“Look” in The Searchers

Contradicting Ideologies in The Searchers While The Searchers can be viewed from a critical standpoint as a revisionist westward in terms of its portraiture of Native Americans, certain aspects of the film contradict this ov datell message. One such aspect is the character advert, who serves a role both(prenominal) as comic relief and as commentary on racist depictions of Native Americans. The Searchers does a superb Job of highlighting the contorted representation of Indians in the Western genre, moreover Director John Fords comic portrayal of ascertain unwittingly reflects the expirations and stereotypes entrenched inAmerican culture in the 1950s. Look, or Wild Goose riotous Across the Night Sky, appears in a brief flashback sequence delivered from Martys point of view in a letter to Laurie. The scene portrays Martys quest with Ethan to find the Comanche foreland Scar who had kidnapped his adoptive sister Debbie years earlier. While attempting to purchase a blanket from a Comanche tribe with connections to Scar, Marty inadvertently bestows a bride token upon Looks father, resulting in an inadvertent marriage.The mise-en-scene in the startle flashback sets the musical note for the remainder of he scenes featuring Look, establishing a racial hierarchy and foreshadowing the power structure in Marty and Looks relationship. The traditional Native American tune playing throughout serves as a sound bridge that connects all of the scenes featuring Look with an upbeat tempo that sets a lighthearted mood proceed throughout the comedic climax in the second flashback. Additionally, character blocking offers insight into Looks kindly position and foreshadows the outcome of her relationship with Marty.While Marty is negotiating with Looks father, an establishing hot shows Marty standing above Look as she sits cross-legged on the ground. The scene then cuts back and forth between a towering Marty and Look sitting meekly on the ground. This eludes both to white mans dominance and Martys supremacy in their relationship. Ford uses scenes of this ill-fated marriage as a humorous interlude in a film otherwise dense with revisionist commentary, grim scenes, and desolate landscapes.While Look is a source of irritation for Marty, it is evident almost immediately that Ford means for Look to be a source of comedic relief from the otherwise intense storyline. In the subsequent scene, as Look dutifully follows Marty away from the Comanche camp and it dawns on Marty that he has accidentally get married her, Ethan bursts into delighted guffaws exclaiming, come along Mrs. Pauly Look is a source of entertainment for both Ethan and the audience as well, who is expected to laugh along with Ethans quips.Other characters in the film overly find Martys marriage comical after hearing about Martys marriage, Mr. Jorgensen and Charlie laugh heartily, and while Laurie is upset, she is clearly less concerned about her love interest being married than she is w ith his new wifes ethnicity. The receipt of the films characters to Marty and Looks marriage encourages the audience to view the situation in a comical light. In the second flashback, Look obediently takes economic aid of Marty and attempts to do domestic work at the campsite.Doing everything she can to please Marty, she obligingly agrees to answer to Look despite it having no relation to her real name. The scene climaxes when she dutifully lies tear next to Marty on his bedroll tor the night Enraged, M rty kicks ner ott and she tumbles down the hill with a crash. This is followed not with concern for Look by he characters or a change in the tone of the scene, as one would expect when encountering violence against a woman in a movie today, but with yet another(prenominal) quip from Ethan. Laughing, he yells, mfou know thats grounds for di-vorce in TexasYoure really rough. Additionally, Ford focuses on Ethan rather than Look after her fall. Ethans lighthearted reaction and the ov erall tone of the scene signal to the audience that Looks mis discourse should be a source of amusement rather than concern. The same upbeat soundtrack and Ethans steady stream of mockery connect the first and econd flashbacks, maintaining the firsts humorous feel. The stereotypical native tune amplifies Looks already hyperbolized Native American characteristics, and stylized acing greatly contributes to the comedic vibe of the scene.Martys exaggerated anger and seemingly irrational response to Look lying beside him is a directorial play for laughs, as is the fact that Martys violence is further emphasized by the addition of sound effects. As Look rolls down the small hill, a large crash is heard, increasing the magnitude of the situation while simultaneously increasing comedic effect. Race plays a key role in the audiences reception to this scene as amusing rather than disturbing. This is highlighted best when contrasted with an earlier scene in which Laurie enters a room while Mar tin is taking a bath, attack his privacy in a similar way.It is unlikely Ford would elicit laughter from audiences at the time if Marty responded to Lauries intrusion with violence. It is due to the cultural racism and prejudice of the time that audiences were far more likely to value the life of, and therefore care about the treatment of, Laurie. Looks diminished value s a psyche is made evident by clear differences in how Ford handles both characters in the film. The final flashback has a somber tone and soundtrack meant to elicit sympathy and contemplation from the audience.This, however, conflicts directly with how Ford uses Looks character as a comic figure in previous scenes. When Looks body is discovered in the final flashback her death flat awakens a moment of sympathy from the profoundly racist Ethan, who covers her body with a blanket. This scene highlights incongruities in the value of white and Indian lives. Historically, the udiences of Westerns were encouraged to g rieve for the loss of white characters and applaud the death of Indian characters. This trend is continued in The Searchers.Although Looks death is treated with sorrow and compassion, her death is comprehensible and viewable to the audience because her portrayal rarely rises above that of a comic stereotype. By contrast, Fords camera does not reveal Martha and Lucys bodies to the audience out of deference and reverence to their characters. While Fords contradictory treatment of Look as captured by her death scene may be iewed as revisionist commentary, one cant overlook the fact that there was no precedent at the time for the use of a Native American woman as a comic fgure.It is far more likely that Looks portrayal was not social commentary but rather reflected the directors own prejudices and the reflection of a racially-charged society coming through in his work. Made in 1956, The Searchers came at the beginning of an era of great cultural change toward race and racial stereotypes in America, and therefore may be among the last of its era and genre to offer such an unapologetic portrayal of tradition of racism.Look is a one-dimensional character compared with the strong temale roles ot Laurie and Debbie, and the discrepancies in Fords portrayal ot white and Indian women underscore the idea that Ford viewed them as inferior. to a greater extent than ten minutes pass between Looks initial and final appearance and, denied a voice, she has only one line of dialogue. The audience never knows Looks story and has picayune foundation to connect with her in any significant way she is viewed only through the eyes of the white men around her.The death of her character is noted, but the udience is given few reasons to care about the human being who has died. By overemphasizing the racism and Native Americans stereotypes in The Searchers, Ford encourages the audience to reflect on the deep rooted tradition of portraying Native Americans in an excessively negative light in the Western genre. This noble revisionist effort, however, is impaired by Fords use of Look as a source of comedy. Essentially nothing more than a comic buffoon, the fact that her abuse is entertaining to the audience is an important reflection on Ford and American society at the time.