John Fords The Searchers Essay -- Film Movies

throne Fords The Searchers A critical theory by Robin woods posits that the filmic musical genres popularized by the Hollywood system are non discrete, that translate different strategies for dealing with the same ideologic tensions. (478) Wood claims that pompous theories fail to address this ideological phenomenon, and proposes a search for the myths and contradictions, produced by American capitalism, which fuel disparate filmic genres. Woods attempt to discuss this political theory lists the components of a commentary of American capitalist ideology. (476) One component is the acknowledgment of the ideal potent, the potent hero of the American way. (477) As the films produced pop of capitalism run for to uphold the systems ideology, the hero produced by the film tends to represent the values of this ideology. Thus, through and through its hero, the classic Western naturalizes and justifies the taming of the land and the consequent oppression of its libidinous endem ic people in order to build civilization. (476) However, genre films are scarce potent because of the potentially subversive intervention of a clearly delimitate artistic personality in an ideological-generic structure. (479) In The Searchers, conjuration Ford manipulates the handed-down relationship between hero, school text, and ideology to challenge the predominate values of American society. The viewer initially identifies with the conventional character of Ethan Edwards, yet is gradually constrained to reject this hero and his values, and to regard Martin Pawley, a phonation of more on the loose(p) beliefs, as the crude-order ideal male. Martin is both an indicator of how the auditory sense should react to Ethans radical tendencies, and an alternative to them. Through the rejection of Ethan, in fav... ..., even as a dupe of the psychological reach of the expansionist credo. Clearly, revealing the reproach done by the capitalist ideology, whether individual or socia l, in the verge society of 1868, or in the separate but equal circumstance of 1956, was important to the director. Fortunately, Woods theory, examining the new meaning created by the juxtaposition of the thesis of a preexistent text with the antithetical views of the auteur, reaffirms Fords success, and the potence of the genre film. Works Cited Warshow, Robert. Movie story The Westerner. Film scheme and Criticism. Ed. Braudy, Leo, marshall Cohen and Gerald Mast. New York Oxford University Press, 1992. (453-466) Wood, Robin. Ideology, Genre, Auteur. Film Theory and Criticism. Ed. Braudy, Leo, Marshall Cohen and Gerald Mast. New York Oxford University Press, 1992. (453-466) John Fords The Searchers Essay -- Film MoviesJohn Fords The Searchers A critical theory by Robin Wood posits that the filmic genres popularized by the Hollywood system are not discrete, but represent different strategies for dealing with the same ideological tensions. (478) Wood claims that c onventional theories fail to address this ideological phenomenon, and proposes a search for the myths and contradictions, produced by American capitalism, which fuel disparate filmic genres. Woods attempt to discuss this ideology lists the components of a definition of American capitalist ideology. (476) One component is the character of the ideal male, the potent hero of the American way. (477) As the films produced out of capitalism tend to uphold the systems ideology, the hero produced by the film tends to represent the values of this ideology. Thus, through its hero, the classic Western naturalizes and justifies the taming of the land and the consequent subjugation of its libidinous native people in order to build civilization. (476) However, genre films are only potent because of the potentially subversive intervention of a clearly defined artistic personality in an ideological-generic structure. (479) In The Searchers, John Ford manipulates the traditional relationship between hero, text, and ideology to challenge the dominant values of American society. The viewer initially identifies with the conventional character of Ethan Edwards, but is gradually forced to reject this hero and his values, and to regard Martin Pawley, a representative of more liberal beliefs, as the new-order ideal male. Martin is both an indicator of how the audience should react to Ethans extremist tendencies, and an alternative to them. Through the rejection of Ethan, in fav... ..., even as a victim of the psychological reach of the expansionist credo. Clearly, revealing the damage done by the capitalist ideology, whether individual or social, in the frontier society of 1868, or in the separate but equal context of 1956, was important to the director. Fortunately, Woods theory, examining the new meaning created by the juxtaposition of the thesis of a preexistent text with the antithetical views of the auteur, reaffirms Fords success, and the potence of the genre film. Works Cited Warshow, Robert. Movie Chronicle The Westerner. Film Theory and Criticism. Ed. Braudy, Leo, Marshall Cohen and Gerald Mast. New York Oxford University Press, 1992. (453-466) Wood, Robin. Ideology, Genre, Auteur. Film Theory and Criticism. Ed. Braudy, Leo, Marshall Cohen and Gerald Mast. New York Oxford University Press, 1992. (453-466)