Witness

The 1985 Peter Weir film Witness remains to this day one of my favorite Harrison Ford movies. The romance, crime drama and fish out of water stories combine quite harmoniously, without the fragmented dissonance that could have resulted. Despite Ford’s blockbusters both before and since, I like the quieter tone of this film.

Witness opens with beautifully photographed scenes depicting an Amish community in Pennsylvania. The simple ceremony of a funeral, the mix of spoken German and English, and the depiction of daily routines are accompanied by a serene and ethereal musical score that serves to show this as a simple place, where people care about each other and work together.

Our principal player in this community is the newly widowed Rachel (Kelly McGillis), who, with her son Samuel (Lucas Haas), is departing to visit her sister in Baltimore. This is a big trip for young Samuel, who has never been to a large city. As the two travel by train, the viewer gets to feel the enormity and strangeness of the outside world to these people, having seen their simple lives before. At the train station in Philadelphia, young Samuel witnesses a gruesome crime, made all the more gruesome by his sheltered innocence. The detective in charge of the case is John Book (Harrison Ford) who has the unwelcome task of interviewing Samuel. Book recognizes the extraordinary circumstances these people are in, and takes steps to help them as well as keep them nearby. He needs Samuel, and knows that if he leaves them, Samuel and Rachel will flee as soon as possible.

Samuel does manage to identify the man he saw commit the murder, but rather than helping Book, it simply makes things more difficult. There are some very unsavory characters involved (not a terribly well developed plot line), as Book discovers when he is shot as the result of an egregious betrayal. He manages to get Rachel and Samuel back to their home, only to be disabled by his injury. He is forced to stay in the Amish community to heal, and forced to blend in, to be plain, to protect Samuel.

The story progresses in a more or less formulaic fashion, with a little romance and some action along the way. Both Ford and McGillis turn in good performances, as does Lucas Haas. McGillis in particular plays Rachel with a combination of vulnerability and stubbornness that makes for an appealing character. What makes the film special is the focus on this Amish community. The viewer learns of the quiet simplicity of their lives, the hard work and focus on the community. We also see the rigid standards to which the community members are held, particularly the women. There is a sense of understanding both the pull to leave and the need to stay within these protected confines. While certainly not a documentary on the lives of the Amish, Witness makes us feel like we have a better understanding of their lives than when we started.

Overall, this is a good film that time has treated well. The setting lends a somewhat timeless quality to the movie (despite the obvious youth of the actors). I recommend Witness, particularly for couples who have trouble agreeing on whether to see action or romance!

– S. Millinocket