framing techniques used in the searchers

Screening Report on The Searchers
John Ford did an excellent job at utilizing different framing techniques in his movie The
Searchers. Ford used different framing techniques depending on the mood and location of the
particular shot.
During the opening scene of the movie, Ethan rides across the dessert with mountains in the
background. Ford uses natural surroundings extensively during the movie. During transitional
scenes when the actors are moving from one place to another, the shot is usually from a distance.
This technique shows the overall grandeur of the natural surroundings dwarfing the actors. During
many of these shots, the actors themselves are indistinguishable while the mountains are clearly
visible and distinct.
Ford also made extensive use of horizon shots during the movie. The horizon shots were usually
used in conjunction with the use of the natural landscapes in the background. The horizon shots
further illustrated the dominance of nature of the actors. Sometimes the horizon shots were dark
and other times the horizon shots were lighted clearly. This depended on the mood of the shot.
During the scene where the men race back to Ethan's cabin, the horizon looks foreboding.
However at the end of the movie, the horizon seems warm and friendly. In most of the horizon
shots, the actors start off camera and ride into the frame and across the horizon as the camera pans
to follow them. There are also scenes in which the actors ride off into the distant horizon. Usually
the actors start in the foreground and ride off into the background while the camera remains
focused on the actors in the foreground.
One of the most widely used techniques in the movie is the use of caves and door openings to
provide a natural frame for the action. This technique is seen during the gunfight at the cave
between Ethan and Martin and the Indians as well as the end of the movie when Ethan leaves the
cabin. The openings seem to represent different things throughout the movie. Sometimes the
opening is comfortable and a desirable place and other times the outside is more comfortable and
desirable.
Different framing techniques are used extensively throughout The Searchers. These techniques are
essential at setting the mood of the movie and allowing the viewer to have an enjoyable cinematic
experience.