Penultimate Sequence in the Film the Searchers

¶ … penultimate sequence in the film The Searchers (John Ford, 1957) is identified as "Let's go home," and by the time this scene begins, it has been made clear that Ethan is most likely to kill Debbie when the two searchers find her because she has been tainted by her life with the Indians. Marty, on the other hand, wants to protect her and bring her home. The concerted attack on the Indians by the cavalry is joined by Ethan and Marty, and now that they have vanquished the warriors, Ethan emerges on horseback from the Indian tent and follows Debbie, fleeing from the camp and into an arroyo.

The sequence begins with an up-angle shot of Ethan on horseback emerging from the tent, pausing to observe. The angle creates tension and emphasizes the dramatic nature of the moment. Ford then cuts to a close-up on Ethan's face as he looks down the path, after which Ford cuts to a cross-angle to show his POV as Debbie runs away from near the front of the frame directly down the path to a more distant point, clearly trying to escape Ethan and what she has seen in his eyes. The entire sequence after this has a driving force taking the two to a point where they will meet, also a moment of decision and change.

The camera shifts to a side view from a medium distance as Marty runs into the frame calling out for Ethan to stop, and Ethan rises into the frame from the opposite side, moving right to left, as Marty tries to grasp the reins or pull Ethan down or do whatever is necessary to stop his forward movement. Marty does manage to reverse Ethan's direction as the horse rears two or three times. This is the longest shot within the sequence and shows how hard Marty is trying to stop his uncle while Ethan keeps astride his horse and single-mindedly pursues his goal. The horse reverses again and then runs away from the camera, Marty in pursuit, a change in direction that creates suspense as the viewer wonders if Ethan or Marty will win. The camera then cots to a closer short from the side as Marty falls and is left alone in the frame, helpless on the ground, as Ethan rides away.

Cut to a different view, the camera in a long shot of Debbie running toward the camera down a sharp incline, desperate to escape. Only a second later, Ethan appears at the top of the hill in full pursuit, not that far behind the girl, she on foot and he on his horse. The camera jumps back to the same scene from a different vantage point, this time inside the cave where the sequence will end, with the girl reaching the bottom of the incline and with Ethan halfway down, still at full gallop. The girl runs into the cave and falls, and Ethan follows, still on horseback. Ford cuts to a shot of Marty running after them, alone in the frame as he calls for Ethan not to do what he thinks Ethan plans, and the effect is to show how futile his effort is as he is alone and some distance away from the other two, unable to stop anything that might happen.