Witness by Peter Weir: Representation of Ideas, Cinematic Techniques and Inclusion of Themes
The film ‘Witness’ by Peter Weir is made memorable through the representation of ideas through the cinematic techniques and inclusion of themes throughout the film. These ideas are represented through the use of camera angles, dialogue and Mise en scene.
The theme of the clashes of two cultures is initially displayed through the use of camera angles and the ideas presented highlight the interactions between these two cultures. The horse and buggy scene is the first representation of a clash in the cultures, the close up of the buggy closely followed by the panning out, illustrates the size of the buggy compared to the tailgating truck. The simplicity of the buggy compared to the truck signifies the Amish cultures way of life compared to that of the ‘English’ as being portrayed as oversized and complex. This portrayal challenges the viewers thought process into thinking the Amish society are a minority within the twentieth century urban American society.
The use of an overhead camera angle when Samuel Lapp is at the train station looking at the bronze statue mixed with the non-diagetic music adds to his confusion and amazement at the unfamiliar surroundings. Similarly, this also suggests that the Amish are a minority through the comparison of size between Samuel and the statue.
Weirs portrayal of the urban ‘Happy Valley’ compared to that of the rural Amish ‘Happy Valley’ was effectively conveyed through a Mise en scene. In the opening sequence of the film, Weir portrays the Amish happy valley as a grassy green natural filed, sun lit, dry clean and untouched, through this the idea that that the Amish culture is pure and un-westernised is put forward. ‘The Happy Valley pub scene’ is where Weir effectively contrasts the two cultures happy valleys and additionally the theme of masculinity is also present. The urban American ‘Happy Valley’ is displayed as an artificially lit, dirty, wet, dark pub. This highlights the difference in opinion between each cultures
The theme of the clashes of two cultures is initially displayed through the use of camera angles and the ideas presented highlight the interactions between these two cultures. The horse and buggy scene is the first representation of a clash in the cultures, the close up of the buggy closely followed by the panning out, illustrates the size of the buggy compared to the tailgating truck. The simplicity of the buggy compared to the truck signifies the Amish cultures way of life compared to that of the ‘English’ as being portrayed as oversized and complex. This portrayal challenges the viewers thought process into thinking the Amish society are a minority within the twentieth century urban American society.
The use of an overhead camera angle when Samuel Lapp is at the train station looking at the bronze statue mixed with the non-diagetic music adds to his confusion and amazement at the unfamiliar surroundings. Similarly, this also suggests that the Amish are a minority through the comparison of size between Samuel and the statue.
Weirs portrayal of the urban ‘Happy Valley’ compared to that of the rural Amish ‘Happy Valley’ was effectively conveyed through a Mise en scene. In the opening sequence of the film, Weir portrays the Amish happy valley as a grassy green natural filed, sun lit, dry clean and untouched, through this the idea that that the Amish culture is pure and un-westernised is put forward. ‘The Happy Valley pub scene’ is where Weir effectively contrasts the two cultures happy valleys and additionally the theme of masculinity is also present. The urban American ‘Happy Valley’ is displayed as an artificially lit, dirty, wet, dark pub. This highlights the difference in opinion between each cultures