Review of Witness (1985) by Daniel K — 10 Oct 2007

"Witness" is the story of policeman John Book, who becomes involved in a murder case where an Amish boy is the sole witness. The film features striking scenes and a score that I found enjoyable even though it frequently had synthesizers in it.

Harrison Ford is well-suited to the role of John Book, a tough policeman foreign to Amish ways. Kelly McGillis is likewise memorable as Rachel Lapp, the mother of Samuel Lapp, who is well-played by a young Lukas Haas. Danny Glover gives a fine performance as James McFee even though he has few scenes and Josef Sommer was excellent as Paul Schaeffer.

There are three elements to the story of "Witness". The first is the crime story developed after the murder takes place. The crime story itself is nothing particularly novel, but it is well-developed with tension and propelled by an interesting early twist. After the conflict is developed, the film shelves the crime story in order to develop its two other elements. Specifically, the crime story is put on hold when John Book must hide in the Amish community to avoid the murderers.

A love story is developed between Ford and McGillis which is effective and convincing and leads to great moments like the dance scene. The last element of the story is the integration of John Book, a city dweller, into Amish life while he hides. While this leads to some interesting moments like the confrontation in town and also some amusing ones, it also drags the story down at points, especially the "barn-raising" scene. Toward the end the crime story is phased back in with an inevitable showdown. This portion of the film was well-done and the film's ending was satisfactory.

Ultimately, though, the crime story and thriller elements could have been better developed to make the film more interesting. Viewers looking for an out-and-out crime thriller will doubtless find "Witness" boring. This movie isn't a mystery film and has a long stretch with no thrills. However, the film has other elements that help keep the film mostly interesting despite the lack of developments in the crime story.