Witness

Summary

“I know you asshole!”

Released in 1985, Witness was a Paramount picture starring Harrison Ford, Kelly McGillis, Danny Glover, and a young Lucas Haas. The film was a critical and commercial success which was nominated for eight academy awards. Witness won Oscars for Best Screenplay and Best Editing. Made for roughly twelve million dollars, Witness did over sixty eight million dollars at the worldwide box office. The film has maintained a solid reputation for being both a well thought out thriller and a very convincing romance. I had not seen Witness in a number of years, and was happy to revisit it the other night on Arrow Video’s new 4K UHD release.

A small community of Amish folks living in Pennsylvania in 1984 gather in a church. They are putting to rest Jacob Lapp. Jacob was Rachel’s husband, Eli’s son, and young Samuel’s father. The congregation weeps for the deceased. Family friend Daniel (Alexander Godunov) tells Rachel (Kelly McGillis) that he is sorry for her loss. Daniel sees Rachel and Samuel (Lucas Haas) off when they hop a train which takes them towards Baltimore to visit some other family members. Their connecting train is delayed in Philadelphia so Rachel and Samuel must wait at the train station. Samuel asks his mother if he can go to the restroom. Entering the restroom Samuel sees a man washing his face. Two men enter and after signaling to each other they put a shirt over the man’s head before slitting his throat. Samuel witnesses everything that occurs through the crack in the bathroom door. The men grab something out of the dead man’s pockets. They hear Samuel, but he manages to avoid detection. He gets a good look at one of the killers (Danny Glover.) Arriving at the crime scene, police officer John Book (Harrison Ford) speaks with Samuel. He lets Samuel know that the man who was murdered was an undercover policeman. Samuel explains that the killer was black skinned and tall. After they fail to find the suspect through their normal channels, John has Samuel and Rachel stay overnight at his sister Elaine’s house. The next day, none of the men in the lineup shown to Samuel are the killer. John takes the mother and son to lunch. Rachel probes John about his lack of children and his dedication to the job. They have different priorities in their lives, and John is consumed by his vocation. At the police station, Samuel recognizes the killer in a newspaper article he sees inside of a glass case. The killer he saw is decorated Narcotics Officer McFee. John walks over to Samuel as he points towards the article. John speaks with his boss, Schaefer (Josef Sommer,) about McFee. Four years earlier McFee had completed a drug raid where millions of dollars of hard narcotics went missing. Shaefer asks John where Samuel is and who else knows. John explains that only they know about it for now and that the boy is safe. John wants an FBI team to watch McFee. That night, McFee and his accomplice attempt to kill John in a parking garage. John is wounded with a gunshot. McFee and the otehr assailant flee. John realizes his boss must be in on it with him. John calls his partner Carter (Brent Jennings) and asks him to hide the information on the case from within the station. John borrows Eileen’s car and heads into the Amish countryside with Rachel and Samuel. John tries to drop them off and drive away, but he passes out from the blood loss caused by his injury. The Amish community hides John away and take care of his injuries. In order to protect Rachel and Samuel and hide out, John must blend in with the Amish. Meanwhile, Schaefer and the killers begin their search.

Witness was nominated in many of the key awards by the Academy. John Seale’s cinematography, Peter Weir’s direction, and Harrison Ford’s acting all received nominations. The film also was nominated for Best Picture. While it did not win those awards, those nominations are a good indicator of the overall quality of the film. The film’s pacing, caused by the Oscar winning editing, gives the script the breathing room that it needs to allow the quiet life of the Amish to resonate with the viewer. While the film is a thriller, it is also a very convincing romance. The script by Pamela and Earl Wallace with William Kelley is a class act. The writing allows the characters to act in beleiveable ways. Nothing is over the top in how Rachel or John act towards one another. They behave like adults. The script doesn’t pander to its audience by keeping the romance only skindeep. It aims for a deeper connection than most romances allow and is all the better for it. Luckily, the thriller aspect is a success as well, with a solid climax.

Harrison Ford is inspired casting for the role of John. Ford has the grit and street smarts you would expect from a police officer from Philadelphia, but Ford also was an accomplished carpenter before he became an actor full time. That carpenter background comes into play when John tries to blend in with the hard working Amish community. Harrison Ford remains a bankable lead actor to this day, but his leading man period in the Eighties and Nineties showed off his everyman charisma in a way that has been hard to recreate in the 21st century. Part of the reason why this is the case is that the scripts were simply better. Actors need good material, and when given something solid to work with, Ford can really make his mark on a picture. Witness benefits from a great actor receiving direction from an excellent director. Kelly McGillis is well cast as Rachel. The next year she starred in her career defining role in Top Gun. She has solid chemistry with her co-star. Danny Glover is great as McFee. Josef Sommer is enjoyable as Schaeffer. I enjoyed seeing Alexander Godunov, who is best known for his role in Die Hard, in the film as Rachel’s supportive friend Daniel. One of the best performances in the film belongs to Lucas Haas  as Samuel. Child actors often fail to convince, but Haas nails the role of Samuel.

The film’s music by Maurice Jarre reminded me a little of some of Vangelis’s work. I liked it. The cinematography by John Seale is solid. It is not extremely showy, while still highlighting the simple beauty of the Amish community. I also liked the way that the urban sequences were filmed. The script of the film is well written, but the film could have been made into something forgettable or worse without the care put into the film by Peter Weir. Peter Weir proved himself time and again as an exceptional director over the course of his career. His handling of Witness is a good indicator of his skill level. Overall, Witness was acclaimed upon its release for good reason. It is a well made romance and thriller that holds up nearly forty years after its release. Recommended.

Video

Presented in Native 4K in an aspect ratio of 1.85:1, Witness looks great in Arrow’s new UHD presentation. John Seale’s cinematography is solid. It is not a truly beautiful film set in the countryside like Days of Heaven, aiming for a more restrained visual look. I really enjoyed the way in which the sequences in Philadelphia were shot. Grain is extremely well resolved and the HDR brings out the very best in the film’s color palette. Overall, this is an attractive UHD upgrade. I would definitely recommend upgrading if you are a fan of the picture.

Audio

Arrow Video has presented Witness with a DTS-HD MA 5.1 track and a DTS-HD MA 2.0 stere option. The track sounded pretty good to my ears. While the track is not going to compete with later surround tracks, the music by Maurice Jarre very nice and the dialogue was rendered well. 

Supplements:

• Audio Commentary by film historian Jarret Gahan
• The Eye of the Witness – an interview with cinematographer John Seale.
• Show. . .Don’t Tell – a visual essay by Staci Layne Wilson
• Harrison Ford in Conversation – this archival interview conducted by Bobbie Wygant from 1985 is hilarious for fans of Harrison Ford – especially if you love Blade Runner, which the interviewer seems to quantify as an unmitigated failure. Watch it and enjoy.
• Between Two Worlds: The Making of Witness – a five part archival documentary on the production of the film. 
• A Conversation with Peter Weir – a short archival interview 
• EPK Featurettes
• Deleted Scene
• Theatrical Trailer 
• Image Gallery 

Overall Scores:

Video – 4.5/5 

Audio – 4.25/5

Supplements – 4.5/5

Overall – 4.5/5

Witness is a well made thriller and romance. Filmmaker Peter Weir draws the very best out of his excellent cast and brings to life a script that could have easily fallen apart without the care it was given. The film showcases Harrison Ford during his best era, and he is wonderful in the movie. The award winning editing of the picture gives the script’s quieter moments enough time to convincingly envelop the audience in the world of the Amish characters. The film was nominated for a number of Academy Awards with good reason. It holds up well nearly forty years after its release. Arrow’s new UHD release features a high quality 4K transfer alongside some excellent supplements. Fans of the film will be extremely pleased by the work that Arrow has put into the release. Recommended.