Witness (1985)
Witness (1985)
Peter Weir’s Witness is a movie that literally took my breath away. The film was marketed as a tense thriller set within the Amish community. The ads failed to show the film for what it really is: an intelligent love story confined in a thriller. The first half is a tense thriller, but it slowly leads into a believable romance story before turning on the thriller button again. Both parts of the film are excellent! Harrison Ford, who earned an Academy Award nomination, is at his very best here. Trust me, this film is not your typical police thriller.
Earl Wallace’s and William Kelley’s sensitive, endearing script was circling around Hollywood for a few years before being picked up. The script went out of its way to show the Amish culture as real as it can be within the thriller setting. After the film’s release, the Amish were very concerned about tourists invading their land. They were also somewhat critical of the script. That said, I loved how the film incorporated the values and traditions of the Amish. This is also Peter Weir’s first American film. His direction earned him his first Academy Award nomination. He directed the material with fragile care. He favored substance over style, which is really welcoming in thrillers like these. He and cinematographer John Seale did meticulous research in order to figure out the right look for the movie. They definitely found it! The barn-raising scene is a beautiful scene. It shows us so much about the Amish and they used camera/lighting perfectly.
Samuel (Lukas Haas), an eight-year-old and his mother, Rachel (Kelly McGillis) are an Amish family on their way to Philadelphia to visit Rachel’s sister. Samuel witnesses a murder in the bathroom stalls. The murdered man was an undercover cop, so homicide detective John Ball (Harrison Ford) is sent to investigate. He quickly discovers that the murder was from Ball’s own department. Ball is the latest target from the murderers. He escapes from them and goes with Rachel to her Amish family. Although Amish law forbidden them to fall in love, they begin to fall in love as John is learning the customs of the Amish. Sooner than later, the cops figure out where John is hiding. He and his new Amish family may not be safe.
People generally agree that this role is Harrison Ford’s best…and I wholeheartedly agree. Of course, he is awesome in Star Wars or Indiana Jones, but this performance takes his action prowess and adds vulnerability and sensitivity to it. His chemistry with Kelly McGillis is natural, not forced. To date, this film remains his only Academy Award nomination. Speaking of McGillis, she was a nice find! She did her research and came across in my eyes as a traditional Amish person, even down to that accent. This film marks the first film role for Viggo Mortensen as one of the Amish. Weir said he had a face that resembled an Amish person. Also, in early roles are Danny Glover as one of the crooked cops and Lukas Haas as Samuel.
I grew up relatively near Amish territory, so it is really to see a film that celebrates their nonviolent, agriculture-based culture. This is one of the few films about the Amish, so I am grateful for a film like this. Did you know that Maurice Jarre is an excellent composer? His haunting, memorable score fits the Amish community very well. In fact, I will not hesitate to say that his film score is one of my favorites of the 1980’s.
I love Witness. It is a beautiful, haunting film. It is a thriller but is also a meditative love story about a forbidden romance. Weir directed each section masterfully and successfully interwoven these parts to create one powerful movie. Harrison Ford is at his best! Kelly McGillis made an excellent romantic pairing for him. You believed the romance between the two characters and there are no kisses for the sake of kisses. Each kiss is meaningful and well-placed. As a thriller, this film absolutely rocks. I do not think I had fingernails until long after the film ended.
My Grade: A
Peter Weir’s Witness is a movie that literally took my breath away. The film was marketed as a tense thriller set within the Amish community. The ads failed to show the film for what it really is: an intelligent love story confined in a thriller. The first half is a tense thriller, but it slowly leads into a believable romance story before turning on the thriller button again. Both parts of the film are excellent! Harrison Ford, who earned an Academy Award nomination, is at his very best here. Trust me, this film is not your typical police thriller.
Earl Wallace’s and William Kelley’s sensitive, endearing script was circling around Hollywood for a few years before being picked up. The script went out of its way to show the Amish culture as real as it can be within the thriller setting. After the film’s release, the Amish were very concerned about tourists invading their land. They were also somewhat critical of the script. That said, I loved how the film incorporated the values and traditions of the Amish. This is also Peter Weir’s first American film. His direction earned him his first Academy Award nomination. He directed the material with fragile care. He favored substance over style, which is really welcoming in thrillers like these. He and cinematographer John Seale did meticulous research in order to figure out the right look for the movie. They definitely found it! The barn-raising scene is a beautiful scene. It shows us so much about the Amish and they used camera/lighting perfectly.
Samuel (Lukas Haas), an eight-year-old and his mother, Rachel (Kelly McGillis) are an Amish family on their way to Philadelphia to visit Rachel’s sister. Samuel witnesses a murder in the bathroom stalls. The murdered man was an undercover cop, so homicide detective John Ball (Harrison Ford) is sent to investigate. He quickly discovers that the murder was from Ball’s own department. Ball is the latest target from the murderers. He escapes from them and goes with Rachel to her Amish family. Although Amish law forbidden them to fall in love, they begin to fall in love as John is learning the customs of the Amish. Sooner than later, the cops figure out where John is hiding. He and his new Amish family may not be safe.
People generally agree that this role is Harrison Ford’s best…and I wholeheartedly agree. Of course, he is awesome in Star Wars or Indiana Jones, but this performance takes his action prowess and adds vulnerability and sensitivity to it. His chemistry with Kelly McGillis is natural, not forced. To date, this film remains his only Academy Award nomination. Speaking of McGillis, she was a nice find! She did her research and came across in my eyes as a traditional Amish person, even down to that accent. This film marks the first film role for Viggo Mortensen as one of the Amish. Weir said he had a face that resembled an Amish person. Also, in early roles are Danny Glover as one of the crooked cops and Lukas Haas as Samuel.
I grew up relatively near Amish territory, so it is really to see a film that celebrates their nonviolent, agriculture-based culture. This is one of the few films about the Amish, so I am grateful for a film like this. Did you know that Maurice Jarre is an excellent composer? His haunting, memorable score fits the Amish community very well. In fact, I will not hesitate to say that his film score is one of my favorites of the 1980’s.
I love Witness. It is a beautiful, haunting film. It is a thriller but is also a meditative love story about a forbidden romance. Weir directed each section masterfully and successfully interwoven these parts to create one powerful movie. Harrison Ford is at his best! Kelly McGillis made an excellent romantic pairing for him. You believed the romance between the two characters and there are no kisses for the sake of kisses. Each kiss is meaningful and well-placed. As a thriller, this film absolutely rocks. I do not think I had fingernails until long after the film ended.
My Grade: A
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