|
|
|
|
Orwellingly Yurz
SFN Regular
USA
529 Posts |
 Posted - 11/19/2006 : 15:31:13
|
YO:
All these years, I thought I'd seen John Ford's "The Seachers." After watching it last night on DVD, I've either never seen it or have forgotten it completely.
Interestingly, I find that the orginal name for the hero in the novel was Amos. In the novelist's research papers, it's been found that there was only one example of a man in Texas in the second half of the 19th century who went about looking for family members abducted by indians. The man was named Brit Johnson. He was black.
I find it also even more interesting that John Wayne's character's name in the film was changed to Ethan; dropping the name, Amos.
"Amos 'n Andy!" "The Searchers" is more of an unredemptive work of racism than the film itself would indicate.
The way things are today in this country can only come with slight surprise considering how they were just a little over a half-century ago with people making "great westerns" in Arizona's Monument Valley.
Jesus, and I thought "The Cowboys" with The Duke was obscene!
OY!
|
"The modern conservative...is engaged in one of man's oldest exercises in moral philosophy. That is the search for a superior moral justification for selfishness."
--John Kenneth Galbraith
If dogs run free
Then what must be,
Must be...
And that is all
--Bob Dylan
The neo-cons have gotten welfare for themselves down to a fine art.
--me
"The meek shall inherit the earth, but not the mineral rights."
--J. Paul Getty
"The great thing about Art isn't what it give us, but what we become through it."
--Oscar Wilde
"We have Art in order not to die of life."
--Albert Camus
"I cling like a miser to the freedom I lose when surrounded by an abundance of things."
--Albert Camus
"Experience is the name so many people give to their mistakes."
--Oscar Wilde |
Edited by - Orwellingly Yurz on 11/19/2006 15:34:28
|
|
|
HalfMooner
Dingaling
Philippines
15831 Posts |
Posted - 11/19/2006 : 16:02:32 [Permalink]
|
Interesting subject, OY. I never knew the background of implicit racism on that side of the film's coin. To this day, Indians don't much like him, either, I understand.
The movie I thought the Duke was best in was True Grit. He was also starred in another film in a role that was arguably the horrendously worst casting in history. Remember that one?
|
“Biology is just physics that has begun to smell bad.” —HalfMooner
Here's a link to Moonscape News, and one to its Archive. |
| Edited by - HalfMooner on 11/19/2006 16:50:00 |
 |
|
|
Original_Intent
SFN Regular
USA
609 Posts |
Posted - 11/19/2006 : 16:04:00 [Permalink]
|
It's been a long time since I have seen it myself, but I thought it was redemptive. The rasicm was an issue. From the begining to end, the change in Wayne's character was seen. THs was not typical Wayne. His role was more villenous then normal.
What was obscene about The Cowboys?
Peace
Joe |
|
|
|
Chippewa
SFN Regular
USA
1496 Posts |
Posted - 11/19/2006 : 18:21:02 [Permalink]
|
Have a look at the member comments on "The Searchers" over at IMDB. Some interesting insights on the racism issue: Is "The Searchers" actually racist? Or is it about racism on all sides?
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0049730/usercomments
A great adventure film I love is "The Dam Busters" – it is rarely if ever shown in the States perhaps due to the historically accurate name of squadron commander Guy Gibson's pet Labrador. But "The Dam Busters" does not reflect racist attitudes nor is racism found anywhere in the story. That's not what it's about. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0046889/usercomments
"Sahara" made in 1943, starring Humphrey Bogart had a whole sequence about racism culminating in Bogey belting a Nazi flyer for insulting a Sudanese soldier. It's interesting considering the time it was made. Would a modern film director have the Sudanese soldier hit the Nazi? I don't know (nor care). Bogart's character was the commanding officer and closest to the Nazi character in the scene. So he punches him for displaying racism.
|
|
|
|
Orwellingly Yurz
SFN Regular
USA
529 Posts |
Posted - 11/19/2006 : 19:50:55 [Permalink]
|
YO! What's obscene about "The Cowboys," Peaceful Joe asks.
If you've seen the film...and you have to ask what's obscene about it, Peaceful Joe, then you probably won't understand. A hint: obscenity is not, necessarily, something that is pornographic or lurid or prurient in nature.
I found setting up a screenplay to make it "okay" for 12, 13, 14 and 15 year old boys to murder grown-up bad guys who've shot dead the John Wayne character in the film as obscene. That's the part, I reckon, you can't be told, podner.
I thought I might hear from my bro, Chippewa on "The Searchers" rant.
How? Bro Chippewa! OY! |
"The modern conservative...is engaged in one of man's oldest exercises in moral philosophy. That is the search for a superior moral justification for selfishness."
--John Kenneth Galbraith
If dogs run free
Then what must be,
Must be...
And that is all
--Bob Dylan
The neo-cons have gotten welfare for themselves down to a fine art.
--me
"The meek shall inherit the earth, but not the mineral rights."
--J. Paul Getty
"The great thing about Art isn't what it give us, but what we become through it."
--Oscar Wilde
"We have Art in order not to die of life."
--Albert Camus
"I cling like a miser to the freedom I lose when surrounded by an abundance of things."
--Albert Camus
"Experience is the name so many people give to their mistakes."
--Oscar Wilde |
| Edited by - Orwellingly Yurz on 11/19/2006 19:51:47 |
|
|
|
Orwellingly Yurz
SFN Regular
USA
529 Posts |
Posted - 11/19/2006 : 20:06:51 [Permalink]
|
YO! One of the IMDb comments on "The Searchers" follows...
7. Marty accidentally marries an Indian woman. Although ridiculed by Ethan, the Indian woman is portrayed in a good light.
OY sez: Yes, she's portrayed in good light alright: and stupid and submissive. And in the next scene is promptly found dispatched in a teepee village massacre scene, at the end of which Marty (Jeffery Hunter) just sort of looks at her remains (which we can't see) without showing any real feeling for her demise.
John Ford was a great director in terms of the cinematic image he put up on the screen, but he had no strong sense for nuance and tenderness. Those two traits, if emoted by Wayne as the Ethan character, would have made his trick change of heart (at the end) wanting to kill the Natalie Wood character seem more convincing. Wayne was not a very good actor. Now, Ward Bond, despite his being the meanest sonofabitch ever (according to John Ford) was a good actor, and gave the film some vigor. Bond was even more rightwing in his thinking than The Duke. Then came George Murphy and Ronald Reagan.
OY! |
"The modern conservative...is engaged in one of man's oldest exercises in moral philosophy. That is the search for a superior moral justification for selfishness."
--John Kenneth Galbraith
If dogs run free
Then what must be,
Must be...
And that is all
--Bob Dylan
The neo-cons have gotten welfare for themselves down to a fine art.
--me
"The meek shall inherit the earth, but not the mineral rights."
--J. Paul Getty
"The great thing about Art isn't what it give us, but what we become through it."
--Oscar Wilde
"We have Art in order not to die of life."
--Albert Camus
"I cling like a miser to the freedom I lose when surrounded by an abundance of things."
--Albert Camus
"Experience is the name so many people give to their mistakes."
--Oscar Wilde |
| Edited by - Orwellingly Yurz on 11/19/2006 20:07:39 |
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
Topic Locked
