Witness Study Guide
Article on Witness by Rosemary O’Shea
Area of Study 2 Context: Exploring Issues of Identity and Belonging
Article by Rosemary O’Shea WITNESS Director Peter Weir INTRODUCTION
Peter Weir is an Australian director whose films are internationally renowned. In Gallipoli (1981), The Year of Living Dangerously (1982), The Mosquito Coast (1986) and Dead Poets Society (1989), he has created films that deal with groups under pressure. In Witness (1985) he provides the film audience with a window onto the world of the Amish in America. An Anabaptist Christian denomination particular to North America, the Amish are a devout, peaceful people. They keep themselves separate from the rest of society, believing that worldliness in the form of such modern developments as cars, tractors, electricity and telephones will distract them from devotion to God and living a simple life. Predominantly farmers, the Amish preserve traditional ways, wear plain, old-fashioned clothing and have a strong, supportive community spirit. This unites them and creates an intense sense of belonging.
Identity and Belonging in Witness
Witness presents two contrasting worlds to viewers – gentle Amish farm life and the seedy world of big city crime and crime fighters. Weir’s film explores what it means to belong to these groups. He shows the moral certainty and strong bonds that come from belonging to a group which is different from the mainstream, as if this separation helps people achieve clarity about who they really are. A personal sense of self may be at odds with others’ opinions of you. People make judgements based on other people’s appearance and the groups they belong to. These stereotypes can be inaccurate and simplistic. In Witness, this is exemplified by the tourists’ amusement at the Amish. It is depicted also through the characters of Schaeffer and McFee, for whom being senior police officials provides an effective mask for their real identities as corrupt officers.
Insight English
Area of Study 2 Context: Exploring Issues of Identity and Belonging
Article by Rosemary O’Shea WITNESS Director Peter Weir INTRODUCTION
Peter Weir is an Australian director whose films are internationally renowned. In Gallipoli (1981), The Year of Living Dangerously (1982), The Mosquito Coast (1986) and Dead Poets Society (1989), he has created films that deal with groups under pressure. In Witness (1985) he provides the film audience with a window onto the world of the Amish in America. An Anabaptist Christian denomination particular to North America, the Amish are a devout, peaceful people. They keep themselves separate from the rest of society, believing that worldliness in the form of such modern developments as cars, tractors, electricity and telephones will distract them from devotion to God and living a simple life. Predominantly farmers, the Amish preserve traditional ways, wear plain, old-fashioned clothing and have a strong, supportive community spirit. This unites them and creates an intense sense of belonging.
Identity and Belonging in Witness
Witness presents two contrasting worlds to viewers – gentle Amish farm life and the seedy world of big city crime and crime fighters. Weir’s film explores what it means to belong to these groups. He shows the moral certainty and strong bonds that come from belonging to a group which is different from the mainstream, as if this separation helps people achieve clarity about who they really are. A personal sense of self may be at odds with others’ opinions of you. People make judgements based on other people’s appearance and the groups they belong to. These stereotypes can be inaccurate and simplistic. In Witness, this is exemplified by the tourists’ amusement at the Amish. It is depicted also through the characters of Schaeffer and McFee, for whom being senior police officials provides an effective mask for their real identities as corrupt officers.
Insight English