Witness

 2.5/4

Starring: Harrison Ford, Kelly McGillis, Lukas Haas, Josef Sommer, Jan Rubes, Danny Glover, Angus MacInnes

Rated R (probably for Graphic Violence, Language and Brief Nudity)

One of the interesting things that "Witness" does is look at modern culture (well, the 80s, anyway) from the eyes of a deeply conservative culture.  By using an Amish mother and boy, we see the big city as excessive and dangerous.  The film's key scene is actually when the boy wanders through a police station. To us, what he sees is normal behavior or something that can be explained.  But to him, it's strange and threatening.

Rachel (McGillis) is a young Amish widow traveling to Philadelphia to visit relatives.  Rachel knows of the modern world, but like her people she has mostly shunned it.  Her son Samuel (Haas) has not and is fascinated by it.  That is until he is in the wrong place at the wrong time and witnesses a brutal murder.  Detective John Book (Ford) needs Samuel to identify the killer, which becomes complicated when the boy reveals that the killer is a decorated narcotics detective.  Treachery runs deeper, and now Book has to hide out in Amish country.

The culture clash between the Amish life and the modern world is the strongest material in the film.  Director Peter Weir, making his first American film, accomplishes this   His camera lingers on the beauty of the land (credit must go to cinematographer John Seale as well) as well as the sense of serenity and peace.  These scenes are filmed in wide scope and color.  The scenes in the city are crowded, tense and have a menacing energy.  Many are filmed from Samuel's eye level, which further accentuates the threat.

Unfortunately, the other two elements, the crime story and the romance between Book and Rachel, don't fare as well.  The thriller elements are police corruption story 101, and are too thin to be interesting.  Weir wisely doesn't give them any more attention than necessary.  His main focus is the budding, forbidden love with Rachel.  That's a dead end too because while there is a bit of a spark between Harrison Ford and Kelly McGillis, there isn't much dialogue between them.  Maybe it's just my personal taste, but I don't find constant eye line matches between two actors erotic, passionate or even interesting.  They're attracted to each other.  We get it.  But a movie needs to build on that with dialogue and action to generate heat.

Harrison Ford was given his first, and thus far only, Oscar nomination for his performance.  It was a departure for the actor, whose previous performances were in science fiction and fantasy.  His first two outings as Han Solo and Indiana Jones were behind him, but it gave him acting cred.  To be honest, this isn't his best work.  He's effective in a gritty, low-key way, but there isn't much for him to dig into and he goes over-the-top on one occasion.  Kelly McGillis is better as a woman torn between her culture and the man she loves.  It isn't an original character, but she gives Rachel enough minor behaviors to make her stand out.

The climax doesn't work.  It's over-the-top, features bad acting, and a too cute resolution.  I was going to give this movie a tentative recommendation, but I decided against it after seeing how it stumbles to the finish line.