Summary Of The Film 'Witness' By Peter Weir

"Witness" is a thriller, which was directed by Peter Weir and released in 1985. The film centres around the Amish community who live in Pennsylvania, and a young Amish boy, Samuel, and his widowed mother, Rachel, who are caught up in the clash between two very different worlds. One world is the modern, American, consumerist world, focused on money, property and individual success, and the other is the contrasting world of the Amish which is focused on serving their community. This clash between the two worlds is represented through many different ideas, images and techniques. Some of the main themes are the clash between pacifist attitudes and violence; the opposing attitudes of the ideals of individualism and community spirit; and of innocence versus corruption.

The Amish world is introduced at the very start of the film where the opening visual fades in to reveal a long shot showing the landscape. There is no use of artificial lighting but merely the natural sunlight of an early morning. This suggests the plain, simplistic traditions of the Amish community. The mystical music complements the scene and the words "Pennsylvania 1984" are surprising as the viewer might expect a much earlier date. The idea of two worlds is introduced by this and is also symbolized by the division of the scene into top half of the
sky and the bottom half of the grass. The crossing of the two worlds is portrayed by the Amish moving through the frame from right to left through the grass. This is an unusual technique and symbolizes a different society as usually most movement is from left to right.

A scene later in the film demonstrates different attitudes towards violence in the two worlds. This is where Samuel finds Book's gun in a drawer. Samuel is startled when John enters and yells, 'Don't move". John empties the bullets from the chamber and tells Samuel a loaded gun is very dangerous. When Rachel enters, a close up of her face emphasizes her concern when she sees Samuel playing with the gun, and, not knowing that it is now harmless, takes it from him holding it distastefully by the butt. The Amish believe it is wrong to take the life of others under any circumstance and it is only for God to do so. Eli talks to Samuel and quotes from the Bible a verse which gives a commandment which he wants Samuel to obey. Eli asks Samuel if he would kill a man and Samuel replies that he 'would only kill a bad man' and Eli realizes that Samuel has been tainted by his exposure to evil. In this scene simple camera shots and angles portray the seriousness of the scene, and a sound of distant thunder suggests danger to come. In this sequence Weir uses the visual metaphor of a child's hands on Books gun. Samuel's hands suggest purity while the gun is a symbol of Book's violent world. Book believes his gun is for the greater good and uses it to protect the innocent and to fight evil.

Another example of the different attitudes towards conflict in the two worlds is the scene in which a group of hoodlums tease a group of Amish with ice cream.
When Book confronts them, Eli says "but it's not our way" and Book replies, "but it's my way". Weir uses a tracking shot as Book gets out of the carriage and approaches the gang which places the viewer behind him and gives the Amish perspective of the violence to come. Then Weir cuts to the front to give a close up of Book's angry face. A low angle shot is used on Book to show him dominating the hoodlum and breaking his nose. Throughout the film red blood is symbolic of the brutality of Book's
world.

An episode in the film in which other aspects of the conflict between the Amish world and Book's world are evident, is the scene where Rachel assists Book as he fixes his car. The barn represents the Amish world and the car parked inside it, the outside world. This scene is lit by a dim lamplight and the cars headlights, helping to create a romantic mood. The constant close-ups show the eye contact and sexual tension between Book and Rachel. When the radio comes alive, a 1960's hit 'Wonderful World' starts playing. Book whisks Rachel away to dance and the words that are sung tell of a man loving a woman, very much as in their own situation. Clearly they have both developed an attraction for each other. In this scene Rachel discards her bonnet, which symbolizes her discarding the strict Amish rules. Rachel gets drawn into the modern world through the dancing and the music, and, as their bodies get closer, Book resists the temptation of kissing her. When Eli enters, the sexual tension is replaced with the tension of anger, shown by a close up of Rachel's face. After Rachel storms out, Eli follows her. Rapid camera shots are used to show the tension between Eli and Rachel as Eli warns Rachel that she may be shunned. The viewers see Eli from Rachel's perspective, his pale face contrasted with the darkness of the night. A mid-shot is used to show Rachel as she walks away and says, 'You shame yourself' to Eli. Rachel is now starting to rebel and act as an individual rather than as a member of the Amish community, who always work together as a group. This implies that she is not only walking away from Eli, but also from the Amish and their values.

This scene is followed by one of the Amish working together to build a barn. Jarre's music in this scene is crucial as it gives a strong feeling of the community working together in harmony. It contrasts with Book's world and lets the audience see positive aspects of the Amish world. Both sexes have their individual roles and the natural light of the bright sun and the blue sky relates to the natural world. There is little dialogue in this scene to allow action alone to define its mood. Low angle shots are used to show the building of the barn and also to highlight the difficulty of the undertaking. Daniel and Book have put aside their differences and are working together as a team.

Throughout this movie, Book knows that he must leave the Amish community just as he found it, and that the two worlds can never be truly reconciled. He mends the birdhouse pole and rejects Rachel, even though he is attracted to her by stating, "If we'd made love last night I'd have to stay or you would have to leave." In reality there was never any choice because there were too many differences between both worlds. In Rachel's world the Amish have pacifist attitudes, work together for the common good and are innocent of the corruption of the modern world. In Book's world there is violence and corruption, but also the possibility to be an individual.

It is through developing these ideas in the story and by the use of symbolism, lighting, music and camera angles, that Peter Weir successfully depicts the clash between two very different worlds.