The Searchers By John Ford

14 Pages 3497 Words

rother taking Martha to their bedroom and closing their door for the night. The two doorways--both the one to the home, and the one to the bedroom, make him an outsider to society and to his desire to be with Martha as well. The next scene--a morning scene--is another well directed instance of framing. The Texas Ranger/ Preacher Clayton, who has come to the breakfast table to round up Ethan earlier on in the film, is sitting at the kitchen table drinking his last cup of coffee. After kicking the front door shut with his foot, he is left alone in the main room of the cabin. Because of this, he is able to see Martha through the doorway of her bedroom, taking out and gently stroking and caressing Ethan's Confederate cape in an mysterious gesture. Standing in the foreground while staring straight ahead and pretending not to notice from the corner of his eye, Clayton finishes his coffee and deliberately averts his eyes from the intimate scene. In the backdrop, Martha brings out Ethan's coat and hat, and is rewarded with what should seem to be an i...