The Searchers Opening

 The Searchers 

The iconic western film The Searchers has earned a name through its storytelling and this is not lacking at the very start as it opens very classically with a glamorous feminine silhouette standing in the doorway with a dry but bright landscape in front of her. Along with this western image there is a very homey and classic western non -diegetic soundtrack, adhering to the western trope even more.

It becomes a tracking shot of the woman walking through the doorway outside from behind and her costume is revealed in the bright natural light, she is wearing an apron and a long dress giving away the time period as this is not that helpful in a hot climate and would only be used years ago. The camera pans and tracks to the right and hidden in the desert landscape is a figure riding on a horse in the distance approaching the house, and the soundtrack gets cheerier as the figure pear suggests he is a familiar and good guy. The landscape and the dramatic wind blowing also increased the importance and climax of the scene and this technique was commonly used in old movies as well. The camera goes back to the woman and she is putting the classic hand to head move once again setting the time period and adhering to the feminine stereotype she could be doing this move to look who it is or because she is hot. As the shot comes in closer to the figure on horseback we can also see a rug in frame with a native american pattern. It cuts back to the women and a man appears in frame who looks disbelieving and walks closer, light shines on his face as if the realisation just hit him, he knows this man. It then changes to a profile from the left of the house porch. We see two other girls all in prairie-like clothing and they all get into a position where they can see him showing joy and that he is  family/close. The soundtrack continues in a very domestic tune/ dream like it is a dream he is back. There is then a dog barking, adding to the domestic life this family is painting. There is then a closer shot to the young girl and the dog and the dog looks happy suggesting this man is familiar once again and the girl is holding a doll showing a happy family. There is then a wide shot of the whole family looking at him as if they have been expecting him but are surprised at the same time, they then all enter the house and the soundtrack crushendos. It is revealed once he is in the house that he has not been back for a whole as he mixes up the kids' ages but still appears fatherly enough to fit the hero category.

All the family then gather at the table and the domestic ideology that is in westerns is once again presented and Ethan looks like he just has been thoroughly welcomed. When it becomes just the adult talking there is a low angle increasing his power and size to perhaps show what they think of him, a strong and brave man. The camera then tracks the woman as she puts the coats away and the shot then cuts to the two men looking over at her suggesting that they could both care about her a lot. The last shot is of the two men as they shake hands and one is spoken diegetically “welcome home”  suggesting that he will be staging here and the rest of the film will take place with this setting.