Witness (1985)

For a Peter Weir film, I was very disappointed, and I’m tempted to give it a lower rating, but I’m staying with this one because it’s Peter Weir, an intelligent man who usually makes intelligent films, and I’m probably missing something. Like most Weir films, this one is about a man who is unhappy with his life, who steps out in search of a new and better way to live. Unfortunately, in this story, nobody really changes. The pace is a bit slow, the climax is weak (no idea why he didn’t just shoot Ford), and by the end, there are a few loose ends (what happens to everyone?) and the resolution just doesn’t seem to matter much to anyone. An insightful look at Amish life, though.

Another collaboration between Weir and Ford. Ford’s got such an interesting face. His scared, tortured action face is the key to his success. We love him because he’s such a vulnerable weakling, not a superhero. It was fun seeing him as a carpenter because he wasn’t really acting, it’s something he really knew how to do. It was nice seeing McGillis again. The kid was great. Hochleitner looked a bit like Christopher Lambert (same fierceness in the eyes, goofy body). No very deep performances.

The music’s got a great bassline. Unfortunately, it’s not used often enough to give the film a theme and what IS used is ruined by cheesy, airy, Bladerunner-ish 80’s synthesizer. I think the film would have really benefited with a unifying score with more down-to-earth instruments, perhaps strings or traditional Amish music (if there is such a thing).