Featured Audience Ratings

• Chris W

  
  While it isn't wrong to call this 1985 Peter Weir drama a romantic thriller, it should be noted that less emphasis should be put on the thriller side of things, as it's only a thriller at t he beginning and end, with the bulk of the film being a romantic drama about culture… More
  While it isn't wrong to call this 1985 Peter Weir drama a romantic thriller, it should be noted that less emphasis should be put on the thriller side of things, as it's only a thriller at t he beginning and end, with the bulk of the film being a romantic drama about culture clash and forbidden love. A young Amish boy named Samuel witnesses a brutal murder in a bus station bathroom. Hardened Philadelphia police detective John Book is assigned to investigate. When he realizes the murder is part of a larger conspiracy involving people in his own department, Book gets wounded and flees to Amish country with Samuel and his recently widowed mother Rachel. While recuperating, Book slowly begins to assimilate to the more plain and simple way of life his hosts live, and along the way finds himself falling in love with Rachel, despite the complications and consequences of such a forbidden situation. This is one of the few films to really seriously focus on the Amish, and it's great. Yeah, the film isn't a perfect representation of their culture, but it is fairly accurate, but, more importantly, fairly respectful and sensible with how it treats things. It provides nice insight, and also gives a good look at how the Amish stick out as much in John's world as he does in theirs. The film isn't fast paced, but that's actually not a problem. It takes it's time to do some world building, and develop the story and characters. Thankfully this is all interesting subject matter, too. There's romance, as I mentioned, but it's handled in a not very Hollywood way, which is a breath of fresh air. The film is quite serious, but it does have a few needed moments of levity here and there. Harrison Ford is great here. This marked a change for him as he had, until this point, primarily spent his time either in sci-fi action romps, or as Indiana Jones. Here he is simply in a straight drama, and he delivers a quietly affecting performance. Lukas Haas is also good as the young Samuel, but the real jewel is Kelly McGillis as Rachel. She's a solemn, traditional woman, but her curiosity gets the best of her the more she spends time around the "Englishman". It's also cool seeing Viggo Mottensen in his brief big screen debut. Featuring strong writing and direction, an interesting and fitting score from Maurice Jarre that's sometimes really otherworldly, and some good cinematography, this is a wonderful movie with a great story that I highly recommend.

• Nicki M

  
  Not bad 80's thriller. It does go on a little in the middle with the Amish stuff (I mean, seriously, did we need to see a barn getting built?), and the romance was a little odd, but still worth a look. I had never seen this before and I did not find it too dated.

• Alexander D

  
  Shocking drama/thriller from director Peter Weir and actor Harrison Ford tells of an Amish boy who witnesses a murder in the restroom. When police officer John Book (Ford) becomes aware of this, he cuts immediately to interrogating the bow of what he saw. He asks the boy to try and… More
  Shocking drama/thriller from director Peter Weir and actor Harrison Ford tells of an Amish boy who witnesses a murder in the restroom. When police officer John Book (Ford) becomes aware of this, he cuts immediately to interrogating the bow of what he saw. He asks the boy to try and find one of the two men he saw involved in the crime. This takes a while, but once the boy settles on someone, he is in no way dubious. To say the least, WITNESS was a very tense film. It wasn't an action flick, but nearly every moment guarantees pounding pulse and racing hearts. So we've seen Harrison Ford as an adventurous archaeologist, the President, Chewbacca's best bud...now a cop? Hmm. What next, a marine? Like all roles, Ford performed well, but he stood out in this film especially. The best thing about WITNESS is Peter Weir's directing. He cues cutaways, pans, and surprise shots just when we least expect them (or most hope for them). And that's just part of what makes this a good film to remember.

• Daniel M

  
  In recent years the thriller genre has become so closely hybridised with action that we expect almost every thriller to be high-octane, ass-kicking entertainment. Whether it's the ultra-macho shootout in Michael Mann's Heat or the second unit work on the Bourne series, when… More
  In recent years the thriller genre has become so closely hybridised with action that we expect almost every thriller to be high-octane, ass-kicking entertainment. Whether it's the ultra-macho shootout in Michael Mann's Heat or the second unit work on the Bourne series, when we heard the word 'thriller' we expect everything to be turned up to 11, and if it doesn't feel ridiculous then we haven't got our money's worth. But the thriller genre is a malleable beast, and there is potential even in the most aggressive and edgy storylines for understated character development and old-fashioned, slow-burning suspense. Witness is a film which demonstrates this with energy and intelligence to spare, and it remains one of Peter Weir's finest films. Over a career lasting over 35 years, Weir has earned himself a reputation as a meticulous craftsman of the cinema. Like Stanley Kubrick he has rarely, if ever, approached the same subject or period twice, and what unites all his works is the impeccable level of craft that goes into making them. You really get the sense watching Witness that this was a labour of love for the director, something he cared about very closely. Considering that he only came to make it after funding for The Mosquito Coast fell through, it is testament to his ability and determination that he didn't simply soft-peddle to get it over with. Witness is a film which showcases Weir's mastery as a storyteller. The thriller elements are introduced seamlessly and convincingly, but they never become so complicated that they overwhelm the human story at the centre. The narcotics plot point is brought in so that it makes sense for McFee to have done what he did, and the conspiracy elements involving police corruption are introduced in a matter-of-fact manner. The film never feels the need to get bogged down in procedure, because Weir knows that the real intrigue lies in the innocent people caught up in the web rather than the structure of the web itself. Weir directs the film in an unusually painterly way, with long wide takes which capture the slow pace of Amish life. Much like Barry Lyndon, we are forced to slow down and accept the often languorous pace at which events unfold, so that it doesn't feel like the lives of the characters are being crowbarred into a generic plot. This is story-telling rather than plot-handling, and like all good storytellers Weir both takes his time and knows when he has overstayed his welcome; despite the leisurely pace, it doesn't feel like a two-hour film. Further evidence of Weir putting characters and story before the demands of a genre are found in the treatment of the culture clash. It would be very easy for Witness to fall into the trap of A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court, by having Harrison Ford constantly commenting in the differences in cultures for ill-founded comic effect. Alternatively it could have gone down the route of A Stranger Among Us, Sidney Lumet's misguided thriller in which Melanie Griffith tracks down a murderer by pretending to be Jewish, adopting every conceivable stereotype in a bid to blend in. While its depiction of the Amish lifestyle may not be entirely accurate, it is respectful and very even-handed towards both sides. The film is not looking to portray them as sheltered fundamentalists who are entirely backward or too naïve to function as human beings. But neither does Witness shy away from pointing out the flaws with the Amish religion, or at least demonstrating the downsides to such a particular way of life. The society in which Rachel raises Samuel is very patriarchal, with a man's worth being judged by his capacity for hard work, and there is frequent talk in the latter parts of "shunning" and the dire consequences of this. The film utilises the Amish language (either High German or Pennsylvania Dutch) as an alienating device, much like Alfred Hitchcock did in The Lady Vanishes. The title of Witness reflects the film's balance and contrast between the spiritual and the temporal, referring to both the act of bearing witness to God's work and testifying in a criminal court. Harrison Ford's character is called John Book - an inversion of the Book of John, also known as John's Gospel. In protecting Samuel from the police who wish to silence him, Book is bearing witness both by observing God's work through the Amish and by doing God's duty in protecting those who cannot protect themselves. Witness approaches spirituality in a mature and considered fashion which is unusually nuanced for Hollywood. You won't find any fire-and-brimstone preachers in this neck of the woods, let alone any of the hysterical wailing present in Carrie. Most of the religious scenes in the film revolve around quiet devotion and the silence of saying one's prayers, and even when things get rather Old Testament, the points aren't hammered home with un-Christian relish. This subtle examination of spirituality allows an accompanying theme to be approached with equal reserve and intelligence. For Witness is also about the limits of authority, whether the police or outsiders who think they can make the rules because they carry guns. Being the only man with a gun for many miles, you would think Book would quickly impose himself on the community - but instead he is forced to obey the rules and turn in his weapon. This is further reflected in the passive resistance of the Amish when they are threatened by Book's superior - a scene which shows that authority comes not merely from power, but respect and acceptance. The Biblical elements of Witness also emerge in the theme of forbidden fruit and the repression of Rachel's sexuality. Kelly McGillis has a recurring trait to her performance, giving a slight smile whenever she glances at Book. This slight smile reflects her inability to open up and acknowledge her womanhood at the cost of her faith. Her passionate kiss with Book in the field is counterpointed by an earlier scene where Book catches her bathing: minutes pass with the characters just looking at each other, both fearful of the consequences of giving in to temptation. Much of the film is about the loss of innocence, whether in Samuel witnessing the murder, Rachel's love for John, or the community being shaken by John's presence and his misguided attempts at delivering justice through violence. After he beats up a group of tourists who were mocking the Amish, one of the elderly locals tells Rachel to rein him in, saying he is "not good for the tourist trade!". The loss of innocence is further reflected in Book's colleagues, who have drifted into narcotics by spending too long on the beat. There are hints of The French Connection about Paul, who like Gene Hackman has become more impulsive and reckless in pursing what he wants. Witness also has a beautifully understated soundtrack. Maurice Jarre, who won a BAFTA for his work, creates a score with the epic sweep of his work with David Lean but with modern trappings courtesy of Vangelis-like synthesisers. There is a recurring theme of one ethereal note being sustained during moments of revelation, such as Samuel recognising McFee from the photo in the trophy cabinet. It's a very effective means of bringing together the old and the new in the story. Witness is a great film and a great piece of storytelling. Harrison Ford is terrific as John Book, bringing understatement and gravitas to a role which demonstrates his talent and range as an actor. McGillis is a great match as Rachel, and Danny Glover is as menacing here as he is in The Colour Purple. It isn't perfect, being a little too slow at times, and the final confrontation between John and Paul threatens to become silly. But it remains one of Peter Weir's finest achievements and proof that thrills don't always have to come from shouting and rapid editing.

• Wildaly M

  
  I was most definitely impressed with this film. It not only provides insight into the Amish culture and a beautiful love story, but it's also a thriller that will leave you in suspense until the last minutes. Harrison Ford is becoming one of those actors whose movies I see just… More
  I was most definitely impressed with this film. It not only provides insight into the Amish culture and a beautiful love story, but it's also a thriller that will leave you in suspense until the last minutes. Harrison Ford is becoming one of those actors whose movies I see just to see him act. He's pretty great here as a police detective. Highly recommended.

• Lady D

  
  A murder inquiry turned forbidden love story, in this slightly typical Harrison Ford movie, but a watchable one all the same.

• Jennifer X

  
  Though I really hated the stupid chase thing at the end, Witness is quite a charming, provincial, 90s sort of movie. The romance between Harrison Ford and Kelly McGillis was so implicit and understated, it reminded me of a period drama or something.

• AJ V

  
  A great thriller, the story is very interesting and different, and the cast is great. This is a great movie, I really liked it.

• Spencer S

  
  A clashing of two worlds, an interweb of police corruption, and a love that dare not speak it's name are just three of the evident themes in this network of great writing. Harrison Ford, the go-to guy for anything remotely action packed or super cool, takes an interesting turn as… More
  A clashing of two worlds, an interweb of police corruption, and a love that dare not speak it's name are just three of the evident themes in this network of great writing. Harrison Ford, the go-to guy for anything remotely action packed or super cool, takes an interesting turn as both a gun slinging cop and a bereaved man, finding solace in the community he is implicitly stuck with; until the walls finally crumble around him and reality seeps in. McGillis and Sommer give great performances in addition.

• Thomas B

  
  Intriguing and unsettling thriller with stellar direction from Peter Weir. Full review later.

• Anthony L

  
  A great film by Peter Weir, with a good cast. Breaks down stereotype of the Amish community.

• Dan S

  
  An original thriller chronicling a straight-shooting police officer (Ford) who is the assigned officer to an Amish boy (Haas) who witnessed a grisly murder. This is just a great film, one that combines thriller elements with a culture study, as well as throwing in fireworks between… More
  An original thriller chronicling a straight-shooting police officer (Ford) who is the assigned officer to an Amish boy (Haas) who witnessed a grisly murder. This is just a great film, one that combines thriller elements with a culture study, as well as throwing in fireworks between Ford's tough character and McGillis's soft and gentle one. The ending is extremely well done, and the acting all-around is great, especially Ford, who got nominated for an Oscar for his performance.

• Ross C

  
  More a movie about the Amish than the cop drama that you'd first expect. As such it's a leisurely and interesting comparison of 80s city life and that of the rural Amish.

• Sarah G

  
  <u>Director:</u>Peter Weir <u>Released:</u> 1985 <u>Stars:</u> Harrison Ford, Danny Glover,Kelly McGillis and Alexander Godunov <u>Genre:</u> Drama/Romance/Thriller <u>Country:</u> USA <a… More
  <u>Director:</u>Peter Weir <u>Released:</u> 1985 <u>Stars:</u> Harrison Ford, Danny Glover,Kelly McGillis and Alexander Godunov <u>Genre:</u> Drama/Romance/Thriller <u>Country:</u> USA <a href="http://s137.photobucket.com/albums/q202/sarah88_uk/?action=view¤t=Witness.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q202/sarah88_uk/Witness.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a> Shortly after the death of her husband, Amish woman Rachel Lapp takes her son Samuel on a trip to Philadelphia. In the train station bathroom, Samuel witnesses a murder, and helps hardened cop John Book with the ensuing investigation. Book discovers that people within the police force were involved, and after being targeted himself and wounded he escorts Rachel and Samuel back to their home, where he stays for a while to protect the boy while recovering. Book and Rachel find themselves growing more and more attracted to each other, but both are aware that unless one of them is willing to leave behind their entire world, their love can never be. Meanwhile, there's still the crooked cops to worry about Witness is a little underated thriller from the 1980's and won two Oscars(Best writing and Editing) and was nominated for 6(including Best Actor in a Leading role.) The only Academy award nominated for Harrison Ford back in 1986. Ford absoulty shines in this film! Witness is with out a doubt one of the best films of the 1980's and one of the best Harrison Ford films you'll ever see. Witness, unlike many Crime-Thrillers, takes a different stance at the genre and uses a little realism at that. We are introduced to the Amish community in this, something untouched by many fims of this genre. This, as a viewer makes it more compelling to watch and you're not seeing the usual Witnesses here. Weir tackles this well and tries not to clichee the Amish community and brilliantly characterises the Mother and son her. For instance we are shown beuatiful visuals of the Amish's land and given and insight into their world. Weir here takes a vconcept uses often in thrillers and develops it into a character driven piece right from this segment of film. There's no over-use of sript but carefl attention into the lives of these people. Which instantly gives us an isngiht into the lives of our main leads. What's brilliant about Witness is, as I said before, is the fact it takes the "Corrupt cop" tory to a whole new level. This is down to the brilliance of the script which is a strong part of the film. Although I felt it could have been longer and many scenes deleloped more-Weir focusses on characters and uses very little action to demonstrate this. For a start we see two cultures connect and eventually understand one another. Witness contains some brilliant pieces of film-making which was just brilliant to watch. The end death by corn scene just oozes tension and very little action I might add. Althought slow-moving you feel that you've watched a lot by the end of the film. The realtionsip with John and Rachel is the core of the film. Two cultures unite and attract but not in an onbvious way you may think. The facial expressions of both characters gives you a depiction of their feelings and really makes you feel for the character. In particular the end scene, there's no speech but you know exactly that Rachel wants to do. She can't leave but in her eyes you can see she wants to. This is against the usual Hollywood conventions of a Romance which I thought was brilliant. As I said before Harrison Ford is brilliant and certainly has more characterisation in this than any other I've seen him in, but Witness also contains some fine supporting roles. Notably Kelly McGillis, who I haven't seen in Top Gun, whoose wooden like stance, adds depth to her character and we can really see her attraction towards John. Also Alexander Gounov of Die Hard fame, whoose constant expressions thorughout the film shows us his feelins for McGillis character. Worth mentioning Lukas Haas's role as Samuel who brilliantly played his character which such innocence. OVerall Witness is not your average Crime thriller. Weir takes a commonly used concept and uses it as a character driven piece, one into the lives of the Amish community. Also shows a brilliant relationsip between John and Rachel. Although I felt it's narrative could have been better developed at times, most of the film is hard to fault. Highly recomended

• Jason S

  
  I was surprised by this one as I was expecting the usual cop flick. What I got was a look into the journey of a man who has been living with crime for so long he had lost all hope. The detective, played perfectly by Ford, is thrown into a simple world and starts to rediscover the… More
  I was surprised by this one as I was expecting the usual cop flick. What I got was a look into the journey of a man who has been living with crime for so long he had lost all hope. The detective, played perfectly by Ford, is thrown into a simple world and starts to rediscover the innocence that he has been working all these years to protect. The acting in the flick is excellent and the story moves along well. It is also a fascinating look into the world of the Amish.

• Candy R

  
  A young Amish boy and his mother witness a murder. Harrison is a cop who hides out in the Amish community to protect them. Good performances.

• Lanning :

  
  Great performances by Ford, McGillis, and young Lukas Haas, but this is Danny Glover's film. Scary! When Haas identifies Glover as the killer from the photo in the glass display case, I still get chicken-skin. Danny, please play more villains. <p> Kelly, what up? Man I… More
  Great performances by Ford, McGillis, and young Lukas Haas, but this is Danny Glover's film. Scary! When Haas identifies Glover as the killer from the photo in the glass display case, I still get chicken-skin. Danny, please play more villains. <p> Kelly, what up? Man I miss her--and I'm not saying that <i>Top Gun</i> was any kind of compensation for my loss.

• Red L

  
  John Book - I like the way the Amish say that name. Harrison Ford is a police detective who figures out that an Amish boy is a witness to a murder he is trying to solve. John lands up recovering from a gunshot wound in an Amish community and hiding with them.

• Lenny M

  
  Ford too BA to be Amish but good film.

• Tim S

  
  Caught this again last night on TV. Harrison Ford's best performance.

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