The Searchers is one of the true masterpieces of American cinema. This is John Ford’s greatest picture, not The Grapes of Wrath. The cinematography combined with the way Ford composes what’s in the frame make this a visual wonder. John Wayne gives one of the best performances ever put on film, a man with inner demons whose struggling between doing what’s morally right and what’s eating away at his soul. Predecessor to Scorsese’s Taxi Driver, Lucas’ Star Wars, and an influence to many of Spielberg’s films. The very best of the western genre, it examines the western’s morals and mores and is unsympathetic in doing so.

This is the film that should rank the highest for Ford. This movie should be in the top 25 when the list is unveiled on June 20. If it isn’t, the list will be just as unsettling as the one from 1998. What a great film.