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Amazon.co.uk Review
When Samuel (Lukas Haas), a young Amish boy travelling with his mother Rachel (Kelly McGillis), witnesses the murder of a police officer in a public restroom, he and his mother become the temporary wards of John Book (Harrison Ford), a detective who's been assigned to solve the crime. After suspect line-ups and mug-shot books yield nothing, Samuel, in the most memorable scene of the film, recognizes the murderer as a narcotics agent whose picture he sees in the precinct. Once Book realizes that the police chief is in on it, too, he whisks Samuel and Rachel back home to Amish country, where he himself goes into hiding as a plain Amish man. Witness' juxtaposition of the life of the Amish and the violence of inner-city police corruption work surprisingly well for the story, and Kelly McGillis as the falling in love widow gives an almost perfect performance. Directed by Peter Weir, the film is extremely successful in drawing the viewer into its world and, accordingly, is immensely entertaining. The only thing that mars its polish is the one-dimensional, almost cartoonish handling of the upper-echelon police corruption--a subtler, more realistic treatment of this aspect of the story would have rendered the film near perfect. --James McGrath, Amazon.com
Special Features
1.78 Anamorphic Wide Screen
DVD 9
Czech\French\German\Italian\Polish\Spanish
English
English
Region 2
Dolby Digital 5.1 English\Dolby Digital Surround Czech French German Italian\Dolby Digital Mono Polish Spanish
Dolby Digital 5.1
Dolby Digital Surround
Dolby Digital Mono
Theatrical Trailer
Interview With Peter Weir
Croatian\Danish\Dutch\English\Finnish\French\German\Hungarian\Italian\Norwegian\Portuguese\Spanish\Swedish\Turkish
DVD 9
Czech\French\German\Italian\Polish\Spanish
English
English
Region 2
Dolby Digital 5.1 English\Dolby Digital Surround Czech French German Italian\Dolby Digital Mono Polish Spanish
Dolby Digital 5.1
Dolby Digital Surround
Dolby Digital Mono
Theatrical Trailer
Interview With Peter Weir
Croatian\Danish\Dutch\English\Finnish\French\German\Hungarian\Italian\Norwegian\Portuguese\Spanish\Swedish\Turkish
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
31 of 32 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
If you ever had doubts as to why Peter Weir is regarded as one of the finest directors working today, then watch this film. On any level, this is the way movies should be made. A career-best performance from Harrison Ford, ably supported by beautifully pitched performances from everyone else, especially the wonderful Lukas Haas as Samuel, the young Amish witness Ford is assigned to protect, and Kelly McGillis as his mother. I've seen thise film so many times and yet it never fails to draw me into its simple but brilliant world. Like Eastwood's UNFORGIVEN, WITNESS is the perfect blend of genre and something more interesting, where we are drawn into the familiar (murder, police investigation etc) only to then divert, dramatically into less familiar (or in this case, uncharted) territory. And like any great story, it's the collision of these two worlds and the way the characters react (especially Ford and McGillis) that elevates this material into the extraordinary. Mainstream cinema at its absolute best. I rememeber when the movie came out the posters ran the tagline "Harrison Ford is John Book". For me he always will be.
17 of 18 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
Witness is the sort of timeless offering that we rarely see these days. Brilliant acting, haunting soundtrack and tight directing put this in my top 5 anytime. The measure of any film is disappointment that it has come to an end and a feeling that you could see it again and again. I must have seen this film over a dozen times and, like a comfortable old friend, it never disappoints. I cannot think that any modern blockbuster star can have given a performance better than Harrison Ford's in this film. What makes it outstanding is the excellence around him - Jan Rubes as Eli Lapp, Kelly McGillis, Lukas Haas, Josef Sommer et al. The barn building scene is worth the price alone.
I managed to find the farm during a holiday in the US in 1996 and it evokes such memories of the film when you see it. The first thing I did when I got home was to put the video on to make sure sure it was the farm - it was!
You note at the end of the credits there are the words "In Memory of Tom Scott". Tom was one of the location casters for the film - a more fitting epitaph than this film could not befall many men!
12 of 13 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
I think the interface between Harrison Ford and Kelly McG has been described as the 'most sensual piece of film ever made - where no-one even takes their clothes off'. The eye contact, the desire, transmitted between these two, especially in the scene where the community is building the barn, has never been surpassed. The atmosphere is enhanced by the incredible, much underrated music - the theme tune is powerful and haunting. I own the music CD and play it frequently. Perhaps it was a pity that the music was played on synthetic equipment rather than by an orchestra
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
A true classic
Intrigue, suspense, conspiracy, corruption, romance, lust, action, thrills, twists, this film has it all. Read more
Published 9 days ago by David P
Wonderful film
In my opinion, this is both Peter Weir's and Harrison Ford's finest achievement. It's a simple story, beautifully unfolding with quite exquisite photography and wonderful, haunting... Read more
Published 1 month ago by Lucky Pierre
Just great movie
I saw this movie first time in the late 80s, and now I had surprisingly pleasant review. even it`s a pretty old movie with Harrison Ford, it`s still very entertaining. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Knut Langholm
DVD review
One of Harrison Ford's better films.
A great suspense thriller.
I learned a lot about the Amish community that I never knew. Read more
A great suspense thriller.
I learned a lot about the Amish community that I never knew. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Mrs. M. M. Stones
Witness
I love this film.
I was raised in Pennsylvania near the Amish, and this film is very nostalgic for me. Read more
I was raised in Pennsylvania near the Amish, and this film is very nostalgic for me. Read more
Published 6 months ago by Gladys L. Cotton
is harrison ford getting past it?
witness does not do justice to harrison ford's long history of excellent acting in the best films on the market since dvds became available. Read more
Published 6 months ago by Mrs. M. S. Morris
Light and dark
I love this film and have watched it many times. There are so many good things about it, the story, the music, the perfect casting and acting, the humour, the locations, all of... Read more
Published 8 months ago by Constant Reader
A Classic
Australian directer Peter Weir does a fantastic job in directing this classic movie, which has a mixture of a thriller and a romance story. Read more
Published 11 months ago by Mrs. Marilyn A. Rice
witness movie
Have always loved this movie and just had a taped from the tv version of it which was not very good quality so when i saw this dvd i was really pleased. Read more
Published 16 months ago by susan
My Selection
Great Story with very good acting and really good thyme music throughout.
I think all Harrison Ford film are usually of a high standard. Read more
I think all Harrison Ford film are usually of a high standard. Read more
Published 17 months ago by Frank
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