The Searchers (1956)

A Civil War veteran embarks on a journey to rescue his niece from an Indian tribe. (IMDb)

With as many cozy wooden indoor sets as wide sandy outbacks, as much drawled dialogue as gun fights and horseback riding, dashes of wry humour (“you chunkhead, you got yourself a wife!”) amidst the tragic central storyline, and a hotheaded young sidekick to go along with Wayne’s chill and cocksure lead, this is a well-rounded, if not groundbreaking Western–and although it’s undoubtedly a bit dry and meandering (fairly stale performances don’t help) it seems to fit the sprawling, dusty setting.

7/10 (Good)