The Epic Battle for Legacy: Unraveling the Cinematic Showdown Between Prey and its Western Muse

Summary

"Prey" director Dan Trachtenberg reveals how the film reclaimed an iconic shot from Western classic, "The Searchers," as a comment on its racist depiction of Native Americans.

In the film "Prey," there is an early shot that alludes to "The Searchers" and features Naru, a Comanche warrior woman, framed in the entrance of a tent. This shot directly confronts the racist depictions of the Comanche people found in the classic film. "Prey" aims to rectify Hollywood's misrepresentations of Native Americans by being produced in both English and the indigenous Comanche language. Additionally, by borrowing from "The Searchers," the film aims to give new meaning and ownership to the iconic shot.

Prey director Dan Trachtenberg reveals the inspiration behind the latest Predator prequel set in pre-Colonial America. In a recent interview with Vanity Fair’s Little Gold Men podcast, Trachtenberg discusses his film and the influences behind its unique setting. When asked about the film's Western influences, Trachtenberg specifically mentions the classic John Ford movie The Searchers, which served as inspiration for a particular shot in Prey. Find out more in the excerpt below:

How Prey Reclaimed An Iconic Western Movie Image

It served as a major source of inspiration. The Searchers played a significant role in our decision to focus on Comanche as the driving force. Many movies throughout history, including The Searchers, portrayed Native American people in a negative light. However, we felt that since The Searchers is a classic Western with a widely recognized and replicated shot, it presented an opportunity to reclaim and re-contextualize it. In addition, the composition of the shot itself is exceptional.

The image depicted in Trachtenberg's reference to The Searchers is widely regarded as one of the most iconic in the history of Western cinema. This memorable scene occurs towards the end of the 1956 film, where the protagonist, played by John Wayne, achieves victory as he "rescues" his abducted niece from her Native American captors. Wayne's character, Ethan, is seen standing framed in a doorway, employing an arm-grabbing gesture which he intended as an homage to his own Western film idol, Harry Carey. Following this, Wayne turns away and walks off, symbolizing the profound sense of isolation experienced by his character in a rapidly changing world.

In Prey, there is a scene early on in the film where Naru, played by Amber Midthunder, is framed in the entrance of a tent. This shot resembles one from The Searchers, a film known for its racist portrayal of the Comanche people. However, the intention behind this reference is not to pay homage, but rather to comment on the problematic nature of The Searchers.

Moreover, Prey goes beyond simply showcasing Comanche warriors battling the Predator and French colonizers. It is also significant as the first major American film to be fully dubbed in the indigenous Comanche language. Director Trachtenberg explains that incorporating a shot from a renowned and controversial classic Western like The Searchers was another way to challenge and rectify the harmful depiction of Native Americans that has often characterized Hollywood's portrayals.

Source: Little Gold Men/Spotify