Volu m e II - Purdue University Calumet

In his discussion of The Searchers Brian Henderson’s article (1980) in particular does an excellent
job of laying out the plot of The Searchers and explaining key shots and dialogue. He places special
significance on the shots of the characters entering and exiting the house, the house is modern society and
the characters left outside are relics of an older era not allowed to enter. In his introduction to a collection
of essays on Western films Ecstein (2004) recounts psychological implications of the films and Ford’s shot
by shot intentions. Eckstein also places great importance in the changes Ford made from the original novel,
upon which The Seachers was adapted to the shooting script, to what actually made it into the film. These
articles focus on the details of the films. They examine shots, and lighting, yet they do not draw any
connections to the role of the individual. The idea of the films being representative of domestic containment
is never broached.
Engel (2004) does an excellent job analyzing the setting in Stagecoach, particularly in examining the
importance of Monument Valley to the film. He sets up the dichotomy between wilderness and civilization
and enclosure and openness. The theme of the essay is to discuss the ills of civilization and the goodness that
Ford tried to impart on the Valley. His text lays a strong groundwork for examining the symbolism in
Stagecoach, yet it does not yet make sold historical and social connections to the era in which the film was
created.
This work, however, has not addressed the issue beyond the ideological level. Previous scholars
have not examined the films as social commentaries. These films need to be viewed in conjunction with the
social mores of their time. Elaine Tyler May (1999) attempts to explain sociological phenomena by linking
them to international politics in her study of the social history of America during the Cold War. She focuses
heavily on “domestic containment” mirroring political international containment. The shift to homogenized
culture rewarded its adherents and marginalized its detractors. According to May, "the freedom of modern
life seemed to undermine security." (18) She asserts that as a result, from the late 1940s and well into the
1960s, Americans "wanted secure jobs, secure homes, and secure marriages in a secure country." (18) In
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