The story begins in 1868 as a confederate soldier Ethan Edwards (John Wayne) returns home to meet with his brother and a woman he has fallen in love with. During his stay, a Comanche attack leads to the kidnapping of his niece, Debbie (Lana Wood). This leads to a journey between Ethan Edwards and his nephew Martin to recover the girl and take vengeance on Chief Scar. The Searchers has been cited as one of the greatest films of all time, especially in the BFI's Sight and Sound polls. The 2007 American Film Institute's 100 greatest American films list ranked The Searchers in 12th place. In 1998, TV Guide ranked it 18th. It was also ranked #1 on the American Film Institute's list of the 10 greatest films in the genre "Western" in June 2008.

Fun Facts:  
-David Lean watched the film repeatedly while preparing for Lawrence of Arabia to better aid him in shooting a landscape. 

-The actors playing Comanche Indians are all Navajo, with the exception of Chief Scar, played by Henry Brandon, who was German-born and of Jewish descent. 

-The language, traditional dress, and the traditional dances that were depicted in the film are all of Navajo origin, not Comanche as addressed in the film. The "Comanche Death Song", is actually believed to be a Navajo "Squaw Dance" song. 

- According to Harry Carey Jr.'s book "Company of Heroes," John Wayne stayed in character between takes.