Witness

Rating:
Summary: The Best Performance of Ford's Career
Review: Most Harrison Ford movies have a considerable number of things in common. Ford's character is usually street-smart (or something similar), there's always action, and more often than not he and his romantic interest are hesitant to admit their feelings for each other. While Peter Weir's 'Witness' fits the mold technically, somehow this movie feels very different from anything else Ford has ever done (Including the little known, 'Mosquito Coast').
Ford stars as a stubborn Philadelphia cop named John Book, who is in charge of the investigation when an undercover police officer is murdered in a public restroom. Ford identifies one of the murderers with the help of a wide-eyed Amish boy named Samuel (played by the adorable Lukas Haas). However, as soon as he has disclosed this information to a superior who he trusts, the murderer is after him and Samuel. Kelly McGillis plays the female lead, Rachel - Samuel's mother, and Danny Glover and Patti LuPone (the stage actress who originated the role of Fantine in Les Misérables) also star.
'Witness' is undoubtedly a good movie, and Ford makes his part seem incredibly human, to the point that you start to forget he's acting and begin to wonder why he almost won an Oscar for such a simple role. 'Witness' possesses none of the glitz and glamour of Ford's other blockbusters; however, it is still one of the standout movies of its decade and a completely recommendable film.

Rating:
Summary: An extraordinarily good film ...
Review: At the end of a disappointing summer movie season, I've started watching some of my favorites on tape. This movie is near the top of my all-time list; here's why:

ACTORS -- Most of the actors gave career-high performances in this movie. "Witness" helped establish Harrison Ford as a serious (i.e., non-Star Wars) action hero, and he demonstrates emotional range in this movie that doesn't show up very often in more recent films. Kelly McGillis is compelling, gradually and believably transforming from a shy widow out of her element to a strong, spirited member of her Amish community. Lukas Haas, who plays her son, offers a level of child acting that has only recently been matched by Haley Joel Osment. As other reviewers have noted, his wordless scene with Ford in the police station is a brilliant piece of acting -- an enormous amount of information and emotion is conveyed in complete silence. And Alexander Godunov brings a gentle grace to his role as the Amish farmer competing with Ford for McGillis' affections. It's sad that he didn't get more opportunities to demonstrate his acting ability before his death a few years later.

CINEMATOGRAPHY/SCORE -- As with most of Peter Weir's films (cf. "Dead Poet's Society"), "Witness" is visually stunning. The shift from the gritty heart of Philadelphia to the rolling hills of Amish country is jarring, and leaves one with a palpable sense of longing. I think the barn-raising scene in the middle of the movie is one of the most beautiful scenes I've ever seen filmed, both visually and thematically. Underscored (so to speak) with music reminiscent of Copland's "Appalachian Spring," it drives home the value of community and shared endeavor. It's a marvelously uplifting segment.

ROMANCE/EROTICISM -- The relationship between Ford and McGillis is very well done. The attraction that arises between them (driven in no small part, apparently, by Ford's kindness to the young boy) is constantly and realistically tempered by the awareness that they come from fundamentally different cultures. That slows the development of a relationship between them, which provides the movie with a delightful undercurrent of romantic tension. That tension reaches a peak in a powerful scene in which Ford sees McGillis giving herself a sponge bath. There is nudity in this scene (McGillis turns and shows herself, topless, to Ford), but it seems to be precisely the kind of nudity that, as actresses like to say, "is essential to the story." Given the way in which the Amish are portrayed in this film, McGillis' character is making a very bold (and risky) offer, and the difficulty of Ford's refusal is evident in his face. There certainly is a lot of gratuitous nudity in film, but "Witness" is not in that category.

This movie is aging extremely well, in large part because of the sweep of its vision, the powerful simplicity of its story, and the skill of its execution. It is a terrific movie.

Rating:
Summary: Great Classic!
Review: The movie Witness is about a young Amish boy who is traveling with his mother Rachel, played by Kelly McGillis, and while in a public bathroom he witness's a murder. The detective, John Book, assigned to the case is played by Harrison Ford, he winds up taking the family in and after the child identifies the murderer as a fellow detective of John's so they all must go into hiding in the Amish country. While living among the Amish a romance begins to blossom and several twists and turns begin to take place. This movie is one of the ones that you will always remember there is drama, suspense and romance all in one. I would highly recommend this movie to everyone.

Rating:
Summary: Comparing Witness: 1985 and 2004
Review: As I write my title, it is weird to think this film is nearly 20 years old! How time flies! Anyway...I first saw this film when it first came out and I remember I really really liked it. I was 23 years old and not a Christian at that time. Now, I am soon to be 42 and have been a Christian for over 18 years. For 10 years of my life, I lived as a Mennonite (like Amish in many ways, but we drove cars, had electricity, etc.) I am no longer a Mennonite, and now I watch films again. I appreciate classic cinema very much, but recently have wanted to watch Witness again, to see if I would like it as much as the first time, and to see if I thought they portrayed the Amish correctly.

So, I watched it last night. It was interesting in that I remembered so much, even some small details about it. So it really did impress me that first time when I was young. This time, I enjoyed it, but I wouldn't say it is a film I would watch over and over again, as I watch some classic films. To see it once more was enough to just satisfy my curiosity about my memories of it.

I did feel they portrayed the Amish quite well, with the clothes and such. What they did wrong about the portrayal was that in no way would it be allowed for an Amish woman to tend to a wounded man who wasn't her husband, by herself in a room alone with him. It just isn't proper, isn't done. In reality, a man would have done that, or an older woman would have done it, with another woman there. I think the movie allowed the Rachel character to have way more "access" to a man alone than would be allowed in a real Amish or Mennonite community. I doubt he would have really been allowed to stay in the house. In reality he would have been placed in a home with a family who had a bunch of boys and he would work with them and the father, and not have all that time alone with Rachel.

I don't like violence...I knew that the bad part happened in the train station in the beginning, so we were able to fast forward that part. Also, we were able to fast forward the ending "shoot out" stuff. I didn't care for the bad language. The scene with Rachel taking her sponge bath, well when I was young and not a Christian, I found that very romantic. Now, I found it rather silly. A devout Amish girl/woman would not have just calmly turned around and let a man stare at her while unclothed. And later on, when she and he finally "meet" for the romantic moment, I found that sort of offensive. Why kiss out in the yard where anyone could see you? Eli could have easily looked out the window (a real Amish father would have kept better tabs on his daughter with a strange man around the place). I felt that scene was very much just an animal passion thing...sort of vulgar. Not at all romantic, truly loving or gentle. It seems people sure knew how to kiss and show romantic love a lot better in the old movies! And right before she went out there, she took her prayer veiling off. Which again, no Amish woman would do. But then she obviously was rebelling. There was that other time too, when she and John Book were in the barn listening to his radio, and she had it off then, and I am not sure why, for no Amish or Mennonite woman will go without it in front of people or outside the house.

The ending left me wondering...would Rachel just go ahead and marry Daniel? Would she really be happy with him? She really would have to repent of her sins with John Book to be truly happy. I also noticed that the film never showed a church service. Also, none of the Amish folks never seemed to care to tell John Book how to be a Christian. But then there are many Amish who are not born- again Christians, but just are "culturally Amish"...they live the way they do because they have always done so. These must have been that type of Amish. It did seem that Grandfather knew the Bible...he quoted some good verses when talking to the boy about the gun. That was good to see, yet sad that such violence had to even be witnessed by this child.

Oh, of course any film with Amish must have a barn raising scene, and this one did. Also, so many movies with cows mus have the scene where the city person doesn't know how to milk a cow. Of course John Book must learn. He makes a joke about "teats" in this scene, and grandfather Eli laughs at it, which again, I doubt a devout Amish man would do.

Well, these are my thoughts. It was interesting to revisit this film again. In closing, I would say it is an okay film for adults but I would not recommend it for children.

Rating:
Summary: Enchanting and Real
Review: This film has so many things going for it, it would have been a challenge to make it a BAD film. The plot is so unique - a young window with a small son, living in the Amish country, harbor an inner-city police officer in order to solve a crime. Add a bit of romance (Kelly McGillis and Harrison Ford have delightful, downplayed chemistry) and you have a movie bound to please everybody. There's a little action, a little drama, a little romance, and a little suspense. Elements that, when put together, make this a truly wonderful film.

What I liked best was the portrayal of the Amish. Instead of painting them as quaint, sheltered people, the movie concentrates on their values and their mindset. The end result leaves the viewer with a strong feeling that maybe they've been living life the right way, and we've somehow gone astray.

The supporting characters (a viscious Danny Glover, small and innocent Samuel, and the old and wise - if a bit stubborn - Eli) are perfect, and lend the movie a almost homey feeling. With the exeption of the villains, most are three dimensional and complex, and play an important role in the story instead of merely being a distraction.

I've never seen two stars more perfectly cast than Harrison and Kelly. She's brilliant as the young widow who's quickly falling in love with the believable and convincing police officer.

It may not be your favorite movie of all time, but its appeal is undeniable.

Rating:
Summary: Great film, poor quality transfer
Review: "Witness" captures director Peter Weir's first exploration of the cultural clash between America's Amish community and modern society. We witness two worlds that collide and two people that can't bridge the gap between their two worlds despite their blossoming love for each other.

The story revolves around Samuel a little boy who has witnessed the murder of an undercover police officer, his mother Rachel (McGillis)and John Book (Ford) who investigates the murder discovering corruption, deceit and a conspiracy at it the heart of his department. After he discovers that his witness isn't safe, Book whisks them back to their Amish farm where he's forced to hideout as well.

One of Weir's finest films to focus on America, this so-so transfer looks grainy and has lots of compression issues. The transfer isn't a widescreen anamorphic transfer but is presented in that format (i.e., it's presented with the black bars at the top and bottom of the screen but the transfer isn't high definition). The picture occasionally comes across as soft and the rich use of color and light that vividly brought the film to life in theaters isn't well represented here. Hopefully Paramount will update this and remaster it the way it deserves to be done.

The extras include an interview with Weir obviously done around the time the film was made or first appeared on video and the original theatrical trailer. I would have expected a commentary track but since Weir isn't all that big on them to begin with, that would be hoping for too much.

A great film just a poor translation to DVD.

Rating:
Summary: Ford, McGillis shine in this classic romantic thriller....
Review: If the Star Wars and Indiana Jones trilogies proved Harrison Ford could play cliffhanger-serial style action heroes without breaking a sweat, his performance in 1986's Witness as a Philadelphia detective hiding in an Amish community after discovering some of his fellow cops are on the other side of the law proved that he could play more down-to-Earth, believable and even vulnerable leading man roles.

Ford plays John Book, a dedicated if rather world-weary detective captain in the Philadelphia police department who is called in to investigate the brutal slaying of an undercover officer in a public restroom at the train station. His only witness: eight-year-old Samuel Lapp (Lukas Haas), an Amish boy who's traveling with his beautiful (and recently widowed) mother Rachel (Kelly McGillis).

At first, Book and Rachel clash when he insists that Samuel's testimony is badly needed to identify the cop killers, but when the investigation leads to the corrupt Lt. James McFee (Danny Glover) and others in the police force, the young and terrified Amish woman must become Book's protector when he is wounded in a parking lot shootout with McFee and some of his accomplices. Making their way to Lancaster County in Book's car, Rachel, Samuel and the wounded detective find temporary refuge in the rural and definitely back-to-basics Amish community in the Pennsylvania countryside.

Australian director Peter Weir, working from a well-written screenplay by William Kelley and Earl W. Wallace, combines the fish-out-of-water theme of a modern American cop hiding out in a community that shuns his modern, "English" ways with a beautiful love story and a taut mystery thriller. Weir (Gallipoli, Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World) balances all these masterfully, never letting one part of the story overwhelm the other.

Ford had tackled the action/romance hybrid genre before, in 1979's forgettable Hanover Street, but his performance in Witness is absolutely wonderful. He is still in an action-hero role of sorts here, but in a more believable setting and definitely more vulnerable than either Han Solo or Indiana Jones. He's earthy and sometimes profane, yet there is a loneliness and tenderness that comes to the fore when he falls for Rachel...and realizes that his life and hers are universes apart even though they live only a few counties apart.

Witness also has a great supporting cast, including Patti Lupone, Josef Sommer, the late Alexander Godunov, Viggo Mortensen (Lord of the Rings), and Beverly May.

Also worth mentioning is Maurice Jarre's (The Longest Day) simple yet evocative score that reflects the gentle reverence and simplicity of the Amish community, and underscores the budding love between the tough but wounded detective and the beautiful and lonely widow.

Rating:
Summary: Harrison and Thou
Review: Although I suppose "Bladerunner" is the movie that showed Harrison Ford could do something outside of "Star Wars", I personally think "Witness" was one of the most important movies of his career, because it's a complete departure from a science fiction storyline, and therefore paved the way for all the Tom Clancy stuff and other movies that featured him as a romantic hero.

Here he plays John Book, a police detective who has to interrogate a small Amish boy who is the only witness to a brutal murder in a train terminal washroom. When the boy makes an ID that implicates a respected fellow police detective, Book gets wounded, but realizes that he must get the boy and his widowed mother (Kelly McGillis) back to the Amish country and go underground. Thus, much of the movie concerns itself with the fish out of water experience he has, trying to pass as an Amish man, learning about their life and falling in love with the boy's mother. This is dangerous territory for her, as her father-in-law warns her that if she steps out of line, she will be shunned by her community. And then of course, the corrupt police have been looking for Book and the boy, remember. Final showdown is about as you would expect it, and glad to have it so. One interesting note is the pretty good performance by Alexander Godonoff, the defected ballet dancer, as a jealous suitor of Kelly McGillis. Too bad he died so young; he might have branched into a whole new career here.

I hadn't seen this for many years before finding it among the tapes at a bed and breakfast place last summer. I was pleased to find it as enjoyable today as it was years ago, and my friend who had never seen it was enthralled, as you would be, too.

Rating:
Summary: Great film, poor quality transfer
Review: "Witness" captures director Peter Weir's first exploration of the cultural clash between America's Amish community and modern society. We witness two worlds that collide and two people that can't bridge the gap between their two worlds despite their blossoming love for each other.

The story revolves around Samuel a little boy who has witnessed the murder of an undercover police officer, his mother Rachel (McGillis)and John Book (Ford) who investigates the murder discovering corruption, deceit and a conspiracy at it the heart of his department. After he discovers that his witness isn't safe, Book whisks them back to their Amish farm where he's forced to hideout as well.

One of Weir's finest films to focus on America, this so-so transfer looks grainy and has lots of compression issues. The transfer isn't a widescreen anamorphic transfer but is presented in that format (i.e., it's presented with the black bars at the top and bottom of the screen but the transfer isn't high definition). The picture occasionally comes across as soft and the rich use of color and light that vividly brought the film to life in theaters isn't well represented here. Hopefully Paramount will update this and remaster it the way it deserves to be done.

The extras include an interview with Weir obviously done around the time the film was made or first appeared on video and the original theatrical trailer. I would have expected a commentary track but since Weir isn't all that big on them to begin with, that would be hoping for too much.

A great film just a poor translation to DVD.

Rating:
Summary: A Touching Classic
Review: The movie Witness starring Harrison Ford features one of his best performances. He received his only Oscar nomination for this film in 1985. This definitely goes to show what kind of performance you are in for. This is an extraordinary story; it is a combination of a thriller and a love story.

The movie is about a young Amish boy (Lukas Haas) who witnesses a murder in the men's room of a train station while traveling with his mother, Rachel (Kelly McGillis). When the young boy identifies the murderer as a fellow detective, the detective John Books (Harrison Ford) who is assigned to the case must protect them. John gets shot but realizes he must save the young boy and his beautiful widowed mother. He knows they must go into hiding so he drives them to their farm in the Amish community before he collapses. While learning the ways of the Amish lifestyle, a romance begins between John and Rachel. During several twist and turns the action and suspense continues. The chemistry between Ford and McGillis is remarkable and realistic. This thriller, love story is very touching and definitely one you don't want to miss.