User Reviews

It all starts off when a beautiful Amish widow takes her little son Samuel from their home in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania to visit her sister in Baltimore and try to get over her grief...

While passing through Philadelphia, and on entering alone a men's restroom in a train station, Samuel glances up to see two men advancing with unmistakable menace toward a young man... He caught sight of the face of one of the two attackers who killed him...

As the plot becomes more intricate, and through a series of interesting events, detective John Book finds himself forced to protect the shy eight-year-old boy and his helpless mother... He disappears for some days in the Amish Country...

Harrison Ford stars as a fugitive cop who is initially unwelcome in a community he knows a little about... He tries to learn the importance of family and community, the philosophy of brotherhood and non-resistance... He becomes involved in a case that will essentially change his human perceptions... And later, he finds himself falling in love with a sensitive young woman...

Kelly McGillis is captivating as Rachel, a woman who feels a shadow of confusion crossing her mind... She stares at the honest cop, realizing the price he's paid in returning them to safety...

In one scene she catches him watching her bath... She hesitates for a moment, but in that precise moment she makes a choice... Slowly she turns to face him, topless, without shame... For a moment she attempts a tender effort to become, for an instant, a woman of his world...

In another scene we see her playing the charade of her life... Bound by duty, but tempted by desire, she leaves her white cap - symbol of her identity - on the table, and surrenders to a passion, that makes her sensual nature say it all...

Lukas Haas is very fine as the cute kid in the black coat and hat... He slowly raises his hand to point at the black and white photograph... This nice boy remains untouched by the violence interposed into his peaceful world...

Jan Rubes is believable as Rachel's father-in-law Eli... He is torn by conflicts between faith, discipline, dedication and humility... He tries his best to protect what's left of his family from the pressures of the outside world... It's pretty clear he doesn't like this Englishman wearing the clothes of his faith... For him his daughter-in-law has brought fear to his house... and now she is dancing to English music!

Alexander Godunov brings a solid performance to the role of Daniel, Rachel's discarded suitor... It's no surprise that he wants the disappearance of the policeman... Book's tempting presence will only weak his chance with Rachel... In one remarkable scene and on a road running parallel to the train track, he urges his horse almost to the gallop as he attempts to keep pace with the train...

It is quite interesting to see Danny Glover as a crooked cop, who's corrupt and evil... But the heart of the movie is a study of the Pennsylvania Amish through the eyes of an outsider suddenly introduced into their life... Peter Weir tries to paint a realistic portrait of the Amish who are best known for their severely 'plain clothing' and their 'non-conformed' way of life... The Amish also avoid telephones and electric lights and drive horses and buggies rather than cars...

Weir delivers a powerful and romantic story, an engaging film of different style, mixing two different cultures, the simplicity of the Amish lifestyle with the urban culture and fashion... The music and cinematography work beautifully to impart all the emotions of the characters...

'Witness' (won Academy Awards for Best Film Editing and Original Screenplay. Nominations for Best Actor (Ford), Art Direction, Cinematography, Director, Score and Best Picture..) is quiet provoking.. thrilling and entertaining.. I highly recommend it..

If you look carefully, you'll spot Viggo Mortensen in his screen debut.. as Moses Hochleitner, Daniel's little brother...

Probably Peter Weir's best recent film (from the last ten years), this original drama manages to create credible tension thanks to a well constructed plot and some strong performances.

Harrison Ford is John Book, a detective who is investigating the murder of a fellow officer, witnessed by a young Amish boy. When Book discovers other officers may be involved, he takes refuge in the Amish community.

Ford and Kelly McGillis are very good in the lead roles and their developing relationship adds an extra dimension to the story. Alexander Godunov, Danny Glover and Josef Sommer lend worthy support.

A strong, well balanced thriller which is both skilfully acted and directed.

Friday, September 24, 1993 - T.V.

'Witness' was Harrison Ford's first starring mainstream hit drama, after the Star Wars trilogy, two Indiana Jones flicks, and of course 'Blade Runner.' It showed he could carry a conventional story, in this case a cop thriller in an unusual setting, outside the sci-fi/action genres and launched a movie career that by some accounts is the most successful ever. Samuel Lapp (Lucas Haas), a young Amish boy, is on a rare trip to the big city (Philadelphia) with his mother Rachel (Kelly McGillis). There he is the sole witness to a brutal murder and both he and Rachel are detained by police officer John Book (Ford) for questioning. This leads Book to uncover massive corruption in the police department and he himself is almost killed for discovering it, which leads the three of them back to the Amish community where Book hides out while recovering from his gunshot wound and trying to figure out what to do next. Beyond the inspired novelty of having a crime thriller largely set among the Pennsylvania Amish, 'Witness' is memorable for several noteworthy performances. Lucas Haas, like Heather O'Rourke in 'Poltergeist', is one of those child actors who is almost too endearing for words, not only angel-faced but a natural and believable performer. As Rachel, Kelly McGillis has one of her best roles and gives it a multi-layered interpretation. One can sense just below the surface a resentment in her at her lot in life as an Amish woman. Rachel dutifully goes through the motions required by her position but it is obvious she is forever wondering what it would be like to live in the outside world. Or, in Book's case, to bring him in to live in hers. And Harrison Ford gives another of those performances where you wonder where the actor ends and the character begins. Book and Rachel build up a subtle rapport, where thoughts and feelings are simply understood rather than openly expressed. They even manage a low-key teasing kind of back-and-forth, not easy when they are under the constant scrutiny of the town elders and in fact, just about all of the other Amish. 'Witness' provides a glimpse into Amish society that seems genuine and well-detailed. They are portrayed as industrious, self-sacrificing, extreme pacifists who live apart from the outside world, the world of the 'English,' as they call everyone else, regardless of background. Along with these admirable qualities, it is also suggested that they can be small-minded, gossipy, and somewhat smug and defensive about their beliefs and way of life. When one considers the cloistered, confined life they lead, this shouldn't be surprising; one might compare the Amish village to any small American town where everyone knows everyone else and people are forever talking behind each other's back. An interesting subplot in all this is how the Amish's pacifism comes into play when faced with violence. It is obviously a deeply-held belief that some will find admirable and others unfathomable. At one point, Samuel's grandfather attempts to explain to him why they feel the way they do, using Book's gun as a reference, since it epitomizes the evil of taking another's life. The grandfather asks Samuel if he would kill anyone, and the boy responds, "I would only kill the bad man." Then the old man asks how Samuel can know who is bad and who isn't. The boy responds, "I can see what they do. I have seen it." So the question that hangs in the air is, does Samuel become corrupted from what he's seen, or has he simply been exposed to the real world and become better able to deal with it, even at his young age? It is a question that 'Witness' doesn't attempt to resolve, and in this case, the ambiguity adds depth to a very thoughtful and satisfying movie.

I watched this one years ago, as a rental movie (on VHS if you can believe that) back when I was in high school or thereabouts. Decided to download and re-watch it recently, and I don't regret that: it's a solid movie.

One minor thing that bothered me was an early scene where Book (Harrison Ford) takes Samuel (Lukas Haas) and his mother (Kelly McGillis) to a bar in order for the kid to (potentially) identify the killer: arguably a bit of a stretch in terms of realism (as is, in fact, the whole sequence where Book pretty much forces the Amish folk to stay at his sister's place, etc.).

On the whole, however, this is a well executed affair with Ford in one of his best roles (I would argue). Crucially, it's a movie that knows when to tone it down a bit where it matters most. The whole romance side plot is evidence of this, but especially the way it ends: it would have been oh-so-easy to just let Book and Rachel end up together in one way or another. But they do not - and the ending is much stronger for it: the final shot, with its «it had to be this way» feel (Book driving past Rachel's more realistic suitor as the former leaves the place), is pretty much perfect.

I would also like to highlight the final shootout: this too is almost oddly (compared to similar scenarios in Hollywood mainstream efforts) toned-down: it's obviously dramatic enough, action packed even, that's not what I mean - but it nevertheless struck me as refreshing: the killer (Danny Glover) is disposed of with a single shotgun discharge after a very short prelude. And the true Big Bad of the movie (Josef Sommer)...well, he actually gives up (as in - he surrenders).

The premise is strong and it starts out wonderfully, but the end really leaves something to be desired. First of all, the kissing scene is underwhelming. I feel like the film would have been better had there never been any kissing (or seeing her topless, after which he's like, "look, if we'd made love ..." - what a way to jump to conclusions!!!) Second, when Book is discovered and all the Amish rush to the farm, it's actually anticlimactic. While we've seen him partaking in traditions and meeting the others, he's not been accepted as one of them. And in the scene, he's still not one of them. Also, they don't do anything, they just stand there while Book asks if Schaeffer will shoot them all. He's already shown he's a bad cop, why *wouldn't* he shoot them? That whole sequence was just bizarre.

Directed by Peter Weir and written by Earl W. Wallace and William Kelley, Witness tells the tale of an Amish community outside Lancaster, Pennsylvania and one of their youngest members, Samuel (Lukas Haas), who has witnessed a murder in a Philadelphia train station. Detective Sergeant John Book (Harrison Ford) and his partner Sergeant Elton Carter (Brent Jennings) are on the case and soon discover that the murderers were corrupt police officers, Book is nearly killed by them and has to hide out with the Amish while protecting Sam and his mother Rachel (Kelly McGillis) from the criminals.

Ford spent time with the Philadelphia Police Department and McGillis lived with an Amish widow and her seven children, learning how to milk cows and practicing their Pennsylvania German dialect. Filmed in Intercourse, Lancaster, Strasburg and Parkesburg, this had local Amish work as carpenters and electricians while refusing to be in the movie. The Amish extras that appear are really Mennonites.

Leading up to and following its release, Witness was met with controversy from the Amish. They felt that it exploited them and the graphic violence in the movie went against their religion. The National Committee For Amish Religious Freedom asked for a boycott and the state of Pennsylvania agreed to not promote Amish communities for movie sets. Yet the film has a scene that calls this out, as Rachel talks about people just walking onto their farms and staring at them, treating them as someone to gawk at.

The winner of Oscars for Best Original Screenplay and Best Film Editing, Witness was a big movie when it came out. In his top one hundred movies, Akira Kurosawa had this at 89.

I've always thought that it was an interesting film for Ford to be in and also one that shows the alien nature of the Amish and never judges them. Instead, it shows that these parallel worlds can exist -- and should -- outside of the modern way of life.

This is an OK film. It is interesting from the stand-point of learning

about the somewhat mysterious (for me!) Amish culture, and to a

lesser extent, seeing a street-hardened cop, played by Harrison

Ford, placed in that pacified and devout Amish world. However,

the whole battle of "good cop vs. bad cop" is a little typical and not

particularly well executed here. There are some good chuckles

here and there centered around Harrison's character, John Book,

and his attempt to "fit in" with the Amish lifestyle, and some tense

action sequences, as well. The acting is solid, though nothing too

inspiring. Ford actually plays a character that doesn't have a HALO

rammed up his BUTT, as he has with much of the rest of his

career choices (I will never give him full-credit as an actor due to

his outright refusal to play a villain!). (Unfortunately, I also think

this might have been where he turned down that somewhat

distasteful path as the "man-at-odds/action hero" that he has

come to personify).

**SPOILER**

The most redeeming feature of Witness is the non-Hollywood

ending. Despite the romantic build-up, and probable audience

wishes, it DOESN'T end with John and Rachel together. I'll admit

that even I was hoping, despite the obvious improbability of it

working out between them, that I wanted to see that "Happily Ever

After" ending. So it was a bittersweet moment to be somewhat

sad and satisfied with the ultimate conclusion.

I'm left with this one question though; why do the Amish men have

those big beards but NO mustaches?!!!

7/10 A good Amishly hand-woven yarn (not to be watched with

Microwavable popcorn, though!)

"Witness" is a subtle, thoughtful and intelligently directed film which is both a crime thriller and an extraordinary love story. A police investigation into a brutal murder provides this drama with its momentum and drive and a tragic romantic tale adds the intensity, warmth and poignancy that elevates this movie to a higher level than that normally achieved by more routine thrillers. The story about two people from different backgrounds who fall in love, but know that their love can't transcend their circumstances, has a timeless and universal appeal which explains why this movie has retained its popularity so consistently since it was first released in 1985.

When a recently widowed young Amish woman and her son are in a train station in Philadelphia, the 8-year-old boy witnesses the murder of an undercover cop. Detective Captain John Book (Harrison Ford) is put in charge of the investigation and questions Samuel Lapp (Lukas Haas), but even after showing him mug shots and arranging line-ups of suspects, the boy isn't able to finger the culprit. A little while later, however, Samuel is looking around the police office when he notices the killer's picture on a newspaper clipping that's pinned up inside a glass cabinet. When he brings this to Book's attention, it's quite a shock because the man in the photograph is the highly decorated Detective Lieutenant McFee (Danny Glover) of the Narcotics Division.

Detective Book tells his superior officer Detective Chief Schaeffer (Josef Sommer) about this development and Schaeffer asks him to keep the information confidential. Shortly after, when he's shot at and injured by McFee, it becomes obvious to Book that McFee and Schaeffer are both corrupt and Samuel and his mother Rachel (Kelly McGillis) are in mortal danger. In order to protect them, Book drives them back to their Amish community but after his arrival there, he collapses and has to remain with the Amish where Rachel gradually nurses him back to health.

During Book's period of recuperation, he and Rachel fall in love but he soon realises that neither of them could survive indefinitely in the other's world. Book adapts well to living with the Amish and earns their respect as he readily helps with milking cows and building a barn, but his presence in their community places them in danger, as becomes all too clear when the story reaches its action-packed conclusion.

Non-verbal communication is used frequently in this movie and provides the action with an extremely natural feel. A couple of the stand-out sequences are those in which Samuel looks at Book in a way that immediately signifies that he's seen something important (when he sees McFee's photograph) and another is when Book and Rachel dance together in a barn to Sam Cooke's "What A Wonderful World". The power to convey their thoughts and feelings so clearly in this way is very touching at times and also testifies strongly to the quality of the acting.

The differences between the worlds that Book and Rachel inhabit couldn't be greater as the Amish reside in rural surroundings and live a quiet, non-violent existence in which it's normal for everyone to help everyone else. These people embrace old fashioned values and don't use modern conveniences such as cars and refrigerators etc. By contrast, Book's existence as a city cop is far less serene and regularly brings him into contact with violence, corruption and various other forms of errant human behaviour.

"Witness", with its interesting characters, its absorbing story of murder, corruption and doomed love and its marvellous acting performances, is tremendously enjoyable to watch and leaves a lasting impression.

I saw "Witness" in 1985 in a small town in Oregon. At the time I was enamored of director Peter Weir's work, "The Last Wave," "Gallipoli," "The Year of Living Dangerously." Of late, I'm being drawn more and more into independent filmmaking, and I thought "Witness" might be a good one to screen again, because as I remember it, it had minimal locations, most of them in a rural Amish community.

The setup is bloody brilliant – a 10-year-old Amish boy witnesses a grizzly murder in a train station bathroom.

But the plot begins to unravel immediately when Detective John Book (Harrison Ford) wheels and deals with witness rights and protection – forcing Amish mother Rachel (Kelly McGillis) and her son Samuel (Lucas Haas) to ride to a bar to identify a potential suspect. He leaves them alone in the police car in a ghetto while he goes inside to roughhouse his pick of the week for a fall guy!

Book's investigation continues in like manner for the first act of the film, demolishing any suspension of disbelief. That, and inexplicably bad acting on the part of the bad cop cast, invite comparison to a TV cop show at its worst, talented actors notwithstanding.

There was however, an exceptional reveal in Act I: Samuel's identification of the murderer is brilliantly staged.

Unfortunately, the bad cop setup telegraphs a violent finale, completely wrecking the film's premise – how do you protect the innocent and vulnerable in a community that embraces nonviolence? This is an extremely exciting, groundbreaking idea. To place an Amish kid as the key witness of a grizzly murder – these are ingredients for a powerful, game changing film.

How are the members of the Amish community going to handle the introduction of guns, a law enforcement system dependent on violence, men who are conditioned to find a violent solution – how will the Amish "disarm" this invasion without violating its sacred mission?

99% of the general population are dependent upon and conditioned to violence as a solution to violent crime. This story has seeds of extraordinary promise to explore another paradigm.

Alas, the Hollywood machine really made a mess of this one.

Book is healed of a gunshot wound by means of Amish medicinal practice; he gives up his gun and ammo to his Amish hostess; he pitches in to help with a communal barn-raising in a scene that is a small miracle, showing the capacity of a community to accomplish substantial things in just one day.

Book recognizes the possibility of mutual physical bonding with Rachel, his own sexual needs, as well as hers. He turns away from the temptation to violate the Amish code. At this point it is a heroic action. However, this plot point unravels when they do consummate at a later time.

Having shown Book as a man of roughshod integrity, one would hope he has enough chutzpah to honor his hosts. He has the opportunity to prepare himself in a soul-searching manner for the inevitable show down. How do you serve and protect in the Amish way?

When the police department goons show up determined to exterminate the witness and his family, the film descends into the same old same old (sic) showdown at the OK Corral. Hollywood loves this stuff, and, based on box office receipts, so do audiences.

To be fair, Book does choose one ingenious tactic when he improvises the use of corn in a silo as a defensive weapon.

There is a very real temptation to argue (and Hollywood did and won) that the lone town marshal pitted against 3 heavily armed outlaws-made-more-outlawish-by-being-lawmen requires a shoot 'em up conclusion. That works for Tombstone in 1881, but is it necessary in this Amish community of 1985? Does not their faith have more power than the gun?

The issue of guns and violence was volatile in '85, and has grown increasingly contentious and dangerous in 2014. This film missed the opportunity to explore authentically the interaction of two distinct American cultures in the Heartland.

It is heartbreaking to consider the horrific consequences suffered by the dominant culture's near complete lack of will to examine or act on gun control. That Mr. Weir agreed to direct this mishmash without challenging our 2nd Amendment preconceptions is, in my opinion, tragic.

Of course it will take a great deal more than a single film to bring change of this caliber in our American life. Had Mr. Weir and Mr. Harrison brought their considerable talents to bear on the subject, the conversation and the legislation today might be a good deal more reasonable and civilized.