The Classic Western Genre through the eyes of John Ford's "The Searchers".

In the film, The Searchers, director John Ford emphasizes setting as a major element of the western genre. Ford uses the beautiful and natural landscape of what appears to be New Mexico or Arizona in such a way that the qualities of the setting make them as important as characters in the film. In my lifetime, I have watched two movies directed by John Ford, and I have seen them both in the past 4 days, …

…Ford uses a river to separate the Indians from the White men. The men, largely outnumbered by the Indians, use the river to protect themselves from the impending attack. The use of natural setting not only makes this film beautiful, but it allows you to put yourself in John Wayne's Position, to feel as if you are a cowboy out on your own, taking care of whatever problem the Wild West can throw at you.