Scenes We Love: Witness
Filed under: Action, Drama, Romance, Mystery & Suspense, Scenes We Love
Witness is one of my all time favorite films. It's not only one of the best crime thrillers this side of L.A. Confidential, it's one of the most original. A cop who is forced to hide in a closed Amish community? It had the potential to be a farce, but it's intelligent and sensitively handled by Peter Weir. It's also achingly romantic, beautifully shot, surprisingly funny, and a fascinating glimpse into a world few knew much about. Even today, most people outside of the Midwest have gleaned their knowledge of the Amish communities from Witness.
There's not many scenes of it available on YouTube. I'd love to post the scene where Kelly McGillis' Rachel decides to let her hair down (almost literally -- she abandons her starched cap) and meets Harrison Ford in a twilight cornfield. Or the brusque "time for milking!" lesson where city boy Book regrets ever volunteering for morning chores. But this scene well ... it's the one you probably remember most. It begins at 1:05. (For some reason, someone has mashed two unrelated scenes together to prove a political point.) Watch for a baby Viggo Mortensen in the background, this film was his big screen debut.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
3-05-2009 @ 7:22PM
Julie said...
You know how much I love this movie...So many great scenes and baby Viggo is adorable. Great film thanks for sharing the memories.
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3-05-2009 @ 7:39PM
Bill said...
My favorite scene is the barn building scene. This is such a great film, so many great scenes. The scene in the silo with the corn. The touching goodbye between Samuel and John. I need to go watch this movie again!!
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3-06-2009 @ 9:11AM
John Heltsley said...
This was such a great movie from top to bottom. The ice cream scene you showed was great, barn-building was great too, but for me my favorite scene will always be when Ford is trying to fix the car with McGillis, and he gets the radio going, and he dances/sings to Sam Cooke's "Wonderful World".
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3-06-2009 @ 10:40AM
Kevin said...
Fantastic film. It always made me wish that Ford would've taken more chances with his roles when he was younger. He generally played it safe, and while I can understand why he would, I always felt like he could've gone down in history as a really great actor instead of just a movie star.
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3-07-2009 @ 6:48PM
Jon said...
The best scene is at the police station when the child points to the photo of Danny Glover.....and then Harrison knows he is in a world of trouble
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3-25-2009 @ 4:26AM
Becky said...
A superb storyline from beginning to end, this fascinating film is more than the many wonderful scenes many have mentioned here.
This film's masterful soundtrack is beautifully executed and artistically compliments a rare look into a simple, if microcosmic world, and how that unique group looks upon the greater world it's people live in, separate and apart -- and how they respond to a unique challenge; being faced with the obligation of following their simple, gentle and separatist way of life when confronted with the ethical dilemma that that leads them ultimately (if reluctantly) to the awkward mixing of those two worlds, fated by their own faith, creeds, and way of life.
Superb direction and casting. After more than two decades, this film withstands the test of time, weaving a story that could easily be as applicable in the present day. Time has not dimmed the brilliant suspense and sense of discovery this film abounds with.
Standout performances from both the main cast and the supporting roles as well, excellently paced and nurtured by the exceptional direction of famed director Peter Weir.
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