The Searchers vs. Stagecoach

4 comments

5 comments

I know The Searchers is considered by many critics to be John Ford's masterpiece, but I just don't see it. For the most part, the film seems to be quite humdrum (I acknowledge, though, that it does feature some interesting subtext). Stagecoach is just more entertaining, and that's what counts to me.

Couple Johnny Wayne classics. I'll agree with my boy Caesar, I actually liked Stagecoach better even though it isn't as held in such wide regard...

I'm gonna have to disagree and go with The Searchers. I found it to be a lot more entertaining and a lot more memorable.

Two great Wayne-Ford film's.l just watched Stagecoach a few day's ago,so l have to go with that.

I love both of these, but the Searchers seems to get better and better every time I watch it.

Yeah, The Searchers is the all around better film in my opinion.

Stagecoach. The Searchers was too long for its own good at points plus Orson Welles watched Stagecoach over 40 times while working on a little film called... What was it... Oh yeah, CITIZEN KANE!

The acting is better in The Searchers.The camera-work is better in The Searchers.The story is better in The Searchers.The Searchers is better than Stagecoach.

The acting is better in The Searchers? Wayne's performance is, certainly, but you can't convince me that there's a single good supporting performance in that movie. Stagecoach makes up for the less experienced and polished Wayne with, among others, Claire Trevor, Thomas Mitchell, John Carradine, and Donald Meek—hardly names to sneeze at. Both movies are splendid visually, but the day-for-night shooting works a hell of a lot better in black and white, and I actually care about the characters in the earlier film, so Stagecoach it is.

Greatness but The Searchers simply has more gravitas and is far more epic. I did indeed like the supporting cast in The Searchers and except for the nephew character all delivered splendid performances. Ward Bond was legendary as usual.