What were some of your observations about how the film begins? What were some of the things that stood out for you? Is there anything notable about how Ethan is introduced? (Since this should be a conversation, you don’t have to answer all of these questions about a scene; you should comment based on what has not been said but also based on your own interests.)
23 Replies to “Digital Assignment #3–The Opening Scenes”
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I noticed that the scene starts with a woman, Martha, looking out from a house, which is dark, onto the expanse of the horizon, which is very bright. I found that this was interesting because a woman was being shown at home expectantly looking out the door, which we could presume was for a man coming home. And sure enough, Ethan arrives and the whole family is waiting to greet him. It’s interesting to note how Ethan is introduced because the first time we see him, he is coming home to his family and everyone is happy, and he is getting back to knowing his family members, and etc., but then as he sits down for the meal, he becomes more composed as the male figure he is going to have throughout most of the movie, which is rugged, tough, and stoic. It is quite a contrast in this way, and almost awkward to see such a ‘family man’ act so harsh and cold.
The film begins with a beautiful landscape and it is captured with natural light. The camera angle is unique and peering out onto the vast landscape. One main thing that stood out for me was the opening scene song, “what makes a man to wander what makes a man to roam..ride away.†It went along with John Wayne’s character, he is introverted and its as though he is meant to be always out on that desert still roaming and searching for something. His character is introduced as someone who has been gone and is returning home. Everyone seemed to be eager and excited for his return.
I think that the very first shot, looking outside and framed by the doorway, is a very effective shot. It shows the vast expanse of the plains, as the desolate land seems to go on for many miles. It also puts some focus on the isolation on the house, and especially of Martha in the doorway. She is all alone, surrounded by a seemingly infinite stretch of barren land. I like Joanna’s point, in that I think this emphasizes Martha’s inadequacy without a man. This goes along with a lot of the rest of the movie that women need men in order to be complete.
Another interesting element of this scene is Ethan’s silence. For the entire first scene, until it transitions to inside the house, he doesn’t say a word. It seems rather strange that a man who hasn’t seen this part of his family is such a long time would stay totally silent as he approaches the house and greets Martha, but Ethan does. This gives us an introduction the the character’s silent ruggedness, common throughout the movie. He doesn’t need to talk to anyone, he would rather be alone with himself, getting things done.
I agree with Mariel that it’s very important to note the scenery that is shown in the opening scene as well as the music. I noticed that almost all of the music played in the background throughout the film always had the word “man†in it. I couldn’t always remember what the lines exactly were, but I noticed they were all about a man while showing a shot of Ethan.
The way Ethan is introduced is as Uncle Ethan. It’s important to know he’s a part of that family when he arrives. It’s also interesting that as he’s approaching the house the entire family is awaiting his arrival as if he’s someone to be worshiped. They’re all kind of staring in disbelief spread across the deck and the front yard. The family is very excited that he is there. Martin is also happy to have him there, but is more or less shut down by Ethan when he tries to call him his uncle. Ethan is very unwilling to accept strangers into his circle, and is very insensitive toward Martin.
The film opens with a frontier cabin door opening to reveal a vast landscape that stretches as far as the eye can see. We are looking through the eyes of Martha Edwards, Ethan’s Edward’s sister in law, who patiently waits his arrival. After several years of a mysterious absence following the Civil War, Ethan suddenly appears to his brother Aaron’s frontier farm. Martha excitedly moves to the porch and notices Ethan approaching on horseback.
This scene represents the difference between two worlds which are the interior of the cabin, and the sunlit wilderness. While the safe cozy cabin symbolize a settled family and civilized values, the large landscape represents the threatening and uncertain western frontier. I agree with Joana and John in that this scene may be saying that women need the protection and security of a man’s presence. Though Martha has her husband, Ethan was a more courageous and masculine man.
I agree with everyone that the first shot of the silhouette of the mother against the vast, bright landscape is a breathtaking image. The music that was playing (after the theme song) complimented this image very nicely. The music was dreamy and dramatic. It had a “home on the prairie” feel to it that put the viewer in a happy mood. This music put an emphasis on the fact that Uncle Ethan was finally home from his long journey. He then enters into the home and the table placements, fresh flowers and burning lights give an encompassing feeling of domesticity and simple living. The music is a good contrast to Uncle Ethan’s apparent silence in the very beginning, as if he is taking it all in.
One thing I couldn’t help but notice were the beautiful shots of the shadow in the doorway with the landscape in the background. It was so wonderfully done and really drew me into the film. I think it’s fantastic that the film didn’t rely on dialogue at the beginning, but rather natural lighting and landscape. It’s a good way to start a western film because most of the film does show beautiful landscapes and wide shots. I agree with John about Ethan’s silence, not only does it make him seem rugged, but almost makes him seem like this enigmatic character. The family is so happy to see him and he just stands there. Viewers do not get the sense of what he is about and it leaves an air of mystery as to why he is there and why the family is so thrilled to see him.
One thing that the opening of the film introduces about Ethan almost immediately is his clear racism toward Native Americans. When Martin joins the family for dinner in the opening scenes, the first thing Ethan says to him is a remark about how he looks “half-breed”. When Martin responds that he does indeed have some Cherokee blood, Ethan’s disdain is clear. Race proves to be a defining factor in the relationship between these men, which is interesting because the first shot of Martin, riding in from the desert, is almost identical to the first shot of Ethan. The similarity of presentation suggests a similarity between these men, yet because Martin is a small percentage of Native American, Ethan looks down on him as inferior.
I thought taht was interesting how they show Ethan at first riding up by himself from some unknown distant land and we really don’t know where he has been. Maybe this is saying that real men don’t need any family or anyone around and that they should be able to handle themselves always no matter what the situation. Everyone gathers around him as well and it is pretty clear right away that Ethan is the dominant male and not the father that was presented.
I was impressed by the opening scenes of the film. The beginning seemed very iconically western, with the vast open landscape and the bright sunlight pouring over everything except the inside of the cabin. I liked how the director used the door frame to focus on the characters and images approaching the house. As Ethan rides up, from the view of the doorway, he looks very heroic. He is a cowboy retuning home to the family that has waited so long to see him again. It definitely makes a strong impression and cements Ethan as the central protagonist. As a few people mentioned, it also stood out how their was no dialogue for the first few minutes, allowing viewers to get an impression from the visuals and music alone.
As other people have stated, the music definitely made a huge impact as well. The lyrics told of a man wandering through the wild west and retuning home. It fit the scene well and was very prevalent, forcing one to connect it to the hero returning home. The song simply just added to the rugged, masculine image the film was trying to create with John Wayne.
The opening scene is brilliant. The music playing and the shot through the door at the western expanse immediately draw the viewer into the world of westerns. The iconic image of a single man on horseback approaching from and endless desert sets us up for what seems to be an epic hero. As soon as the character opens his mouth however this idea is shattered. He proves to be a dumb and brutish racist with a chip on his shoulder that everyone has to be informed of. He first picks up Debbie thinking her Lucy besides the fact that she was taller when he remembered her and many years had passed, apparently forgetting the natural phenomenon of “aging”. Then he chews apart Martin for having less than pure blood. He finalizes things with throwing down a bag of change insultingly towards Aaron after being told how nice it was to have him staying, saying he will pay his way. A disappointment after such a beautiful beginning.
The first hints on the parts of what I believe is Ethan’s mostly two-dimensional character are portrayed here. A character that surprises the audience so rarely is introduced as the protagonist and gives the audience an immediate gut feeling about who this guy is. First, he is not modest, he is introverted. Not only does he correct one of the first people he talks to about not being in California, he barely elaborates. Just before this we see his first real connection and one of the first times we can get a beat on his character, when he gives his weapon to his nephew. Realizing that in the movie a weapon symbolizes survival, via methods of protection and hunting, we immediately figure out that his masculine claim to fame is just like that of the firearm, protection, which is given countless evidence throughout the movie. Such as the second and third instances in the beginning, him dismissing the fact that he saved Martin and when he offers to help the searchers, saying he is going to go with them.
I really enjoyed the opening shots of the film. I liked what Krystina said about the beginning not relying on dialogue but rather the soft music and sprawling landscape shots. The landscape was beautiful and was really effective in drawing in the audience with these understated shots of the sun and the desert. Moving past the fact the the opening shots were aesthetically pleasing, I think the scene said a lot about the gender roles of the time. The woman was home peering out the window waiting for the man to come home. I feel like shots like this were very common back then because women were thought of inferior to men and always needed that security and protection. And I agree with Ben in that although Martha’s husband was present, compared to Ethan, he was not as masculine and could not offer the same degree of security.
I love how the movie starts (and ends) with that famous silhouette shot, I think it creates a sort of dramatic and mysterious feel which is a perfect setting for Ethans character to be introduced into. Ethan has a very closed personality, he does not reveal much about himself throughout the film and I think the use of silhouettes in this opening shot help lead up to his introduction a lot. I think a lot of movies, especially now days use the opening scene to set up the plot of the movie but I feel like this opening scene is more so setting up Ethan as a character and putting the focus on him. In the opening scene Ethan is very quiet and reserved even though we get the idea that he hasn’t seen his family in years he barely gives them an idea of where he has been in all that time. I think a very important part in this scene (I think its the last shot, during the meal) is when we see how Ethan clearly does not like Martin. This sets the viewer up for lots of future conflict which we do see later in the film.
It is a little difficult to speak of the beginning of this film without also talking about the ending. It’s very important that this entire beginning occurs in order to establish Ethan’s love for his family, because though it is an important part of his motivation throughout the film, we won’t have much evidence of it again until the final scenes.
Brian used the word “iconic,” a word that immediately sprung to my mind as well as I thought of this scene. The silhouette of the lone man with the sweeping landscape as his backdrop is iconic, and connects him to the outdoors and to isolation. The framing of this scene through the doorway only highlights the separation between him, outdoors, and the domestic family life inside that his hardness will always prevent him from being a part of.
I thought that the first scene was very interesting and creative. The way with that the natural light and the contrast between light and dark was was well done. I particularly liked how the woman was shot through the door fame overlooking the vast and empty plains. She was not shot in the kitchen cooking or in the living room ironing. In doing this, it credits women outside of the kitchen sphere and gives them a larger purpose. When Ethan is first displayed his character appealed to me as independent, rugged, and manly. It was good that he is shown with these characteristics in the beginning of the film, so that the audience can grasp an understanding of what he is like from the get go.
I believe that when Martha is looking outside into the desert it examines right away that the desert is a dry, dead place with little hope, and then comes the savior on his horse. I thought it was corny. I hadn’t really thought of the song in the beginning, but Mariel makes a good point. I also believe that the song itself foreshadows his leaving or highlights that the journey is central. I think the fact that Ethan comes home only to go on an adventure exemplifies that he is always meant to be on a journey of some sort. He is used to the weather and being alone in contrast with being at home and being the household man, he it too flawed to be so contained and has already proven to himself that he can live in the wilderness. His discomfort is shown at the dinner table and his hate for Indians even if there is only a little bit in his nephew is easy to see. It’s funny that only the boy who is an eighth Cherokee could survive in the wilderness with Ethan.
The opening scene of ‘The Searchers” was masterfully done by the director John Ford. To begin with the lighting, i think how the camera is looking out from a dark place into the vast expansive light of the desert where Ethan is all alone is an attempt to show how John Waynes character Ethan is different from all of us, and he lives on his own terms. Then there is the music which is almost a direct slap in the face as far as what it wants to say about the movie, “Ride On” was a pretty obvious choice for the soundtrack of a movie about a Loner. One other thing i thought was very interesting is that the character Ethan does not say a word to anyone for at least a minute and a half, which is a long dramatic pause for the introduction of a movie. I think this was a direct attempt to add to the stoic image that had been built up from the song “Ride On” and the clever lighting of the very first scene.
The opening starts the film with the theme of outsiders and exceptionalism. The mise en scene starting from the perspective of inside the house makes Ethan seem like a character who does not belong in the civilized normal society. He rides in with the backdrop of the huge mountains behind him, which I think the director framed Ethan to highlight his unchangeable and strong characters. So we have the interesting juxtaposition in the first scene with Ethan and the mountains against the inside family structure.
The song that was played in the opening scene had lyrics like, “What makes a man wander”, “manly man”, “turn his back on home”, and “ride away.” These words are exactly like Ethan’s character who never stays in one place too long. He did not come home for a long time after the war ended and his family had no idea what he had been doing. When Ethan is asked about California, Ethan replies that he wasn’t in California, and that is the end of the discussion. No one tries to pry Ethan for information and background is somewhat a mystery to the viewer. Ethan is definitely what society at that time would consider a “manly man” as well. He fights and protects his family at the same time. He is a hero in the eyes of American society.
It was interesting how the face of Ethan could not be seen until he got off of his horse. I saw this as an example of how he wasn’t himself until he was finally home and how when he was on his horse and far away, he was not recognized by anyone; he was just a wandering cowboy to the people he came across. No one knew Ethan when he was away, but when he came home to people he knew, his face finally came into view.
The opening has shots looking out into the horizon, while the inside of the house remains dark and the outside is fully lit, like outside is where one should be, to “adventure,” and Ethan almost appears magically out of this horizon, like some kind of ghost, coming back from a long journey. It was windy, like some kind of winds of change, now that Ethan has arrived, a very good thing. Also, the music conveys this magical and super mysterious sort of tone. Ethan is introduced as very racist, as when he says that he “could have mistakened [Marty] for a half-breed.” I thoroughly enjoyed how the props like the dishes and table (and lighting) of inside really contrasted with that of the expansive outside images when juxtaposed. The mise-en-scene also involved the director making use of framing, and did so through the door’s frame.
The opening scene was put together well, but it also introduced the more irritating aspects of the movie that recur throughout, such as the characters. The film shots were spectacular of the country side and the view of the entire family expectantly waiting creates a powerful emotional reaction to the long lost uncle finally making his way back home. The dramatic silence in the wide expanse is broken upon entering the tiny and cozy home. In contrast to the beginning scene outside the use of humor inside the house stands out. I actually laughed a little at the part where Ethan sweeps Debbie up into the air calling her Laurie claiming that she is just the way he remembered only to find out that she is a completely different child and a much older Laurie is in the corner. There are a few more attempts at humor but they fell kind of flat revealing only that Laurie is incredibly annoying. The scenes between Ethan and his brother also reveal a lot about Ethan through contrast. He is abrupt and rude toward his brother easily taking offence to anything his brother says and contradicting him without offering explanation. It is quite clear that he views himself as more of a man than his brother of anyone else in the world and the audience is supposed to concede. He seems to prefer to be a loner, drawing into himself even surrounded by the warm welcome of his family. At one point it is mentioned that the war has been over for years and he still hasn’t come back home, no explanation for this is ever really given.