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Following Flawed Leaders "A
Look at John Wayne's Movie 'The Searchers' "
By Don Doman
The Searchers
(1956) stars John Wayne in one of his most compelling films. I've seen
the movie countless times. I've owned my own copy for years, and yet
when I come across the film as I flip through the channels on my
remote I stop and watch it again. The film is about heroes, revenge,
leadership, and doing the right thing.
The Searchers tells the
emotionally complex story of a perilous, hate-ridden quest and
Homeric-style odyssey of self-discovery after a Comanche massacre,
while also exploring the themes of racial prejudice and sexism. Its
meandering tale examines the inner psychological turmoil of a
fiercely independent, crusading man obsessed with revenge and
hatred, who searches for his two nieces (Pippa Scott and Natalie
Wood) among the "savages" over a five-year period. The
film's major tagline echoed the search: "he had to find
her...he had to find her."
-- Tim Dirks
John Wayne plays Ethan Edwards, a
dedicated man, a hate-filled man, a driven man . . . a man of
contradictions and flaws. Ethan comes home to Texas three years after
the Civil War. When Reverend Samuel Johnson Clayton (Ward Bond) says,
"I ain't seen you since the surrender. Come to think of it, I
didn't see you at the surrender." Ethan replies, "(I) don't
believe in surrenders."
A group of Texas Rangers and
deputized posse go looking for some raiding Indians who have stolen
some cattle. They find the cattle slaughtered and Ethan realizes they
have been lured away for cause. Fierce Comanche Indians, led by the
chieftain Scar, kill Ethan's brother and rape and then kill his
sister-in-law. His two nieces are kidnapped.
A large posse set out to search for
the girls. As time goes by the posse dwindles. It becomes clear that
Ethan considers the girls dead or worse. They may have become Comanche
themselves. He is now only seeking revenge. Reverend Clayton of the
Texas Rangers asks Ethan if he is ready to quit his search. Ethan
replies, "That'll Be The Day."
Ethan and his brother's adopted
son, Marty, who is part Cherokee and therefore less than human,
continue looking for the Comanche and any evidence of the girls. Ethan
finds Lucy, raped and tortured. The two continue on with Ethan the
driving force. Marty stays to protect Debbie from Ethan if they ever
find her.
In the end Ethan gets his revenge
and rescues Debbie. He cannot kill her.
In the film we see some of the best
shots ever recorded on film. We hear memorable lines. We see excellent
acting. We see relationships develop. We experience great directing.
But most of all, we see the face of leadership.
In Ethan Edwards we see a leader we
can depend on. We know him. We can depend on him. We honor his
decisions. We know that he will arrive at his destination. We know
too, that we will arrive with him.
Some leaders you would follow into
Hell because you feel that you will reach your goal AND continue to
live . . . or at least have a better chance of surviving. We see this
in the leadership of Lt. Col. Hal Moore (Mel Gibson) in We Were
Soldiers, Richard Winters (Damian Lewis) in Band of Brothers,
Lieutenant John Chard (Stanley Baker) in Zulu, and Michael
Corleone (Al Pachino) in The Godfather series. Each of these
people have flaws. All leaders have flaws. We should never stop
following because leaders have flaws, but we should never be blind to
them.
Ethan Edwards has major flaws. He
overcomes many on his journey. We see him struggle with his thoughts
and decisions. Great leaders are worth the search and effort to find
them. Ethan Edwards is a hero. He is a leader. In the end he does what
is right. To do less is unthinkable. As Ethan says, "That'll be
the day."
Don Doman is a published author,
video producer, and corporate trainer. He owns the business training
site Ideas and Training (http://www.ideasandtraining.com),
which he says is the home of the no-hassle "free preview"
for business training videos. He also is the webmaster for Videos,
Music, and More (http://www.videosmusicandmore.com),
which promotes music and entertainment.
Get the DVD Set
The John Wayne Signature Collection (Stagecoach /
The Searchers / Rio Bravo / The Cowboys)
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