The story begins in 1868 when a confederate soldier, Ethan Edwards (John Wayne), returns home to meet with his brother and a woman he has fallen in love with. A Comanche attack during his stay leads to the kidnapping of his niece, Debbie (Natalie Wood). This leads to a journey between Ethan Edwards and his nephew Martin to recover the girl and take vengeance on Chief Scar. Many don’t know this, but the film was loosely based on a true story about a young girl who was kidnapped by Comanche Warriors in 1836 Fort Parker, Texas. The Searchers has been cited as one of the greatest films of all time, especially in the BFI's Sight and Sound polls. The Searchers placed 12th in the 2007 American Film Institute's 100 Greatest American Films. In 1998, TV Guide ranked it 18th. It was ranked #1 on the American Film Institute's list of the 10 Greatest Films in the Western genre in 2008. The New York Times praised Wayne’s performance as “uncommonly commanding.” He revealed just how good of an actor he was in this western classic.