Director
John Ford
Leading Actors/Actresses
John Wayne, Jeffrey Hunter
Supporting Actors/Actresses
Natalie Wood, Vera Miles, Ward Bond, John Qualen, Henry Brandon, Hank Worden
Genre
Western, Drama, Adventure
Language
English
Awards
Directors Guild Nomination - Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures
Date of Release
1956
Producer
Merian C. Cooper, Patrick Ford
Setting and Context
The American West, three years after the Civil War has ended
Narrator and Point of View
Tone and Mood
Dramatic, Serious, Epic
Protagonist and Antagonist
Protagonist is Ethan Edwards. Antagonist is Scar
Major Conflict
Scar and his tribe have killed Ethan's brother and his family and kidnapped their two daughters. They murder the oldest and raise Debbie the youngest as a Comanche. Ethan and Martin set out to find Debbie.
Climax
Ethan and Martin find Debbie with Scar and after killing Scar in battle, they are able to bring Debbie home.
Foreshadowing
Brad tells Ethan to stop saying Lucy is probably dead. This foreshadows Ethan finding Lucy in the canyon, murdered.
Understatement
Innovations in Filming or Lighting or Camera Techniques
Allusions
Allusions to Christianity, Native American culture, the Civil War.
Paradox
After seeing that Debbie is living as a Comanche, Ethan would rather kill Debbie than bring her home safely, which would undermine their entire mission.
Parallelism
The final shot of Ethan framed by the inside of the Edwards home as he leaves parallels the opening scene where Ethan is welcomed home, onto the porch of his brother, Aaron.
