There’s one lovely montage in which the entire community erect a barn (spot the young Viggo Mortensen) a portrayal of communal harmony swelling to Maurice Jarre’s soft, poetic score that matches the gentle rise of the countryside.Īt heart, though, and heart is what matters in Weir’s films, this is a romance. But this is not a parody, through Book’s opening eyes, it highlights a purity in their way of life. This strange corner of America might as well be Oz it is so closed off from the outside world, shunting the worldliness of electricity, music, standard clothing, normal pleasures. Weir also has such a feel for unusual locations, his films never bind us to the familiar. He has found depth in Mel Gibson, Robin Williams, and Jim Carrey, but with Ford he liberates him from iconography and lets John Book (what a solid, unshowy name) become an awkward, swagger-less, fascinating, lonely man - the anti-Indy. Weir is so good at containing big stars personas, and then drawing potent performances out of them. For this is an anti-thriller, much more about love than murder. When the traditional gun-toting action finally arrives it’s like a rude interruption. That’s because in many ways it is an anti-‘80s film, its emphasis on character, cultural identity, mood and the diversity and conflicts of American life give it the weight and purpose of those expert policiers from the ‘70s. Kelly McGillis was good in a supporting role.Arguably Harrison Ford’s finest performance, and one of the strongest thrillers to emerge from the heady gloss of the ‘80s, this is director Peter Weir at his most adept. I mean he is always good right? But in this one he is very good! Lukas Haas puts in a very impressive child performance and I always find that a fantastic thing to see in films, it is hard to get child characters right and to get performances that are impressive and not annoying, that is something Peter Weir managed to do so very well. I thought he was utterly fantastic in every possible way pulling so many different things into one role, the hardened detective, the love story, being a father like figure, standing up for the people and it really is well worth watching for Ford. Harrison Ford was also nominated for his performance and do you know what, he fully deserved that. The film is part of the Best Picture Project having been nominated at the 1986 Oscars, this was something I did not actually realise when I watched the film so an added bonus to learn that now. That was a nice little touch as well as a sub-plot as it doesn’t take over from everything else. It was obvious that he was going to fall for Rachel and vice versa as you could just sense that intensity from the moment they both met. Samuel is very curious about John and everything about him, especially his gun! Which created a rather impressive scene about the bullets inside it. This actually creates some rather amusing and sweet moments as well, that was something I certainly was not expecting when I started watching the film so was a rather lovely surprise to the direction it took. It also highlights the abuse that they must put up with and tourists taking photos of them as if they don’t have any rights just because they want to live a carefree and different life. This is where the film takes a slightly different turn as we see John Brook the tough detective now get involved in Amish community life and take part in the simple tasks that they do to survive. The blood he has been losing though is about to catch up to him when he passes out on the farm, this then leads to them helping him and pretty much hiding him until he builds his strength back up. He is left badly wounded in the car park, getting his partner to erase all information of the boy and mother he drives them himself back to their community. When disclosing this information to Chief of Police Paul Schaeffer he is told to keep it quiet but when he is then shot by McFee it is very clear that this corruption goes to the very top. The boy could not identify the killer from any photos or line ups but he does later spot a newspaper clipping in the police station which just happens to name narcotics officer James McFee as the killer! This then creates a very difficult situation for John who now must protect Samuel to ensure his safety. This event leads to corruption being highlighted within the police department as John and his partner Sergeant Elton Carter are the men who question Samuel. Samuel a young Amish boy is the only witness to a murder he must be protected by Detective John Book, as the man murdered was an undercover police officer.

Witness movie