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This movie was truly great and that's coming from somebody who doesn't typically like westerns. This movie had great acting, lots of action, and nice plot to go with it. The movie starts out on a ranch where Ethan Edwards returns home to his brother's homestead after the Civil War. Everybody is excited to see him and for the most part he is happy to see everyone else. The one exception does seem to Martin, who is 1/8 Indian and the adopted son of Ethan's brothers family. That anti-Indian sentiment would continue to play out over the course of the film.

Soon after Ethan returns home a bunch of cattle were taken by what at the time were thought to be cattle rustlers but it turned out to be Indians. They tracked the Indians for miles only to learn that they had a set a trap to lure them away from the homestead of Ethan's brother. By the time they realize what happened it was too late, the Indians had killed most of the family and take their two daughters hostage. The rest of the movie centers on the Ethan and Martin's quest in finding Debbie(Lucy ends up being found dead in the early part of their search). Ethan and Martin pretty much track a Comanche chief named Scar all over the plains. Eventually, they find him only to realize that Debbie had become a part of their culture and was now the chief's wife. Martin still wants to take her home but Ethan becomes so enraged that she would turn to their side that he tries to shoot her but Martin distracts him long enough to save her. While he is distracted Ethan gets shot and Debbie flees. Both Martin and Ethan decide its best to give up and return home. Martin and Ethan find her again, thanks to Scar moving into to the area where Ethan and Martin were staying. They once again battle with the Indians but you'll have to watch the movie to see how it ends.

Besides being a solid movie, The Searchers also portrayed the plains well, it showed the harsh extremes the plains can have. One character even continually blamed the land for their problems. The movie also portrayed Indians in what was a negative and inaccurate light. I don't think Indians actively sought out trouble like in this movie. With that said, the movie was entertaining and that's high praise coming from somebody who isn't a big fan of this genre of movies.