Three days ago, Katherine and I watched The Searchers (1956), which I own on DVD. Neither of us had ever seen it. The movie, which is widely hailed as a classic of the genre, did nothing for me. I think it's because I'm tainted. Once you've seen realistic Western movies such as Unforgiven (1992), the remake of 3:10 to Yuma (2007), and The Missouri Breaks (1976), old Westerns seem like cartoons. Each scene appears as though it was shot on a stage, with perfect lighting, props, and artificial weather conditions. The acting is exaggerated; the dialogue is childish; and the characters are undeveloped. Since being forced to watch a production of Oklahoma! in high school, I have hated plays. These old Westerns look like plays to me. Sorry.
Here is the trailer.
