Review of Witness (1985) by Rocknblues 8 — 22 Feb 2014

Pretty good film. I have to admit that I was expecting more a big city cop type movie, but after the opening few minutes it shifts into more of a romantic thriller movie that moves out to Amish country as our hero John Book looks for a place to hide after taking a bullet from one of the corrupt officers that happens to be involved in the case John was working on.

The goal is to recover and protect the Amish woman and her son (who witnessed the murder that Book was working on) but Book and the young Amish woman Rachel take a liking to another, which is not appreciated by the Amish Community since John is not only an outsider, but also a man who "kills other people".

Previously, Ford was known for being a one dimensional action star, but here he gets a script that allows him to dive into a more deeper character. While recovering he makes his best efforts to fit in with the locals, while also resisting the urge go all the way with Rachel because he knows that they have no future together. The Amish lifestyle does not allow these two people to have a relationship, and John obviously feels that Rachel would be unable to adapt to the big city life. So, John can't stay and Rachel can't go. So you know how this love story is ending...

The ending feels a bit on the predictable side, but the strength of the movie is the script, the cinematography and the top notch performances. The romance and the "fish out of water" culture clash elements feel fresh since the Amish culture is rarely explored in films. Harrison Ford also gives one of the top 3 performances of his career.