene ends when they hear the horn then it cuts to the riders crossing the river. All this takes place directly after Marty's wife runs off. Marty is prone to emotion out bursts and not thinking rationality, while Ethan is the opposite. Yet in this scene it is the direct opposite Ethan loses control of his emotions and lashes out. Marty tried to reason with him, but is met with violence. Normally that would only rile Marty up even more, but in this scene he is calm and in control. Marty has taken on the point of view that Ethan normally holds, calm logical and in control.

The opening starts with the two men walking towards buffalo with a wide shot. When the shot comes close in Marty nearly blends in with the buffalo because of his coat. Ethan with his blue coat sticks out like a sore thumb between the buffalo and the snow. This is a heads up right away that something has changed. Marty is usually the one out of place especially compared to the well traveled Ethan. Marty stick out because he's loud, emotional, irrational, lacking in common sense usually because he cares to much, and because of his race as Ethan saw right away. This switch is supposed to draw attention to how well Marty keeps his head in the rest of the scene.

When the buffalo have nearly all run off the first person that comes into the shot is Ethan blasting away inside a small branch frame. This does two things: the branch frame draws us to Ethan right away, then with Marty absent for a few seconds it feels like we are looking at Ethan as if we are Marty. This branch frame acts almost like a cell to keep Ethan away from Marty. Usually we are meant to relate to Ethan and see things his way. Marty enters and tries to take control right away. Each time he tries to enter the frame he is brushed off then struck. Ethan wants to stay confine to his anger and Marty realizes this, but knows it will not do any good. If anyone knows erratic behavior it is Marty.

The rock formations in the background Marty is now level with when he enters, Ethan is below him. This trades after the two men stand as equals then Marty is struck. Marty shows no ill will at all when normally the smallest thing sets him off. Ethan is shot as dark, the shadows cover a part of his face. Marty's face is bright and illuminated. Between the two men Marty is in control he just cannot control Ethan this is normally the problem Ethan has with Marty.

Marty is the sympathetic character because Ethan usually is. With our hero out of his mind we find it hard to feel for his rage, but Marty picking up his former characteristics we find the switch easy and out sympathy moves smoothly. It is easy to come to this conclusion because even if Marty had not taken Ethan's personal traits we still would not connect to someone lost in their own madness. The horn blowing closes the switch Marty gets excited and Ethan calms down. We can see the switch start at the beginning of the scene and things go back to normal at the end. The men never speak of it and no judgments are made, it just happens to show how much alike they can be.

Marty's point of view is represented as Ethan's, calm, in control, rational. This is show from Ethan's isolation from things he normally has mastery over. While Marty is blending in normally. Marty is confused not angry until he is stuck then he knows to let Ethan go. Marty gets mad or upset in nearly every other scene, but this one. Lighting is used to separate Ethan with shadows, while Marty's face is illumined the entire time.