The current discussion about "Bullet" is pretty damned
fascinating. In comparing "The Searchers" to contemporary
stories
("Taxi Driver," "Hardcore") one aspect seems to have gone
unmentioned, however. The villains of the piece. In "The
Searchers," the Indians are depicted as savages, but, as I
recall, there is a nobility about them. Their savagery stems
from their history. They know no other way of life. And we
get the feeling that as much as the character John Wayne
plays hates them, he knows this. It's what makes his
character so rich. In the "influenced" works, there's nothing
at all noble about the pimps and porno filmmakers, snuff
artists and others of their ilk. They're scumbags. It
simplifies the storyline a little. (I should note that I'm
not sure if this applies to "Bullet." I couldn't get very far
into that one.)
Dick Lochte
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