1956: The Searchers

Two men go to search for a woman abducted by Indians, shooting quite a few of them, as well as a few Nonindians, in the process. I'm not someone who thinks all people must share his taste, but even leaving aside all moral issues (discussed by Roger Ebert with a lot of sympathy for Ford, Wayne and the film), it is still a bit of a mystery why this movie should be considered one of the very great works of cinema. Ebert mentions some shots he finds beautiful, making the film sound like an American Lawrence of Arabia, but I don't see it. The Searchers is unusually good in no department and generally seems to be aimed not so much at children, but at simpletons. (That's 5 points on purely aesthetic grounds.)