A big city cop. A small country boy. They have nothing in common... but a murder.
While protecting an Amish boy—the sole witness to a brutal murder—and his mother, a detective is forced to seek refuge within their community when his own life comes under threat.
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Character
Earnest, grave, classical in form and meticulous.
- earnestironic
- gravecomic
- classical in formformally daring
- rawmeticulous
- contemplativerelentless
Who loves it, who doesn't
40 profiled raters. Loved most by The Prestige Hunters; disliked most by The Formalists.
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Answer first; then see how everyone, and your circle, split.
“Is this Peter Weir's best work?”
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“Is Harrison Ford the best thing in Witness?”
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“Is Witness too earnest?”
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Reviews on TMDB
Written by TMDB members; each links to the original. Not part of Tastebuds's numbers.
- CinemaSerfon TMDB · Sep 20247/10
When a young Amish boy "Samuel" (Lukas Haas) and his mum "Rachel" (Kelly McGillis) take a trip from their rural, largely agrarian, community into the big city he gets a little more than he bargained for - he witnesses the brutal murder of an undercover cop. The police decide the best way to protect him is to send him home to his family, accompanied by "John Book" (Harrison Ford), whist they await the trial. The perpetrators are on the hunt for him though, and it soon becomes clear that there is someone from within the investigation working with the baddies to track down and eliminate the witness. As an introduction to the lifestyle of this community, Peter Weir offers us quite an insightful assessment of a pacifist, technology free, society trying to live cheek by jowl with the relentless march pf progress and the teasing intolerance of their occasionally provocative neighbours. That they are wholly underprepared for what is coming when the location of the young lad is discovered, is an understatement - and this adds a great deal to the edginess of this thriller, as does the cunning game of cat and mouse amongst the grain silos at the end. There's romance too - as "Book" gradually
Read the whole review on TMDB - Filipe Manuel Netoon TMDB · Jun 20248/10
**An action film mixed with a guided tour of an Amish community.** Here in Portugal, there are few religions other than the Catholic Church and there are no Amish, Mennonite or similar communities. Therefore, this curious religious community is an object of fascination for me and also of renunciation: to explain further, I radically disagree with their religious conceptions, I would never be part of such a religious congregation and, however, I find it fascinating, in today's world, the idea of trying to have a simpler life, without excessive technology and in greater harmony with the natural rhythm. It would be a lifestyle that I wouldn't mind trying, even though I knew I would have difficulty adapting and living without access to the technologies that I work and entertain myself with. In this film, we follow a police officer who, upon discovering a case of corruption in the ranks, finds himself on the verge of having to disappear to avoid being killed and to protect the only witness to a crime in which another police officer was murdered: an Amish boy who lives with his mother, a widow, and his maternal grandfather, in an isolated rural area that is not very receptive to visits
Read the whole review on TMDB - GenerationofSwineon TMDB · Jan 202310/10
My Fiance is a Millennial and I've been trying to get her and her friends to watch some classic films. Some, Taxi Driver, Chinatown, The Godfather, Godfellas, The Princess Bride, Blazing Saddles were epic fails for a variety of reasons. Witness actually stood the Millennial taste test for some reason, and this is significant because it is really hard to get them to watch or listen to anything that is older than 4 years. That says something, I'm not sure what, but it was a film that they actually sat through. It is also one of the tightest scripts Hollywood has produced, which is saying something since it was released in 1985 following almost a decade of the best movies that Hollywood has ever produced. It's pure story, and that story is backed up with acting and directing making for a beautiful picture all around.
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Cast
- Harrison FordJohn Book
- Kelly McGillisRachel
- Josef SommerSchaeffer
- Lukas HaasSamuel
- Jan RubešEli Lapp
- Alexander GodunovDaniel Hochleitner
- Danny GloverMcFee
- Brent JenningsCarter
- Patti LuPoneElaine
- Angus MacInnesFergie
Crew
- Peter WeirDirector
- Earl W. WallaceScreenplay
- William KelleyScreenplay
- John SealeDirector of Photography
- Maurice JarreOriginal Music Composer
- Thom NobleEditor
- Edward S. FeldmanProducer
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Often watched with
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