Which John Ford film features the character Ethan Edwards?

The Searchers is the John Ford film featuring the character Ethan Edwards.

Released in 1956, the Western stars John Wayne as Ethan, a former Confederate soldier who returns to Texas after years away. When Comanches abduct his young niece Debbie after attacking his brother’s homestead, Ethan begins a years-long search alongside his adopted nephew, Martin Pawley, played by Jeffrey Hunter.

The film was adapted from Alan Le May’s 1954 novel and was written for the screen by Frank S. Nugent. Its story explores obsession, vengeance, racism, family, and the difficult boundary between rescue and revenge. Ethan is not presented as a simple heroic cowboy; his prejudice and violent determination make him one of Ford and Wayne’s most morally complicated characters.

The film is also famous for its landscapes. Although the story is set in Texas, much of it was filmed in Monument Valley on the Arizona–Utah border. The Searchers is now widely regarded as one of the greatest American Westerns.