Peter Weir's film about culture clash and an a mediation of violence in some of the most dangerous cities in America has culminated into a exciting, original, and even, powerful movie that I think is one of the most entertaining thrillers of the 1980's. That movie is, of course, Witness.
Harrison Ford plays a Philadelphia police detective who's assigned to investigate an murder witnessed by a 8 year old Amish boy. In the beginning of the movie, the little kid and his Amish mother, (Kelly McGillis), is on their way to visit the mother's sister in Philadelphia. Once the little boy witnessed and identified the person who's responsible for the murder of a policeman inside the train station's bathroom, Ford realizes that the boy and his mother are in danger of those who do know about the murder. After a short shootout inside a parking garage, Ford is forced to live among the Amish community in order to protect the boy and his mother. Soon enough, he starts to become one of them as he, at one point during the movie, raised a barn and even is greeted more kindly to the locals. But, it isn't long before the bad guys show up to interfere with Ford's relationship with the Amish locals.
The movie tells two stories. One is the murder story involving the little kid, which I mentioned above, and the other is a story of forbidden love. Ford and McGillis begins to show affections for the two of them and realized that their love for one another is banned due the Amish standards in the community. The most interesting scene that I like a lot is when, after Ford's character watches Gillis' character bathes alone and is surprised to see him, watching her, the two run into each other arms, confessing their love. Now, some people might think that this scene is corny. But, to tell you the truth, it is not. Their romance is very effective in this very well-told story.
Witness is one of the best thrillers, I think, of the 1980's. This is the kind of movie that Alfred Hitchcock would to make if he was still alive. Harrison Ford really does bring all his has into this movie. I was very impressed by how Ford was able to channel his action hero stardom into a more human character. His performance as John Book earned Ford his first and only Oscar nomination. He really deserved the nomination and it would've been something if he did win. Kelly McGillis is also riveting as the little boy's mother. Many people might think of her as a very sensitive person, when in doubt, her character really wants to break out of her culture and into the open world where she wouldn't have to follow in the local standards.
I also want to give credit to some of the other actors involved in this movie, including Danny Glover, who plays one of the cops that is involved in the murder and Lukas Haas as the little kid. Haas is, like Ford and McGillis, really does a very good job of portraying Samuel as a kid who's not like any other child actor that I ever saw. I believed him as Samuel from the moment we see him at the Philadelphia train station in the beginning of the movie. We can't really take our eyes off this character and either the other two mentioned above, but that what makes Witness all the more enjoyable. This is a great thriller. See it if you haven't seen it already. ★★★★ 4 stars.
Harrison Ford plays a Philadelphia police detective who's assigned to investigate an murder witnessed by a 8 year old Amish boy. In the beginning of the movie, the little kid and his Amish mother, (Kelly McGillis), is on their way to visit the mother's sister in Philadelphia. Once the little boy witnessed and identified the person who's responsible for the murder of a policeman inside the train station's bathroom, Ford realizes that the boy and his mother are in danger of those who do know about the murder. After a short shootout inside a parking garage, Ford is forced to live among the Amish community in order to protect the boy and his mother. Soon enough, he starts to become one of them as he, at one point during the movie, raised a barn and even is greeted more kindly to the locals. But, it isn't long before the bad guys show up to interfere with Ford's relationship with the Amish locals.
The movie tells two stories. One is the murder story involving the little kid, which I mentioned above, and the other is a story of forbidden love. Ford and McGillis begins to show affections for the two of them and realized that their love for one another is banned due the Amish standards in the community. The most interesting scene that I like a lot is when, after Ford's character watches Gillis' character bathes alone and is surprised to see him, watching her, the two run into each other arms, confessing their love. Now, some people might think that this scene is corny. But, to tell you the truth, it is not. Their romance is very effective in this very well-told story.
Witness is one of the best thrillers, I think, of the 1980's. This is the kind of movie that Alfred Hitchcock would to make if he was still alive. Harrison Ford really does bring all his has into this movie. I was very impressed by how Ford was able to channel his action hero stardom into a more human character. His performance as John Book earned Ford his first and only Oscar nomination. He really deserved the nomination and it would've been something if he did win. Kelly McGillis is also riveting as the little boy's mother. Many people might think of her as a very sensitive person, when in doubt, her character really wants to break out of her culture and into the open world where she wouldn't have to follow in the local standards.
I also want to give credit to some of the other actors involved in this movie, including Danny Glover, who plays one of the cops that is involved in the murder and Lukas Haas as the little kid. Haas is, like Ford and McGillis, really does a very good job of portraying Samuel as a kid who's not like any other child actor that I ever saw. I believed him as Samuel from the moment we see him at the Philadelphia train station in the beginning of the movie. We can't really take our eyes off this character and either the other two mentioned above, but that what makes Witness all the more enjoyable. This is a great thriller. See it if you haven't seen it already. ★★★★ 4 stars.