Digital Assignment #5–The Ending

22 Replies to “Digital Assignment #5–The Ending”

1. The kinds of claims that the film has made about masculinity is that part of being a man is taking care of and protecting your family. In essence, the entire film is centered around retrieving the only surviving family member of an Indian attack, and Ethan is relentless is accomplishing this. This suggests a type of determination that comes along with masculinity as well as tenderness for loved ones. I think the ending is rather surprising, but pleasing at the same time. I was on Martin’s side, with not killing Debbie because she’s still Debbie even if she was partly raised by some Indians. However, I found it hard to believe after seeing Ethan be so heartless towards Indians and cold towards lost of other people that he could be so tender at the end. The only way I can come to terms with this is by noting that Ethan has always and only ever has been loving and caring toward women, and so, since Debbie is a woman, he was able to be loving and caring towards her at the end.

2. Its unique how the film mirrors the end with the beginning. In a way it begins and ends relatively the same way. At the beginning, the door opens and it peers out to the vast land, Wayne is returning home, and at the end, the door closes and you see Wayne walking away. The natural light is visually effective for the watcher it feels like you are inside the house. The song is the same as well. Ethan could have easily gone inside and attempted to reconnect with the family and Debbie, but he doesn’t. Ethan is depicted as a masculine hero, he carries Debbie and hands her over to the parents. They are grateful to have her back, but they don’t really thank Ethan. He crosses his arm and is hesitant to enter the house, Part of me wishes he had gone into the house and transformed enough to let people in, but I know he was happier alone in the wild. He turns around, and begins to walk away. His walk looks like he is exhausted yet accomplished.

3. This mostly shows that the “good guys” and in this case the Americans will always prevail in the end. Ethan, the infallible man in the film saves the day by returning Debbie to her family in tact as well as Martin to his girlfriend. The film demonstrates family as the most important cause one can have in their lives. Ethan risked his life multiple times to return his nieces to their family and get revenge on Scar. All the loose ends are tied up in the end with the exception of the casualties of the men and daughter in the middle of the film. The film ends exactly how it begins. In the beginning the shot is through the archway of the front of the house. Then at the end, the shot pulls back into the archway of the front of the house. All of the “bad guys” have been defeated and it is as it was in the beginning. This gives unrealistic expectations to people in real life of how tragedies will end up. There is not always, or ever, an exceptional man to save the day as Ethan did.

4. This ending scene shows Ethan’s heroic actions and change in outlook. He finally sees Debbie as his kin and not “one of them.” There is never a conversation about this change and never any true recognition of it by the other characters, however we know that something clicked for him. I think that this lack of recognition of Ethan’s change of heart is complimentary to the rest of the movie. Ethan stands in the doorway and we see his image contrasted with the vast horizon and he is the iconic cowboy. The music starts up and says, “a man will search his heart and soul… way out there… ride away, ride away.” This song is his “theme song” because he is this aloof character that we never really figure out. He does not stay and celebrate Deddie’s, his kin’s, return. Rather, he leaves the house and rides away. I viewed this as if he belonged to the desert and was destined to wander the desert for eternity.

5. This ending really emphasizes a lot of the ideas about masculinity that are present throughout the rest of the film. It shows toughness, sensitivity and individuality, in order to continue to show Ethan’s manliness. For example, at the beginning of this segment, Ethan is chasing Debbie and pushes Martin away. As Martin tries to chase him, he forces him to the ground. He does all this even though he doesn’t end up killing Debbie. This seems to be inconsistent (even thought Ethan may not have been planning to keep her alive until he saw her), because he ended up going along with Martin’s plan after rejecting him. This puts emphasis on Ethan’s solidarity in both decision-making and the execution of those decisions, something that is seen a lot in the movie.

   The very last shot is also very key to furthering ideas of masculinity presented in the movie. As the camera pans out a bit, Ethan is shown alone in the doorway, framed by the darkness in the house, with the vast stretch of plains behind him. While everyone else has paired off (or gone off in a group), Ethan is entirely alone. As he walks off to end the movie, we see that this is how he wants to be, on his own in all the barren space he has in front of him. This is probably one of the most crucial aspects of masculinity as presented in the film, his aforementioned solidarity. After he has rescued Debbie and played the part of a hero, he just walks off into the distance.

6. In the final scene located in front of the Jorgensen home, five men are seen approaching on horseback. Laurie rushes off the porch, running to the second rider who is Martin. In the lead, Ethan carries Debbie on his horse up to the front door to Mr. Jorgensen and his wife, and puts her on the doorstep. The Jorgensens embrace and welcome Debbie, taking her into the home. Ethan lingers for a few moments outside as the camera pulls back into the darkened inside of the home and the doorway framing the scene. Unlike the reunited family, Ethan is destined to wander and cannot live a civilized family-based life. Ethan wanders back into the desert wilderness, similar to how her entered in the beginning of the film, but now reversed. The doorway to the Jorgensen home symbolizes civilization and family values and it swings shut on Ethan concluding the film.
   The film states that to be masculine, a man must be courageous, determined yet compassionate. Throughout the film, we witness Ethan attempt to rescue his niece, motivated by his love for his family and his hate for the Indian tribe who abducted her. This film demonstrates several characteristics that a man must have in order to be considered truly masculine. While being relentless and rugged, a man must also show compassion and tenderness to the ones he loves. I feel that Ethan symbolizes the masculine American man of his era, and what it took to be regarded as masculine.

7. I think the ending of the film was showing that the rugged cowboy character does have a heart underneath it all. Viewers thought he was going to kill Debbie, and in the end he took her in his arms and brought her home. It was portraying Ethan as a loving man even though he hadn’t been that way throughout the entire film. Moreover, I absolutely loved the very end of the film. It ended the same way it began, but with Ethan leaving. Music was playing and he didn’t say a word, but you could feel what was happening. It was almost like the lone ranger – he saved the day and then quietly left. He walked off into the distance and showed that, at the end of the day, a white, masculine cowboy will come out on top. We never really figure out what kind of man he is, but we know he can protect his loved ones and bring things home safely. It was a powerful ending that wrapped up the film perfectly.

8. As was previously stated, the ending scenes of the film were consistent with many statements it had been making throughout. One such example is the relationship between men and women. The scene when Ethan chases Debbie, catches her, and then seemingly decides not to kill her and embraces her exemplifies the statements the film is making about relationships between members of the opposite sex. Although many people stated in this blog posting that they thought it was an example of Ethan’s tenderness, rarely seen in the rest of the movie, I found this scene to be somewhat disturbing. Debbie had clearly stated to Martin that she wanted to stay with the Comanches. At this point she is close to being a grown woman, who should be able to make decisions about her life regardless of whether her cowboy uncle thinks these are best for her or not. When Ethan catches her, perhaps he changes his mind about wanting to kill her, but does she also change her mind about wanting to stay with the Comanches? Her position is one of submission, which mars the tender moment. The relationship between men and women is depicted as one where the man knows whats best, be it with ‘tender’ intentions or not, and the woman is either headstrong and wild if she goes against him, or submissive and agreeable.
   This is further seen when, once Debbie has submitted to Ethan and he is bringing her home to the Jorgensen’s house, he literally carries her to the safety of the porch. He does not let her feet touch the desert ground. He is returning her to the confined domestic sphere, ostensibly the only safe and respectable place for a woman.

9. I did not like the ending of the Searchers very much. It felt very abrupt to me. I was not convinced by the ridiculously short reunion scene with Ethan and Debby. Ethan’s character showed almost no sensitivity until that moment, and then it seemed out of nowhere. I think that It definitely ended on a note that made Ethan seem like a true hero though. Throughout the film he has been so strong and forceful. He stopped at nothing to save his niece and showed unwavering determination. By saving her and bringing her home, he is simply cementing his success and showing what an honorable and brave man he can be. It was very stereotypically “defenseless maiden in distress saved by rugged cowboy.”

   Stylistically, I did appreciate the end. As Mariel said, it really ends where it begins. It is like a mirror effect to the beginning scene. This time, returning home, Ethan is an even bigger hero and demands even more respect. The music is loud and epic and the song from the beginning starts up again. Finally, the doorframe is used again to showcase Ethan. This time, Ethan stands there looking all tough and cool for a few and then turns around and walks away into the distance. His mission is accomplished, and his work there is done.

10. I totally agreed with the staement that Suzy made about the good guys always prevailing. I thought that for a second at the end that John Wayne might kill Debbie and that was kind of exiting because ti is so unexpected and different for that ever to happen even nowadays. I agreed with the statement that Mariel said as well about the beginning and the end being like the same thing it kind of wrapped everything up and made a big loop. maybe it was trying to bring closure to the end or something but I don’t really know what they were trying to say. The film definatley says that a family can’t be two men or two women when it is talking about the family. For sure it shows that the man is with his woman and the daughter is with her mum and pop and that John Wayne is above of them doing his own thing because he is too cool. Maybe it secretley is hinting that John Wayne is gay because he doesn’t go in with anybody and he never was with anybody sexually so I really don’t know. The film I think is saying that we as a nation get the job done. We bring the girl home in time for supper because we are perfect and we will step on anyone that gets in our way so don’t mess with us. In all seriousness I think that the film says that we as a nation are wholesome, our men are strong and know what to do to get the job done, and that our families are always are families even if we don’t exactly see eye to eye.

11. I agree with Rugo in the fact that the ending concerning Debbie was quite bad. The interactions were not very believable. The very last scene of Ethan in the doorway however was quite powerful. Ethan is one of the people lost along the tracks. He left the army unofficially and wandered for years after the war ended completely aloof. When he wanders back to his home he has a sack full of money which it is insinuated that he did not get legally. This says a lot about society how a man can be quite masculine and still fall through the cracks. He was hardened to be a killer in the army and when he came out he never quite softened. He puts his skills to good use in finding and returning Debbie as it takes a certain type of man to achieve. He returns Debbie to her family and in that final shot he is solitary once more, standing alone. He seems about to walk in to the house, yet his job is done once more and he continues on. It makes quite the epic moment when he turns away from the house and walks out towards that same wide expanse of desert that he first came in on.

12. THIS IS WHO ETHAN IS! This is his culminating point throughout the movie. A few people said they were surprised, caught of guard, or in disbelief but I could not have expected anything else here. This isn’t him suddenly showing compassion, he has had compassion the whole time. As I stated in another topic in the discussion, he dismisses saving Martin, he gives a child his gun, he even protects his fellow riders from the corpse of Lucy. “Long as you live don’t ever ask me more” is the end of his little tirade about the discovery of Lucy’s body and the state of it. I didn’t see this as him being upset that it happened, I understood it was a factor but I felt he was being frustrated because he couldn’t protect Lucy from her fate or his fellow riders from the truth. If he had never told them, they would have kept hoping and looking when Ethan would know it would never work, but knowing the truth would be just as devastating. Ethan brought it on himself to tell them, he brought it on himself to witness the body and cover it, his independence (perhaps due to pride) and protective nature are unmatched in the movie. It was of no surprise through the end, as this is what ti was to be masculine, not to be silly, romantic, unexpected or out of character, but to be completely self reliant but be a pillar of protection and reliance for others.

13. I agree with Nathaniel in that the ending of the movie felt very abrupt. Starting from the scene where Debbie is finally rescued, the whole ending went by too quickly in relation to how it was being built up for the whole movie. I felt that the makers of this movie could have added more conflict and not made it so easy for Debbie to be rescued. But overall I think that Ethan’s true character was brought out in these ending scenes. For most of the movie he was hard and rugged, which I don’t think was a facade – I feel that his character is mostly hard and rugged. But every tough guy has a soft side as well and Ethan’s was brought out at the very last moment. This represents what is meant to be masculine at the time – the good guy comes out on top and saves the day. Being masculine is tied into being a hero and saving people, in most cases a “helpless” woman. I feel that the ending also makes a statement about the nation as a whole. I feel that Ethan represents our country and we must fight to overcome any obstacles and not stop, even if hope is lost or it seems like we will never prevail. This represents our country as being strong and able to handle anything thrown at them. Also I just want to comment on what some of the class stated about how the ending is a mirror image of the beginning and everything seems to come full circle. Ethan is returning home once again but this time he seems to be more welcomed and respected. The ending is left sort of open ended in that the audience really does not know what Ethan will do next or what is in store for him in the future but we do know that he has accomplished what he set out to do and came out on top.

14. I agree with my classmates that I would have liked it much more if there had been additional conflict regarding Debbie’s reintegration into white society, especially after her declaration earlier in the film that the tribe was now “her people.” However, as much as I would have enjoyed delving more into Debbie’s personality, I felt the ending of the film was very in character for Ethan. The parallels in the ending and beginning were especially fascinating after viewing them back to back. I hadn’t realized that picking Debbie up had been the turning point in Ethan’s decision to save her rather than kill her, but after a second viewing it was very powerful to me. Ethan has made himself into a very cold man, and the spark left in him was nearly put out by his need for hatred and revenge. Then the spark springs to life again in that moment, for it reminds him of the family he loved so strongly five years ago and nearly convinced himself he had lost completely. I also was very satisfied with the movie’s conclusion and Ethan’s decision to walk away. I noticed in the beginning that Marty, like Ethan, was framed by the doorway during his entrance. This could be a connection to Ethan, as both are in ways outsiders – Ethan by personality and Marty by heritage – thus setting up their tense partnership later in the movie. Marty, however, is capable of ending that isolation at the end of the movie. Both he and Ethan are again framed by the door outside, but Marty is able to enter, holding hands with Laurie, while Ethan cannot, for despite the spark of love left, the inherent hardness of his personality that saved the day also is the thing that will always prevent him from overcoming that break between himself and a normal, domestic life.

15. I believe that the ending was shot particularly on purpose. The audience sees Ethan approaching the house yet again just as he did in the beginning. There is some kind of symmetry and wholeness. The audience never knows what to expect when Ethan approaches the family sphere. We know how he is on the battle field and his fighting tactics, but we don’t exactly know how he is going to interact when it comes to his personal life. However, in regards to his masculinity it is shown once again when he picks Debbie up and violently shakes her in the last scene. The fact that he chases her down, with the audience thinking that he intends to kill her, shows how manly Ethan is portrayed throughout the film. However, a contradiction of his masculinity is shown when Ethan does not kill her, but instead embraces her and returns her home to her family. Here, he is showing compassion and respect. To me, these traits do not fit the description of a “manly man” but rather as someone who passionate. Also the last shot shows Ethan entering the vast plains as if he is slowly returning home to where his heart truly belongs. I believe that the openness that the audience sees at the end in regards to the environment, correlates with the openness that we see in the beginning. It is never ending, open, and wild spirited, similar to Ethan’s character and personality.

16. The ending I agree highlights who Ethan is, but I don’t think he’s extremely compassionate I think he went searching more relentlessly, but the way he would have gone if it was some other little lady missing in the desert and he had a feeling that she was going to live. The fact that Ethan doesn’t return to the home again highlights his independent ways.
    I also think what made Ethan able to accept Debbie was that after all of those long years away she was still able to speak English and therefore communicate with them once again. I thought that was very strange because in x amount of years Debbie turned into a woman compared to a child of about six. Not having anyone to practice speaking English with, it seems highly unlikely that she would know it and that she would even recognize her family. I think she just realized that they were similar to her. It was extremely romantic how Ethan picked Debbie and I almost thought that they would kiss, but the embrace sealed up the return home. The way the filming closed reminded me that this is just the closing of another chapter in Ethan’s life. The quest for Debbie is just one of the many stories that the lone ranger/ cowboy could tell.

17. Again, the opening song is played at the end of the movie about a wandering, manly man. At the beginning of the film, Ethan enters the house, and at the end he stands outside of the house, while the family is inside. Ethan has completed his task of finding Debbie. Now he must move on to the next adventurous task ahead of him. When Ethan walks out of the house, it makes the audience wonder what his will do next. He certainly does not want to to stay with his family since he is apart from them. He must always separate himself from everyone because it seems he feels he cannot relate to them because he is just a little bit better or stronger than everyone else. He found Debbie and now he has to find another adventure to occupy himself with.

18. This shows the unexpected side of the cowboy and american masculinity. Although Ethan is a loner and is a strong, serious character, he still has compassion for others. This shows that the cowboy has many different facets and some are just more prominent than the other.

19. I think the end of the movie was very well done and it compliments the begining as a well. In the begining Ethan would symbolically stand alone in the expansive desert but in this last scene he comes into the small darkness of the cave for the first time, and when he lifts the girl up into the light he has a moment of clarity in which the character is supposed to be exavluating his principals and ends up making the right choice and brings the girl home. Once back to the house, and Ethan had saved the day, it almost seems like for a second he might come into the house and hunker down to some family time, but then his character takes hold, and he must ride off dramtically into the sunset.

20. A masculine man is never blissfully/ignorantly content with what he has, and is always pushing for more, unlike the comedic relief character, who just sits in his chair at the movie’s end. Ethan is not like this, as he is up and ready to go adventuring, basically, “SEARCHing.” How the angles of the camera are, and as the house is itch black, when Ethan comes into the house/towards camera, it is like he is going back in time, and NOT progressing with his life, saying a real man is like a nomad, always searching for a better life with more adventures, never succumbing to complacency.

21. I think that the ending of the film really compliments the beginning of the film and is a good bookend. Both the first and last camera shots are of Ethan walking outside alone apart from the normal family unit. One thing I want to talk about is the difference between the background of the first shot with the huge mountains and the end shot with out the mountains and its effect. The first scene makes Ethan seem daunting, unmovable, and hard. The ending scene only has small rolling hills. I think that this shows somewhat of a change in Ethan’s character where he has undergone that shift when he picks up debbie and changed his views somewhat. His epic task is finished and he doesn’t have to be so standoffish. The only change in the scene between the first and last scene is the mountains behind Ethan and the mental state that Ethan is in. He changed from brash, strong and immovable to being softer and strong but not over the top.

22. Sorry… P.S. I also just wanted to add that a real man has TENDERness; Ethan: “Let’s go home, Debbie.” A man is brave AND tender. I find it hard to actually BELIEVE this (believability)…I mean, how can a man go from a SCALPING!?! to wanting to reintegrate a part-Comanche woman after he was just slaying Comanches like it was his job…Ethan transforms out of nowhere, and is NOT very believable or realistic, TOO exceptional.

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