Witness

Now that I have a Netflix.com subscription I am able to go back and find those elusive movies that not only action and drama, but also contained an indefinable element that seems to be severely lacking from today’s lackluster movies. Witness is one of those movies that with some excellent performances manages to tell a convincing story while not being over the top

Living in South New Jersey, I have been one of those ‘tourists’ who have marveled at the simple and hard lifestyle of the Amish community. I was therefore very intrigued to find a movie which combined modern day Phildapelphia, with crime and murder very prevalent, with a more sedate and innocent lifestyle – the potential entwining of the two seemingly an oxi-moron.

Witness, starts of at a funeral; we are introduced to two main characters as we share their grief, and see the simple and profound way in which the community surrounds them with love and help. Rachel Lippis (Kelly McGillis) and her son Samuel, having lost their husband and father decide to leave the community for a while and visit Rachel’s sister in Baltimore. The journey includes a trip through Philadelphia. While waiting for a delayed train, they are both suddenly catapulted into the harsh reality of modern life. Samuel witnesses a murder in the bathroom, and despite the fear and anxiety of the ordeal manages to avoid the perpetrator.

John Book (Harrison Ford) arrives on the scene and immediately takes charge. He takes the two Amish on a whirlwind tour of the area looking for the suspect, delving into some of the depravity of modern life. The fear of the mother and son is palpable, and their initiation into modern day society is not a good one. Suddenly John’s world is turned upside down as it turns out that the murderer is a decorated officer, and furthermore his superior officer is also involved. The result of this is that John is shot, and flees to Amish country with mother and son. The Amish society suddenly becomes embroiled in the drama as they nurse John back to health and he becomes entrenched in Amish society.

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