“It’s The Kind Of Western I Don’t Care For”: The Classic John Wayne Movie That Quentin Tarantino Doesn’t Like (But He Still Copied In Two Of His Own Movies)

Quentin Tarantino has admitted that he isn’t a fan of John Wayne’s seminal western The Searchers, but that hasn’t stopped him from borrowing its most iconic sH๏τ. Tarantino tends to wear his cinematic influences on his sleeve. Tarantino borrowed some of his most iconic scenes from other movies. The opening sH๏τ of Jackie Brown is taken from The Graduate; the Ezekiel 25:17 speech in Pulp Fiction is taken from Karate Kiba; and the ear-cutting torture scene in Reservoir Dogs is taken from the original Django.

But not all the movies referenced in the Tarantino oeuvre are counted among his personal favorites. There are plenty of poorly received movies that Tarantino loves, and plenty of highly acclaimed movies that Tarantino dislikes. The Searchers is an example of the latter; it’s been hailed as a groundbreaking masterpiece, but Q.T. isn’t a fan.

Quentin Tarantino’s Comments On John Wayne’s The Searchers Explained

Tarantino Always Thought The Searchers Was “Mundane”


John Wayne leaving in The Searchers

In an interview with ᴅᴇᴀᴅline to promote his book of film criticism, Cinema Speculation, Tarantino was asked about The Searchers, which is mentioned several times throughout the book. Tarantino was quick to clarify that the only reason The Searchers comes up so much is because it was a huge influence on the “movie brat” generation that the book focuses on. Tarantino pointed out that he’s personally “never liked” the John Ford-directed classic. He’s always felt that The Searchers is “kind of mundane.

Tarantino pointed out that he’s personally “never liked” the John Ford-directed classic. He’s always felt that The Searchers is “kind of mundane.”

He likes Wayne’s lead character, Ethan Edwards. Ethan is one of the most interesting, three-dimensional roles of Wayne’s career; it challenged his typical straightforward hero archetype with some ahead-of-its-time moral ambiguity. But despite enjoying Wayne’s darker, grittier performance in this role, Tarantino “never cared for the movie. He added that he doesn’t enjoy many westerns from that era — although Tarantino is on record praising Rio Bravo, released just three years later (and also starring Wayne), as one of his favorites.

Quentin Tarantino Was Influenced By The Searchers, Despite Not Liking It

Tarantino Has Copied The Famous Doorway SH๏τ A Couple Of Times

Despite disliking The Searchers, Tarantino has copied its most iconic sH๏τ — the bookending images of Wayne framed in the doorway, looking in at a peaceful life he’ll never get to enjoy — in two of his own movies. In Kill Bill: Volume 2, the Bride is framed like Wayne in the doorway of the wedding chapel. And in Inglourious Basterds, Col. Hans Landa is framed in the doorway as he watches Shosanna Dreyfus flee from the dairy farm.

The influence of The Searchers on Tarantino’s work is a kind of trickle-down effect. So many of his favorite filmmakers (including the movie brats chronicled in his book) were mᴀssively influenced by and indebted to The Searchers and other Ford movies. Tarantino may not like The Searchers as a movie, but he definitely likes one sH๏τ from it.

Source: ᴅᴇᴀᴅline

Related Posts

Ice Cube’s Cult Favorite Comedy Franchise Dominating Netflix Charts As Its Final Movie Remains In Development Hell

Ice Cube’s Cult Favorite Comedy Franchise Dominating Netflix Charts As Its Final Movie Remains In Development Hell

A cult classic comedy franchise starring Ice Cube has multiple installments trending on streaming three decades after the premiere of the first movie. Ice Cube is best…

The Scary Movies Were Hit Or Miss, But I’m So Excited For Scary Movie 6 For One Specific Reason

The Scary Movies Were Hit Or Miss, But I’m So Excited For Scary Movie 6 For One Specific Reason

While the Scary Movie franchise was never well-received by critics, it became a fan favorite and isn’t done parodying the latest horror films just yet. The cult-favorite…

I’ve Rewatched All Matrix Movies, And It’s So Obvious Why The Franchise’s Worst Movie Doesn’t Work

I’ve Rewatched All Matrix Movies, And It’s So Obvious Why The Franchise’s Worst Movie Doesn’t Work

After rewatching all the movies in The Matrix franchise, it’s clear why the worst film is as bad as it is in comparison. In the ranking of…

Lilo & Sтιтch Trailer Hits Major Live-Action Milestone For Disney In Just 24 Hours

Lilo & Sтιтch Trailer Hits Major Live-Action Milestone For Disney In Just 24 Hours

After a tricky road to get off the ground, the Lilo & Sтιтch trailer has hit a major milestone that could prove beneficial for its box office…

10 Great Movies To Stream While You Wait For Edgar Wright’s The Running Man Remake

10 Great Movies To Stream While You Wait For Edgar Wright’s The Running Man Remake

Stephen King wrote The Running Man in 1982 under his pseudonym at the time, Richard Bachman. It’s set in a dystopian United States in the year 2025,…

The Electric State Ending & Christopher’s Fate Explained By Director & Millie Bobby Brown

The Electric State Ending & Christopher’s Fate Explained By Director & Millie Bobby Brown

This article contains spoilers for The Electric State.The Electric State star and director break down the stunning ending and Christopher’s fate. Based on Simon Stålenhag’s acclaimed story,…