In effect, the ending was a cop out: at a tense moment when Ethan had gotten his hands on the girl, the situation was “Is he going to kill her now?”… look at Jeffrey Hunter’s face during that scene.

Then, Ethan’s heart suddenly goes soft and he embraces her. (Aaaawwwwwww! Maybe Ford should have shown a puppy on the screen too, to complete the effect.)

If anything, this was yet one more PC outcome that was meant to contribute to the psychological warfare against any sign of White rage and revenge… in short, get mad, go out for revenge, including the eradication (honor killing, if you will) of the evidence of the outrage… but WAIT… at the moment of truth, cave in, forgive and forget.

Much in the same way as he gains a respect for Jeffrey Hunter, whom he all along also considered an Indian and treated with disdain.

No, the final theme, indeed, the impact punch of this film, is one of “forget your racist ways and become sympathetic and human”… fair enough… but for those who think this is a classic because it deals with righteous racism are mistaken.

Even the villain Scar is shown to be somewhat intelligent (no mere ‘savage’, he) and having justification for his marauding ways (his two sons were killed by the White man), so in effect, there’s no difference between Scar and Ethan… heck, we’re all one!

They ARE racialist, and white pride-friendly. Which raises them beyond mere cinema, to the level of Myth, and Moral Fable.

Deo Vindice!