'The Searchers' Film Review - Assignment Example

09 October “The Searchers” Film Review: How and when are issues of race raised? Halfway through the film, The Searchers, there is a very interesting scene in which Ethan Edwards encounters a white woman and her two little daughters. The issue of race forms the bedrock of this scene because all three females are presented as demented creatures. They are wild and deranged and all that is because they spent sometime in the captivity of some Indian tribe. The twisted expression on Edwards’s face at the end of the scene reflects the unmitigated hatred that he has for the Indians.

How is Wayne’s character different from the traditional cowboy? The character of Ethan Edwards is not quite along the lines of a traditional cowboy. For example, traditional Western cowboys came from somewhat disadvantaged backgrounds and they did not occupy high position on the social ladder. However, Wayne’s character is not poor. He never had any financial problem and always seems to have a comfortable supply of gold. Are the Native Americans different? (they may not be). The Native Americans may or may not be the same as portrayed in the movie.

Some Indian tribes may be vicious, but the same cannot be said for all and there is no reason to possess such racial hatred for the Indians as is possessed by Ethan in the film.What power inequalities are unstated, but implied? There are power inequalities implied in the film between the Indians and the whites. These inequalities range from political power to employment to social relationships. The whites are certainly more privileged in all three areas than the Native Indians appear to be, hence the tension between the two racial groups grows.

How does the film show a hegemonic negotiation underway? There is a dominant ideology of white supremacy which is depicted in the film. Through Indian warriors, backlash demonstrated by the tribes, massacres, kidnappings, and hatred towards slavery, the film shows a hegemonic negotiation underway.