* Terrible * * Below Par * * * Not Bad * * * * Good * * * * * Brilliant
WARNING *SPOILERS*
It was back in 1985 that this oscar nominated picture from Australian director Peter Weir was released in cinemas world wide.The movie as far I can remember never won the best picture gong.It's star Harrison Ford also missed out(A shame I suppose even though he should win for a better movie)on the coveted best actor award.
The movie tells the story of LA police detective John Book(Harrison Ford)who is assigned to the case of finding the murderers of a fellow cop in a public Lavatory.The only witness to the crime is an eight year old Amish boy named Samuel Lapp(Lukas Haas) who was visiting the city with his mother, Rachel(The beautiful Kelly McGillis).The young mother was visiting the city with Samuel to pick up supplies for her people in the Amish community.
As Book looks in to the case it becomes more and more apparent that things are not quite what they seem.It transpires that the killers of the policeman(who happened to be working undercover) are in fact detectives themselves.Corrupt men who's own chief officer and supposed friend of John's is in on some kind of crooked plot.They realise that there can be no witness to what they did and proceed to try and kill the young boy.
Book ofcourse tries to protect the youngster and reveal the villains for who they really are but in doing so loses one of his colleagues, a close friend in the process.Not only that but John is severly wounded and is forced to go into hiding with Rachel and Samuel back in the Amish community.
Nursed back to help by Rachel and her father Eli(Jan Rubes),John tries to fit in to the Amish way of life while trying to figure out a way to defeat and expose his former allies.Meanwhile it begins to become apparent that strong feelings are also beginning to grow between John and Rachel.Can John have a future with Rachel, woman who comes from a society, miles different from that of John's?
Witness isn't as good a film as you would think.Sure the direction by Austrailian film maker Peter Weir is first rate and the detail put into creating the world that the Amish people live is a hundrerd per cent convincing.All round the performances from the ensemble cast is outstanding.If you look closely you may recognise Danny Glover, a truely great and under valued actor as one of the crooked cops who Ford takes on.You may also recognise Alexander Godunov who portrayed the evil bloned haired hench man of Alan Rickman in the orignal Die Hard movie.Here he play's a fellow Amish citizen and friend of the Lapp family.The chemistry between McGillis and Ford is also amazing and Haas is a genuinely endearing title character.The young 'Witness' who Ford must protect.
What lets the film down is it's pompous political correctness and naievity.We're asked by Weir to feel sympathy and understanding for the Amish which isn't completly easy to do.If how the Amish are represented is as accurate as it seems they are, then I'm certain in what I am about to say.
While there is some wisdom in the Amish way of life(Their hatred for guns and the simple life they lead),their is equal naievity.I am not a violent person and abhor violence.But the Amish attitude to not raise their fists in anger when provoked is a tad unreasonable.The scene where a band of the Amish accompanied by Book(disguised as one of them)are taunted by a a group of tourist thugs while they do nothing is a simple testament to that.
Weir also tries make us feel tollerance and understanding for a creed of people who quite simply have little, if any for us.You only need hear Eli Lapp and his chastising of the common American, if not most of the civallised world,referring to them as the English.I don't know about you but if he called any scotman where I live that they would knock the crap out of him.
Overall, 'Witness' is not a bads night entertainment but i'm certainly not surprised it never won the top prize at 1985's oscar ceremony.Lets face it.When compared to the likes of 'Silence of the Lambs','Dances with Wolves' or 'American Beauty' there simply is no comparison.I can only hope something like LOTR(Lord of the Rings)finally gets the true recognition it deserves.
Rating:* * *
WARNING *SPOILERS*
It was back in 1985 that this oscar nominated picture from Australian director Peter Weir was released in cinemas world wide.The movie as far I can remember never won the best picture gong.It's star Harrison Ford also missed out(A shame I suppose even though he should win for a better movie)on the coveted best actor award.
The movie tells the story of LA police detective John Book(Harrison Ford)who is assigned to the case of finding the murderers of a fellow cop in a public Lavatory.The only witness to the crime is an eight year old Amish boy named Samuel Lapp(Lukas Haas) who was visiting the city with his mother, Rachel(The beautiful Kelly McGillis).The young mother was visiting the city with Samuel to pick up supplies for her people in the Amish community.
As Book looks in to the case it becomes more and more apparent that things are not quite what they seem.It transpires that the killers of the policeman(who happened to be working undercover) are in fact detectives themselves.Corrupt men who's own chief officer and supposed friend of John's is in on some kind of crooked plot.They realise that there can be no witness to what they did and proceed to try and kill the young boy.
Book ofcourse tries to protect the youngster and reveal the villains for who they really are but in doing so loses one of his colleagues, a close friend in the process.Not only that but John is severly wounded and is forced to go into hiding with Rachel and Samuel back in the Amish community.
Nursed back to help by Rachel and her father Eli(Jan Rubes),John tries to fit in to the Amish way of life while trying to figure out a way to defeat and expose his former allies.Meanwhile it begins to become apparent that strong feelings are also beginning to grow between John and Rachel.Can John have a future with Rachel, woman who comes from a society, miles different from that of John's?
Witness isn't as good a film as you would think.Sure the direction by Austrailian film maker Peter Weir is first rate and the detail put into creating the world that the Amish people live is a hundrerd per cent convincing.All round the performances from the ensemble cast is outstanding.If you look closely you may recognise Danny Glover, a truely great and under valued actor as one of the crooked cops who Ford takes on.You may also recognise Alexander Godunov who portrayed the evil bloned haired hench man of Alan Rickman in the orignal Die Hard movie.Here he play's a fellow Amish citizen and friend of the Lapp family.The chemistry between McGillis and Ford is also amazing and Haas is a genuinely endearing title character.The young 'Witness' who Ford must protect.
What lets the film down is it's pompous political correctness and naievity.We're asked by Weir to feel sympathy and understanding for the Amish which isn't completly easy to do.If how the Amish are represented is as accurate as it seems they are, then I'm certain in what I am about to say.
While there is some wisdom in the Amish way of life(Their hatred for guns and the simple life they lead),their is equal naievity.I am not a violent person and abhor violence.But the Amish attitude to not raise their fists in anger when provoked is a tad unreasonable.The scene where a band of the Amish accompanied by Book(disguised as one of them)are taunted by a a group of tourist thugs while they do nothing is a simple testament to that.
Weir also tries make us feel tollerance and understanding for a creed of people who quite simply have little, if any for us.You only need hear Eli Lapp and his chastising of the common American, if not most of the civallised world,referring to them as the English.I don't know about you but if he called any scotman where I live that they would knock the crap out of him.
Overall, 'Witness' is not a bads night entertainment but i'm certainly not surprised it never won the top prize at 1985's oscar ceremony.Lets face it.When compared to the likes of 'Silence of the Lambs','Dances with Wolves' or 'American Beauty' there simply is no comparison.I can only hope something like LOTR(Lord of the Rings)finally gets the true recognition it deserves.
Rating:* * *