Everyone raves about Harrison Ford’s performance, and for good reason, but Kelly McGillis is good as well, and Lukas Haas as the boy for me steals the show. He doesn’t have to say a word, but he plays everything with his eyes. He’s very believable.
Kelly McGillis was spectacular in this film. I think it's her best work. And Lukas Haas stole every scene he was in. I haven't seen his later roles but I have to think it was really difficult for him to top this one. Masterful.
One of my favorite things about this film is the way the cinematographer referenced the paintings of the old Dutch Masters in his design. Daniel's greeting at the funeral, Rachel sitting up with Book in his illness, the shot of her feeding the chickens in the coop - all of them show the influence of 17th-18th century art, especially Rembrandt and Vermeer. It gives a lovely, calm resonance to the film, a silence that is reflected in the taciturnity of the people and their culture, which as you noticed isn't talkative or expressive. So much goes unsaid because it doesn't have to be said - you SEE it. A real work of art. (Not to mention the soundtrack, by one of the great soundtrack artists, Maurice Jarre. "Raising The Barn" may be the most beautiful melody I've ever heard, certainly it captures the essence of what is being described, the slow raising up and up and up of a structure, all hands working together. Just magical, that piece.)
One of the best pieces of music in a film. Mixed with the beauty of the cinematography lifts me up from my heart. I only wish Jarre would have used a full orchestra so it could pull you farther into the simplistic beauty of the Amish. (But yeah, I know back then it was the thing to do to use synth.) I compare it to “Leaving Home” from the soundtrack of Superman with Christopher Reeves, written by John Williams. Williams used a full orchestra and it made the music breathe and be organic. I am having that piece played at my funeral, it has touched me so. Give it a listen and see if you can hear what I am saying. Great observations of this film!
@@eddietucker7005 I'm very familiar with John Williams' work, which is very nice but is HIS work. Jarre worked with the synthesizer because that was HIS work. I'm not going to say one is better than the other because of the choice of instruments. (By the way, I consider Howard Shore to be far better than either of them. Not only is he willing to use whatever instrument is right for the music, but he can move through a large number of styles to produce music that is different for each film.)
Ooh, yes. "Raising the Barn" almost brings me to tears every time. The piece mixed with the visual I remember seeing so often (I have seen this film many times) brings such a strong sense of community to my heart. Simply gorgeous.
Great reaction! Harrison Ford was an accomplished carpenter and helped with carpentry on the sets of American Graffiti and Star Wars because he wanted to stay in practice. When shooting Witness, he loved tinkering with old-fashioned hand tools as Amish didn't use power tools, and the birdhouse and Samuel's toy were his creations.
One of my favorite movies from the 80s. To me the emotional impact comes from the realization at the end that while the Amish do not believe in violence, the strength of their community and how they all bear WITNESS gives them more power than a man with a gun. That scene makes me cry every time. One of the interesting things is the casting. Yes, Danny Glover is the bad guy, which is a surprise. But also, Books sister is played by famed Broadway actress Patty LuPone, who originated the roll of Evita, on Broadway. And Daniel is played by Alexander Gudenov, a world famous ballet dancer.
The only reason they had "more power" than the man with the gun is because he had limited ammo. If a person will not fight, they will lose. Self preservation is a valuable instinct, and ignoring it for religious rhetoric is, at best, not prudent.
I was 15 when this came out and I love this movie. I grew up on a farm in Indiana with Amish people living nearby, I'd see horse & buggies coming down the road a lot. Of course, i'd often wave and they'd smile and wave back. We had a bunch of cherry trees, in the summer, a large group of Amish would come to pick some for themselves (we had A LOT of cherry trees) and in turn when they were done picking, they gave us raspberries and blueberries they picked from their farms. I was never a big fan of blueberries but FRESH raspberries...OMG😋😋. As a kid I always looked forward to summer and fresh raspberries🤗!!
The scene at breakfast where Book does a little commercial bit about the coffee was inspired by a gig Harrison tried to get when he was a young unknown. It was for a Folgers commercial and that was his line. He didn't get the part because he couldn't get the line quite right so this was his "atonement" for it.
He doesn't say "we will shun you," the implication is a warning that she doesn't need to commit a sin to be shunned by the elders. It is more "they will shun you, and I will be forced to do so too, as part of this community."
"You never had your hands on a teat before?" "Not one this big." Fun Fact: Feature film debut of Viggo Mortensen. Location Location Fact: Parts of this movie were filmed in and around Lancaster County in Pennsylvania, including downtown Lancaster, at the historic Greist Building. Action Star Fact: Although he once again plays a heroic man with a gun, this was the first starring role that broke Harrison Ford away from the science fiction and fantasy genres that made him famous, and gave him his first and only Academy Award nomination for Best Actor. Method Actor Fact: In preparation for her role, Kelly McGillis lived with an actual Amish widow and her seven children for a while before filming began to get the speech cadence down and to observe the daily life of an Amish widowed mother. Harrison Ford joined the Philadelphia Police Department in preparation for the movie. He even joined them on numerous raids. Angel Of The Resurrection Fact: The statue that Samuel (Lukas Haas) examines in the train station is a real monument in Philadelphia's 30th Street Station. It is a memorial to the men and women of the Pennsylvania Railroad who died during World War II. Its official title is "Angel Of The Resurrection" and it is a depiction of the Archangel Michael lifting a deceased soldier from the battlefield. Walker Hancock was the sculptor; it was dedicated in August 1952, and as of June 2012, still stands on the east side of the station's main concourse.
It doesn't strike me that Eli was threatening his daughter with shunning. Instead, it always seemed to me that he was terrified of losing her if the community decided to take that measure.
@@chookiejoncas9221Yes, he was her father-in-law. I loved their relationship, actually. He was stern, but caring. Unyielding in his faith, but ultimately did see the good in even the English.
One of my all time favorite films. One point I will make with you is this...Harrison Ford's character had the life changing experience of going to live and immersing himself in a culture very different from his own. What a life changing experience.
Every movie Peter Weir made in the 1980’s is a masterpiece - Gallipoli, The Year of Living Dangerously, Witness, The Mosquito Coast and Dead Poets Society.
@@MFuria-os7ln That one has grown on me as the years go by! And I love the soundtrack for it as well. Depardieu and Macdowell did a great job with that film.
I would argue it goes beyond the 1980's. Green Card, Fearless, The Truman Show, Master and Commander, ... He's had an amazingly consistent run of movies almost to the very end of his career. Even the last one, The Way Back, while not very successful commercially, was a very solid and engaging movie.
One more thing: since you like Harrison's work, you ought to check out a little remembered film of his, "Regarding Henry". It's very, very different from his usual movies, as it's a character piece with no action. He did some wonderful acting in that movie, really taking you on Henry's difficult journey. I highly recommend it - you'll see a different side to Ford.
Still waiting for someone to take me up on my suggestion to react to *Regarding Henry.* Seems there's plenty of interest from others for you to be the first! (oops, second)
I think there's a wonderful arc in that Lukas is a witness in the beginning and at the end there is a shootout but the final scene is acted out by no shootout but its over because all the Amish are bearing witness and Paul can't kill them all.....great writing.....
Born in the Soviet Union, Godunov first achieved fame as one of the USSR's premier ballet dancers. He defected to the US in 1979 and joined the American Ballet Theater, which was run by the celebrated dancer Mikhail Baryshnikov, a long--tine friend, who had also defected. After the two had a falling out in 1982, Godunov turned to acting; Witness was his first film.
He wasn't an actor, really. He was a ballet dancer, a huge star in Russia before he defected. He got into acting and did some films, but it was never his central art.
Great job as always. Saw this back in the day (I graduated HS in '85). Definitely a movie to remember and one that teaches some lessons for those paying attention.
I’d say this movie is a classic in Germany. I don’t have a 📺 for years and don’t know the current tv programs but between the 90s and 2015, the broadcasters showed this movie at least once a year. I’m pleased seeing Harrison Ford in such a role. Heartwarming.🎉 Same with „Regarding Henry“ btw
Up until now I've only seen the german dubbed version and was surprised to hear a couple of german lines in the original version, granted knowing not much about the Amish other than they avoid modern ways for religious reason.
Viggo???? Thank you for pointing out that lil' moment!!!😆 It's been a long time since I have seen this movie...thank you for the entertaining reaction.😊💚
I truly had a connection to this film. As a whole, it is a piece of art. The acting is fine, especially Kelly McGillis and Lucas Haas. The score is simplistic (unfortunately it is done with more synthesizers than anything.) if it were done by a full orchestra, it could have won best score. The art/set decorations in the two worlds is beautiful. The CINEMATOGRAPHY made my heart rise, so to speak, when they are doing the barn raising and the long shots of the tall grass blowing in the wind. The script is just a devise to bring the two worlds together and let each other experience the others way of life. But these are only pieces. Put them together and blend the colors with many hues of a innocent life, and you have this film. Peter Weir’s masterful direction gives us a taste of the inner beauty of the Amish people, their land and their community of family. It’s like a Monet. Look up close and you will only see dots. Pull back, open your heart and you will see some of the most breathtaking pictures ever filmed.
Ooooh! This was my Number 1 favorite film for many many years, a long-ass stretch of time, primarily due to my dad introducing it to me as a kid, when he really wanted to show me a Harrison Ford movie, and as a dumb child I thought that "Raiders of the Lost Ark" would be boring. :P The number of times the name "John Book" was uttered in my house growing up, or that my dad quoted the line, "[It's not our way] But it's my way," are insurmountable. And even though "Witness" isn't in my top 10 favorite movies anymore, it still holds a special nostalgic place in my heart, and I rarely ever hear it mentioned or discussed. This reaction is sure to be a lovely and fun stroll down memory lane, especially coming from someone as sweet, thoughtful, intelligent, and well-spoken as yourself.
My girlfriend and I at the time saw this film in the theater back in the day. I wanted to see it only because of Harrison Ford but found the film to be very engaging.
Viggo Mortensen is visible in a handful of scenes. He was with the production briefly, until he left, reportedly he got another offer that would make him a household name. That evidently didn't happen. I love the scene where Daniel sees the newspaper clipping and Book clues into what's going on, no words, just eye lines and perfect editing. I don't like how the barn raising begins in the middle of the day, based on the shadows on the ground. Some delay must have happened in shooting. The cinematographer must have had shots of the workers silhouetted against the rising sun in planned.
LOL, when this movie first came out, I went to see it with my mom. When it got to the luncheon after the barn-raising, there's Sasha staring at Book, and there's Viggo looking back and forth between them, and my mom and I looked at each other in shock and whispered, "Oh my god, _who is THAT?"_
When this movie came out, it sparked an interest in the Amish. Furniture stores, baked goods...I was hooked on a soap opera at the time, Guiding Light. Yep, two of the romantic leads SOMEHOW were being kidnapped and they managed to jump out of the plane they were in, landing in haystacks in Amish country, lol...or something like that.
I first saw Alexander Godunov in Die Hard, where he played Karl. This was the second movie in which I recognized him, as Daniel. He played a psychopathic criminal and a pacifist Amish. He was convincing in both roles. Great actor who should have gotten more screen roles.
I have always loved this movie and have been fascinated by the Amish/Pennsylvania Dutch way of life. While researching my family tree, I found out that one of my sets of 6x Great Grandparents were Pennsylvania Dutch! Seems like I have now come full circle. 🙂
Another Ford success! But really Im looking forward to your reactions on the next handful of Battlestar episodes. I know you only wanted general ideas about whether there will be ups and downs, but you're gonna get some serious ups soon!
I live 5 miles away from Clark, Mo that has 12,000 Amish is the surrounding area. They did a pretty good job representing them here. As for the shunning, it takes a quite a bit more than they've shown here to get shunned.
Eli Lapp (the old guy) was her father-in-law, not her father, if that makes anything clearer. He was fine with Daniel courting her after her husband's death because Daniel lives the Amish way. But John Book is completely the opposite of what he wanted for his daughter-in-law, and almost more importantly, his grandson. If she left the faith, he could not associate with either Rachel or Samuel thereafter. I understand you had a different, personal reaction to that scene, but it does ring true to what I've studied of the Amish experience, if that helps at all. I can see why it would be triggering for someone who may have faced something similar in their life. Personally I believe it seems really small-minded and limiting to adhere to a faith (or belief system) that requires abandonment of a loved one simply because they choose to believe differently than you do. There are former-Amish RUclipsrs who speak of their experience having been Amish, and having left the community voluntarily (albeit with some difficulty), and the subsequent struggles they face trying to reconnect with family members on the sly so they don't create problems for those still with the Amish community. It's fascinating stuff to me but I've never faced something like that so I'm coming at it from a naive angle. Peter Weir is one of my favorite filmmakers. Thanks so much for reacting to this film. It's so powerful for me and I've seen it at least 20 times. The angst! The longing! The barn-raising! The sly gibes Daniel throws at John when he can! The biggest saucerlike brown eyes I've ever seen on a little kid! And the music ties it all together so well. One of my favorites.
I hadn't seen this film in more than 30 years, so it was interesting to make its acquaintance again through your eyes and reactions. Not quite a classic, but a very good film nonetheless. The unusual cultural setting certainly add to its appeal, making it more than just a run-of-the-mill "good cop vs corrupt cops" urban crime thriller. Incidentally, another film with several similar plot points and an almost identical title--Eyewitness--came out just a few years before Witness. One could almost envision them as a double feature, watching one right after the other to compare and contrast. Eyewitness stars William Hurt, Sigourney Weaver, and Christopher Plummer.
I enjoyed this movie. I think it was a good story and well executed. Harrison Ford is great in everything in my opinion.. and even though Danny Glover wasn't too bad as a bad guy I prefer him as a good guy. Thanks for you reaction.🎉
Eli was her father-in-law. He was right about telling Rachel about the consequences of getting involved with Book. She would never survive in a world outside the Amish community. She also has a young child to think about. John Book did the right thing by leaving after the danger was over. Daniel is a better fit for her.
Chris I enjoyed your reactions and comments for Witness very much. As far as connecting with Witness the only real connection I have with this movie is Samual's character since the first time I saw this movie in the 80's I was closest in Samual's age to any of the other actors . His views were much more similar to mine as a child and I have always liked Amish men's hats ....on Samual it was adorable . There is a lot I took away from this now watching Witness as an adult that totally escaped me as a child . Your reactions and comments for Witness I felt were on point and although you did not feel the connection with the movie you did express your views about it and details of the film as if you did have maybe an underline connection with certain situations and characters from the film and not the film in general . That's just an observation but you really did seem to enjoy this film while I was watching and maybe just enjoying the film was a connection enough . Thank you for this treat I am glad I watched Witness again as an adult now .
Harrison Ford was known for adventure films, but the actor wanted to expand his acting skills. He got Australian director Peter Weir to direct him in “Witness.” Robin Williams was known for comedy. He wanted to be seen as a serious actor (he’d studied at The Juilliard School). And seeing the success with Peter Weir got him to direct him in “Dead Poet’s Society”. Jim Carrey, also wanting to be known for more serious roles and following on the previously mentioned, got Peter Weir to direct him in “The Truman Show.” All felt that this Australian director could bring out the serious actor in them.
Some of this movie was filmed in my neck of the woods in Lancaster PA, the Dairy Queens you see in the beginning is now a Waffle House. I've always loved this movie, it's different, unique, not typical of a cop movie.
Ha! Fun reaction! Yeah, I think you got it right, I remember it as a three-star movie, not a four-star! Not a new teaching - you knew what was going to happen from the beginning of the reaction right to the very end! - but well-done, especially the acting, as you said. A good movie! Tells a story, gives us a little experience with the Amish (something I've personally never seen in another movie), gets in, gets out, thanks for the popcorn, Mom! 😄 (actually I think I saw this on cable, can't remember) The difference between then and now? If this was today? We'd have a whole series of John Book movies. 😆 "Witness II: Back To The Reservation". "Witness III: Book 'Em". Haven't seen this since the 80s but I saw a reaction to it a month ago and now this one, and I'm happy to see it's still how I remember it. It didn't get worse! Good movie, good reaction.....great channel! Thanks, Chris!
@@CarSVernon Oh agreed about Dead Poets Society. But I put Truman Show at three stars too. I mean, Truman Show at least has some imagination and originality; Witness is just formula done competently. But both are just basic mainstream Hollywood jobs, nothing groundbreaking or earthshaking about either and the history of cinema is exactly the same, with or without 'em. In one eye and out the other, they don't exactly leave a buzz after you've seen 'em. THAT'S what a 4-star movie is.
Thank you for reviewing this wonderful film. 1. This movie fits easily in my top 10 because I find the Amish fascinating people. 2. I prefer Kelly's performance here over Charlie in "Top Gun".😍😍 3. This movie gave Ford the opportunity to show off his word working skills. Fun Fact: Before he became famous he would, from time to time, roadie for The Grateful Dead. 4. Daniel/Alexander Godunov😇 was an interesting story. He started as a ballet dancer and eventually emigrated to the US from Russia. He also played in "Die Hard" and "The Money Pit". Tom Hanks. 5. I met Danny Glover on the set of "Flight of the Intruder". He didn't have to change much to play this guy. He thought his didn't stink His co-workers, Wilem DeFoe and Brad Johnson😇 didn't have a glowing views of him either.
My only beef with Kelly's performance is the abruptness with which she dropped the accent. It happens during the conversation when she talks about people staring at them for being "Amish". From one line to the next, suddently she's speaking just the way he speaks, where as a minute before she had a pronounced accent. Not very graceful, and I still don't understand why she dropped it at all.
(I shared a little story here in the comments) I was 15 when this movie came out. I grew up on a farm in Indiana and there were many Amish families that lived around us. They were "salt of the Earth" people. Very kind and so hard working!!
Having lived in an Amish community for many years,I can tell you there are some inaccuracies in this movie.first,they are speaking english.Amish rarely speak English amongst themselves.they speak a dialect of swiss-germansecondly I have never heard of them riding trains.if they need to travel long distances they will hire an "english" to drive them in a car.that being said,I like this movie and am ready to watch it with you.
I often saw folks in Amish dress riding Amtrak, so while it may not have been common in the Amish community you were from, I think it did happen amongst certain sects of Amish. I agree with them hiring English drivers frequently, though. There are a couple former-Amish RUclipsrs who talk about their experiences as taxi drivers (more or less) for Amish folk.
This was an interesting movie. I had conflicting feelings on representation all around but it did make for a unique crime drama. It was well acted, and I adored Samuel.
The Amish are a very old Protestant sect than began in southern Germany and Switzerland. They practice adult baptism and children and teens are not part of the Church. You have to obey your parents but until you are baptized, you don’t have the rules of the church. Rachel is clearly an adult and would understand completely what shunning is about. The Amish hated pride and don’t like to be photographed and it they consent to an interview, they will almost never give their full name. The reason that we consider them ‘quaint’ is because they reject joining a network with non-Amish people. They can used telephones and electricity but only at a non-Amish location. They can drink alcohol and hunt with guns. There are also lots of rules the follow like simple clothes, education only until 8th grade, and no music. They are one of the fastest growing parts of American society.
I like the ending. The standard Hollywood ending would be for the two leads to end up together, but, in this case they are from two different worlds. It would be very difficult for the relationship to work out no matter which one changed worlds.
Good movie but, as a Pennsylvanian, the Amish would NEVER allow a strange man to live with their women. Nor would they allow anyone outside their clan to live amongst them. It's against their religion and their beliefs. Just thought you should know.
I think it's appropriate in the context, as he's only expected to stay there a short while until he's healed. They do allow guests to stay with them, if it's temporary. But I don't think there's any way they would have allowed him to stay and marry Rachel, even if he had a miraculous conversion to the Amish faith. They'd know it was only done so he could be with her, not because he wanted to live the Amish life.
Being raised Mennonite (='s Amish + technology. Both from Menno Simons's teachings.) this movie always kinda sat wrong. Its not bad...but the Amish are coldly represented as archtypes...they're 2-dimensional as foils for Harrison to defy and later learn from. But They remain Other (except Rachel who is only humanized by her potential rejection of Amish ways, making Them even *more* Other), which is the major flaw of the film. For me, anyways. Just my opinion, course.
Menno archetypes are so stupid. Hard working, close-knit, with a true belief in something, that's what I've experienced. And they keep being portrayed as backwards. They're not backwards, they choose to be more simple.
It's a typical movie problem. You only have two hours to tell a story so some stuff gets flattened. In really good movies, it's minimal; in really bad movies, it's everything. When you set a film in the middle of a culture your viewers are not likely to know about, there's little time to establish the milieu. That's why the authenticity of the design is so important, because you can tell the audience a lot with what they see, saving time on what is actually stated. It's a flawed process, but it's what filmmakers have got to work with.
@@jlinkous05 Um, I didn't see anyone portrayed as backwards in this film, so I have no idea what you could be referring to. They're portrayed exactly as you described them: hard working, close-knit, with a true belief in their culture.
@@Serai3 *Very* well said, indeed. But (being bitchy Devil's advocate, tbc) giving a character (especially from an unknown culture) a simple reversal of expectation is a quick, respectful (yawn), and dramatically effective move; dimension and empathy can be lazily added with just a line or preferably an action...but Witness didn't make that small effort. (Again, imao. I'm obviously biased.) The Amish in this remain cartoons, except for Rachel (so, fair? But she diverts *too* much. It's not believable nor effective, imao.) I like the movie but I get The Feels because it is cartooning my upbringing a little (just a little), so... Why do you always take 2 Mennonites on a fishing trip? If you take only 1, he'll drink all your beer. 🤗
@@CasualNerdReactions 🇬🇧☺☺or spunky. Just imagine your in the UK you visit a a British supermarket ie grocery store, you see a heavily pregnant woman with two very heavy shopping bags walking to her car as a very decent human being watching her in the carpark .you would offer to assist her to her car and put her shopping bags in the boot ie trunk. If you as an American at that point say to her having struggled with her bags man lady you are spunky lady you've got got spunk. She would hit you over the head with a big French bread 🇬🇧☺😂😂
![Shandor reacts to NOW, VOYAGER (1942) [RE-UPLOAD] - FIRST TIME WATCHING!!!](/img/1.gif)
This was the first and only Harrison Ford movie where he was nominated for Best Actor.
Which shows how messed up the MPAA is. John Wayne won one award for not his best film, Alfred Hitchcock won zero. Bette Davis may have won one.
@@jackmessick2869 She won two. Nominated for many more.
Everyone raves about Harrison Ford’s performance, and for good reason, but Kelly McGillis is good as well, and Lukas Haas as the boy for me steals the show. He doesn’t have to say a word, but he plays everything with his eyes. He’s very believable.
Kelly McGillis was spectacular in this film. I think it's her best work. And Lukas Haas stole every scene he was in. I haven't seen his later roles but I have to think it was really difficult for him to top this one. Masterful.
I wouldn't say he steals the show, but he is very touching in the role.
One of my favorite things about this film is the way the cinematographer referenced the paintings of the old Dutch Masters in his design. Daniel's greeting at the funeral, Rachel sitting up with Book in his illness, the shot of her feeding the chickens in the coop - all of them show the influence of 17th-18th century art, especially Rembrandt and Vermeer. It gives a lovely, calm resonance to the film, a silence that is reflected in the taciturnity of the people and their culture, which as you noticed isn't talkative or expressive. So much goes unsaid because it doesn't have to be said - you SEE it. A real work of art. (Not to mention the soundtrack, by one of the great soundtrack artists, Maurice Jarre. "Raising The Barn" may be the most beautiful melody I've ever heard, certainly it captures the essence of what is being described, the slow raising up and up and up of a structure, all hands working together. Just magical, that piece.)
One of the best pieces of music in a film. Mixed with the beauty of the cinematography lifts me up from my heart. I only wish Jarre would have used a full orchestra so it could pull you farther into the simplistic beauty of the Amish. (But yeah, I know back then it was the thing to do to use synth.) I compare it to “Leaving Home” from the soundtrack of Superman with Christopher Reeves, written by John Williams. Williams used a full orchestra and it made the music breathe and be organic. I am having that piece played at my funeral, it has touched me so. Give it a listen and see if you can hear what I am saying.
Great observations of this film!
@@eddietucker7005 I'm very familiar with John Williams' work, which is very nice but is HIS work. Jarre worked with the synthesizer because that was HIS work. I'm not going to say one is better than the other because of the choice of instruments. (By the way, I consider Howard Shore to be far better than either of them. Not only is he willing to use whatever instrument is right for the music, but he can move through a large number of styles to produce music that is different for each film.)
Ooh, yes. "Raising the Barn" almost brings me to tears every time. The piece mixed with the visual I remember seeing so often (I have seen this film many times) brings such a strong sense of community to my heart. Simply gorgeous.
This movie was a masterpiece. My favorite movie of all time.
Great reaction! Harrison Ford was an accomplished carpenter and helped with carpentry on the sets of American Graffiti and Star Wars because he wanted to stay in practice. When shooting Witness, he loved tinkering with old-fashioned hand tools as Amish didn't use power tools, and the birdhouse and Samuel's toy were his creations.
Fascinating-thank you for sharing this information.
One of my favorite movies from the 80s. To me the emotional impact comes from the realization at the end that while the Amish do not believe in violence, the strength of their community and how they all bear WITNESS gives them more power than a man with a gun. That scene makes me cry every time.
One of the interesting things is the casting. Yes, Danny Glover is the bad guy, which is a surprise. But also, Books sister is played by famed Broadway actress Patty LuPone, who originated the roll of Evita, on Broadway. And Daniel is played by Alexander Gudenov, a world famous ballet dancer.
The only reason they had "more power" than the man with the gun is because he had limited ammo. If a person will not fight, they will lose. Self preservation is a valuable instinct, and ignoring it for religious rhetoric is, at best, not prudent.
Very well said!
I was 15 when this came out and I love this movie.
I grew up on a farm in Indiana with Amish people living nearby, I'd see horse & buggies coming down the road a lot. Of course, i'd often wave and they'd smile and wave back.
We had a bunch of cherry trees, in the summer, a large group of Amish would come to pick some for themselves (we had A LOT of cherry trees) and in turn when they were done picking, they gave us raspberries and blueberries they picked from their farms. I was never a big fan of blueberries but FRESH raspberries...OMG😋😋.
As a kid I always looked forward to summer and fresh raspberries🤗!!
The scene at breakfast where Book does a little commercial bit about the coffee was inspired by a gig Harrison tried to get when he was a young unknown. It was for a Folgers commercial and that was his line. He didn't get the part because he couldn't get the line quite right so this was his "atonement" for it.
Good to know.
He doesn't say "we will shun you," the implication is a warning that she doesn't need to commit a sin to be shunned by the elders. It is more "they will shun you, and I will be forced to do so too, as part of this community."
"You never had your hands on a teat before?"
"Not one this big."
Fun Fact: Feature film debut of Viggo Mortensen.
Location Location Fact: Parts of this movie were filmed in and around Lancaster County in Pennsylvania, including downtown Lancaster, at the historic Greist Building.
Action Star Fact: Although he once again plays a heroic man with a gun, this was the first starring role that broke Harrison Ford away from the science fiction and fantasy genres that made him famous, and gave him his first and only Academy Award nomination for Best Actor.
Method Actor Fact: In preparation for her role, Kelly McGillis lived with an actual Amish widow and her seven children for a while before filming began to get the speech cadence down and to observe the daily life of an Amish widowed mother. Harrison Ford joined the Philadelphia Police Department in preparation for the movie. He even joined them on numerous raids.
Angel Of The Resurrection Fact: The statue that Samuel (Lukas Haas) examines in the train station is a real monument in Philadelphia's 30th Street Station. It is a memorial to the men and women of the Pennsylvania Railroad who died during World War II. Its official title is "Angel Of The Resurrection" and it is a depiction of the Archangel Michael lifting a deceased soldier from the battlefield. Walker Hancock was the sculptor; it was dedicated in August 1952, and as of June 2012, still stands on the east side of the station's main concourse.
It doesn't strike me that Eli was threatening his daughter with shunning.
Instead, it always seemed to me that he was terrified of losing her if the community decided to take that measure.
I think this is the correct take. I had some personal experiences shading my view in the moment.
I was under the impression that Eli was her father in law
@@chookiejoncas9221 Well, I'll be darned. All these years I was wrong about that.
He wasn't threatening. He was warning that it could happen. He was reminding her that she is a member of a community with cult-like practices.
@@chookiejoncas9221Yes, he was her father-in-law. I loved their relationship, actually. He was stern, but caring. Unyielding in his faith, but ultimately did see the good in even the English.
One of my all time favorite films. One point I will make with you is this...Harrison Ford's character had the life changing experience of going to live and immersing himself in a culture very different from his own. What a life changing experience.
Every movie Peter Weir made in the 1980’s is a masterpiece - Gallipoli, The Year of Living Dangerously, Witness, The Mosquito Coast and Dead Poets Society.
I loved Green card too !
A bit earlier, but Picnic at Hanging Rock is fantastic too.
@@MFuria-os7ln That one has grown on me as the years go by! And I love the soundtrack for it as well. Depardieu and Macdowell did a great job with that film.
I would argue it goes beyond the 1980's. Green Card, Fearless, The Truman Show, Master and Commander, ... He's had an amazingly consistent run of movies almost to the very end of his career. Even the last one, The Way Back, while not very successful commercially, was a very solid and engaging movie.
Peter Weir is a great great director. He left us with number of unique masterpieces.
One more thing: since you like Harrison's work, you ought to check out a little remembered film of his, "Regarding Henry". It's very, very different from his usual movies, as it's a character piece with no action. He did some wonderful acting in that movie, really taking you on Henry's difficult journey. I highly recommend it - you'll see a different side to Ford.
I agree! Regarding Henry is such a great piece of Harrison's work....very different but worth it!!!!
I support this 💯 🎉
I agree too! Another great piece of work by Harrison!
Still waiting for someone to take me up on my suggestion to react to *Regarding Henry.*
Seems there's plenty of interest from others for you to be the first! (oops, second)
Yes please! LOVE regarding Henry 😍
I love the last line: "Be careful out there, among them English." My friends and I use it a lot.
I think there's a wonderful arc in that Lukas is a witness in the beginning and at the end there is a shootout but the final scene is acted out by no shootout but its over because all the Amish are bearing witness and Paul can't kill them all.....great writing.....
The blond Amish chap we see near the beginning was the terrorist who came back from the dead in Die Hard🎩
I just want to mention that the actor playing Daniel was also the villian Karl, in Die Hard. Alexander Godunov.
Born in the Soviet Union, Godunov first achieved fame as one of the USSR's premier ballet dancers. He defected to the US in 1979 and joined the American Ballet Theater, which was run by the celebrated dancer Mikhail Baryshnikov, a long--tine friend, who had also defected. After the two had a falling out in 1982, Godunov turned to acting; Witness was his first film.
He wasn't an actor, really. He was a ballet dancer, a huge star in Russia before he defected. He got into acting and did some films, but it was never his central art.
Great reaction to an overlooked Harrison Ford movie. Definitely put Mosquito Coast and Frantic on your list. Nobody has reacted to these Ford films.👍
Came here to say the same thing. Two great, but forgotten, Harrison Ford films.
Also directed by Peter Weir.
Mosquito Coast is such a great film. Haven’t seen any reactions to it
I agree about Mosquito Coast...Another great Peter Weir film.
Great job as always. Saw this back in the day (I graduated HS in '85). Definitely a movie to remember and one that teaches some lessons for those paying attention.
I’d say this movie is a classic in Germany. I don’t have a 📺 for years and don’t know the current tv programs but between the 90s and 2015, the broadcasters showed this movie at least once a year. I’m pleased seeing Harrison Ford in such a role. Heartwarming.🎉
Same with „Regarding Henry“ btw
Up until now I've only seen the german dubbed version and was surprised to hear a couple of german lines in the original version, granted knowing not much about the Amish other than they avoid modern ways for religious reason.
This is one of my ten favorite movies. Also, according to my wife, Harrison Ford is extremely awesome in this movie, for...reasons. 😂
I saw the movie in the theater in Philly. The crowd burst out laughing at the line, “I thought we’d be safe in Philadelphia.”
16:18 He says "Die Musik!" - the music.
Viggo???? Thank you for pointing out that lil' moment!!!😆
It's been a long time since I have seen this movie...thank you for the entertaining reaction.😊💚
My mum loves this movie, and she was obsessed with the soundtrack too. I bought it for her on Cassette. :)
I truly had a connection to this film. As a whole, it is a piece of art. The acting is fine, especially Kelly McGillis and Lucas Haas. The score is simplistic (unfortunately it is done with more synthesizers than anything.) if it were done by a full orchestra, it could have won best score. The art/set decorations in the two worlds is beautiful. The CINEMATOGRAPHY made my heart rise, so to speak, when they are doing the barn raising and the long shots of the tall grass blowing in the wind. The script is just a devise to bring the two worlds together and let each other experience the others way of life. But these are only pieces. Put them together and blend the colors with many hues of a innocent life, and you have this film. Peter Weir’s masterful direction gives us a taste of the inner beauty of the Amish people, their land and their community of family. It’s like a Monet. Look up close and you will only see dots. Pull back, open your heart and you will see some of the most breathtaking pictures ever filmed.
Harrison Ford was a carpenter, so he got to use his skills.
Ooooh! This was my Number 1 favorite film for many many years, a long-ass stretch of time, primarily due to my dad introducing it to me as a kid, when he really wanted to show me a Harrison Ford movie, and as a dumb child I thought that "Raiders of the Lost Ark" would be boring. :P
The number of times the name "John Book" was uttered in my house growing up, or that my dad quoted the line, "[It's not our way] But it's my way," are insurmountable. And even though "Witness" isn't in my top 10 favorite movies anymore, it still holds a special nostalgic place in my heart, and I rarely ever hear it mentioned or discussed. This reaction is sure to be a lovely and fun stroll down memory lane, especially coming from someone as sweet, thoughtful, intelligent, and well-spoken as yourself.
I saw this in the theater eleven times the summer it came out. :)
My girlfriend and I at the time saw this film in the theater back in the day. I wanted to see it only because of Harrison Ford but found the film to be very engaging.
I love Ford...I love Weir...I love this movie!!!❤❤
One of my favorite Harrison Ford movies. Also Frantic and Presumed Innocent are underrated Ford movies in my opinion.
Viggo Mortensen is visible in a handful of scenes. He was with the production briefly, until he left, reportedly he got another offer that would make him a household name. That evidently didn't happen. I love the scene where Daniel sees the newspaper clipping and Book clues into what's going on, no words, just eye lines and perfect editing. I don't like how the barn raising begins in the middle of the day, based on the shadows on the ground. Some delay must have happened in shooting. The cinematographer must have had shots of the workers silhouetted against the rising sun in planned.
LOL, when this movie first came out, I went to see it with my mom. When it got to the luncheon after the barn-raising, there's Sasha staring at Book, and there's Viggo looking back and forth between them, and my mom and I looked at each other in shock and whispered, "Oh my god, _who is THAT?"_
@@Serai3 So, Omgwit? 😉
@@akinpaws LOL, yeah. Actually, since my mom used to be a ballet dancer, it would be Sigwit. :G
"I now pronounce you man and wife" waves hands. haha you crack me up :)
Harrison ford is a carpenter. He gets all this.
When this movie came out, it sparked an interest in the Amish. Furniture stores, baked goods...I was hooked on a soap opera at the time, Guiding Light. Yep, two of the romantic leads SOMEHOW were being kidnapped and they managed to jump out of the plane they were in, landing in haystacks in Amish country, lol...or something like that.
Guiding Light? Sounds like the kind of shenanigans I'd have expected to see on General Hospital. :D
To us, in 2023, Witness is both an Amish group AND a movie that takes place in the days of yore (1984).
Great movie reaction from a classic Harisson Ford movie one of my fav of his Im glad u enjoyed it
Harrison getting to flash his mad carpentry skills...
I first saw Alexander Godunov in Die Hard, where he played Karl. This was the second movie in which I recognized him, as Daniel. He played a psychopathic criminal and a pacifist Amish. He was convincing in both roles. Great actor who should have gotten more screen roles.
He was also a major league ballet dancer first in the USSR at the Bolshoi and after he defected at the American Ballet Theatre.
He was great in a small role in The Money Pit as well. Very versatile actor. Left us way too young.
Died far too young.
Karl, hunt that little $hit down and get my detonators.
I have always loved this movie and have been fascinated by the Amish/Pennsylvania Dutch way of life. While researching my family tree, I found out that one of my sets of 6x Great Grandparents were Pennsylvania Dutch! Seems like I have now come full circle. 🙂
Only watched this one for the first time recently too. Excellent film! 😁
in a deleted scene john’s sister and Rachel are sitting down
at breakfast and we’re chatting about John’s ego.
That definitely makes sense. They had to have talked at some point.
Every time I see the scene where Eli falls and spills the milk I cry.....
What are your thoughts on Witness?
Another Ford success! But really Im looking forward to your reactions on the next handful of Battlestar episodes. I know you only wanted general ideas about whether there will be ups and downs, but you're gonna get some serious ups soon!
@@jlinkous05 I just finished episode 13 for Patreon and you're not lying! 😅 Such a consistently good show.
I live 5 miles away from Clark, Mo that has 12,000 Amish is the surrounding area. They did a pretty good job representing them here. As for the shunning, it takes a quite a bit more than they've shown here to get shunned.
Harrison Ford was a carpenter while waiting for acting roles, so this part of the film is realistic. 😊
Loved this film. A great mystery & love story with some action as well.
Regarding Henry, another slow burn Harrison Ford movie.
Danny Glover 2 years away from fame (Lethal Weapon) and Kelly McGillis the year before Top Gun🎩
Eli Lapp (the old guy) was her father-in-law, not her father, if that makes anything clearer. He was fine with Daniel courting her after her husband's death because Daniel lives the Amish way. But John Book is completely the opposite of what he wanted for his daughter-in-law, and almost more importantly, his grandson. If she left the faith, he could not associate with either Rachel or Samuel thereafter. I understand you had a different, personal reaction to that scene, but it does ring true to what I've studied of the Amish experience, if that helps at all. I can see why it would be triggering for someone who may have faced something similar in their life. Personally I believe it seems really small-minded and limiting to adhere to a faith (or belief system) that requires abandonment of a loved one simply because they choose to believe differently than you do. There are former-Amish RUclipsrs who speak of their experience having been Amish, and having left the community voluntarily (albeit with some difficulty), and the subsequent struggles they face trying to reconnect with family members on the sly so they don't create problems for those still with the Amish community. It's fascinating stuff to me but I've never faced something like that so I'm coming at it from a naive angle.
Peter Weir is one of my favorite filmmakers. Thanks so much for reacting to this film. It's so powerful for me and I've seen it at least 20 times. The angst! The longing! The barn-raising! The sly gibes Daniel throws at John when he can! The biggest saucerlike brown eyes I've ever seen on a little kid! And the music ties it all together so well. One of my favorites.
Aragorn.
I hadn't seen this film in more than 30 years, so it was interesting to make its acquaintance again through your eyes and reactions. Not quite a classic, but a very good film nonetheless. The unusual cultural setting certainly add to its appeal, making it more than just a run-of-the-mill "good cop vs corrupt cops" urban crime thriller. Incidentally, another film with several similar plot points and an almost identical title--Eyewitness--came out just a few years before Witness. One could almost envision them as a double feature, watching one right after the other to compare and contrast. Eyewitness stars William Hurt, Sigourney Weaver, and Christopher Plummer.
I tend to identify with victims, so: Samuel & his mother.
I enjoyed this movie. I think it was a good story and well executed. Harrison Ford is great in everything in my opinion.. and even though Danny Glover wasn't too bad as a bad guy I prefer him as a good guy. Thanks for you reaction.🎉
Eli was her father-in-law. He was right about telling Rachel about the consequences of getting involved with Book. She would never survive in a world outside the Amish community. She also has a young child to think about. John Book did the right thing by leaving after the danger was over. Daniel is a better fit for her.
Chris I enjoyed your reactions and comments for Witness very much. As far as connecting with Witness the only real connection I have with this movie is Samual's character since the first time I saw this movie in the 80's I was closest in Samual's age to any of the other actors . His views were much more similar to mine as a child and I have always liked Amish men's hats ....on Samual it was adorable . There is a lot I took away from this now watching Witness as an adult that totally escaped me as a child .
Your reactions and comments for Witness I felt were on point and although you did not feel the connection with the movie you did express your views about it and details of the film as if you did have maybe an underline connection with certain situations and characters from the film and not the film in general . That's just an observation but you really did seem to enjoy this film while I was watching and maybe just enjoying the film was a connection enough . Thank you for this treat I am glad I watched Witness again as an adult now .
Harrison Ford was known for adventure films, but the actor wanted to expand his acting skills. He got Australian director Peter Weir to direct him in “Witness.” Robin Williams was known for comedy. He wanted to be seen as a serious actor (he’d studied at The Juilliard School). And seeing the success with Peter Weir got him to direct him in “Dead Poet’s Society”.
Jim Carrey, also wanting to be known for more serious roles and following on the previously mentioned, got Peter Weir to direct him in “The Truman Show.”
All felt that this Australian director could bring out the serious actor in them.
So True!!!
williams did serious way before
Some of this movie was filmed in my neck of the woods in Lancaster PA, the Dairy Queens you see in the beginning is now a Waffle House. I've always loved this movie, it's different, unique, not typical of a cop movie.
Ha! Fun reaction! Yeah, I think you got it right, I remember it as a three-star movie, not a four-star! Not a new teaching - you knew what was going to happen from the beginning of the reaction right to the very end! - but well-done, especially the acting, as you said. A good movie! Tells a story, gives us a little experience with the Amish (something I've personally never seen in another movie), gets in, gets out, thanks for the popcorn, Mom! 😄 (actually I think I saw this on cable, can't remember) The difference between then and now? If this was today? We'd have a whole series of John Book movies. 😆 "Witness II: Back To The Reservation". "Witness III: Book 'Em". Haven't seen this since the 80s but I saw a reaction to it a month ago and now this one, and I'm happy to see it's still how I remember it. It didn't get worse! Good movie, good reaction.....great channel! Thanks, Chris!
if this is three stars the overrated dead poets and the insufferable truman show are two stars.
@@CarSVernon Oh agreed about Dead Poets Society. But I put Truman Show at three stars too. I mean, Truman Show at least has some imagination and originality; Witness is just formula done competently. But both are just basic mainstream Hollywood jobs, nothing groundbreaking or earthshaking about either and the history of cinema is exactly the same, with or without 'em. In one eye and out the other, they don't exactly leave a buzz after you've seen 'em. THAT'S what a 4-star movie is.
Thank you for reviewing this wonderful film.
1. This movie fits easily in my top 10 because I find the Amish fascinating people.
2. I prefer Kelly's performance here over Charlie in "Top Gun".😍😍
3. This movie gave Ford the opportunity to show off his word working skills.
Fun Fact: Before he became famous he would, from time to time, roadie for The Grateful Dead.
4. Daniel/Alexander Godunov😇 was an interesting story. He started as a ballet dancer and eventually emigrated to the US from Russia. He also played in "Die Hard" and "The Money Pit". Tom Hanks.
5. I met Danny Glover on the set of "Flight of the Intruder". He didn't have to change much to play this guy. He thought his didn't stink
His co-workers, Wilem DeFoe and Brad Johnson😇 didn't have a glowing views of him either.
My only beef with Kelly's performance is the abruptness with which she dropped the accent. It happens during the conversation when she talks about people staring at them for being "Amish". From one line to the next, suddently she's speaking just the way he speaks, where as a minute before she had a pronounced accent. Not very graceful, and I still don't understand why she dropped it at all.
@@Serai3 Maybe I should have referred to the characters. My bad.
(I shared a little story here in the comments)
I was 15 when this movie came out. I grew up on a farm in Indiana and there were many Amish families that lived around us. They were "salt of the Earth" people. Very kind and so hard working!!
Agree to disagree; Ford's sole Oscar nomination as as well.
Presumed Innocent (1990)
Having lived in an Amish community for many years,I can tell you there are some inaccuracies in this movie.first,they are speaking english.Amish rarely speak English amongst themselves.they speak a dialect of swiss-germansecondly I have never heard of them riding trains.if they need to travel long distances they will hire an "english" to drive them in a car.that being said,I like this movie and am ready to watch it with you.
I often saw folks in Amish dress riding Amtrak, so while it may not have been common in the Amish community you were from, I think it did happen amongst certain sects of Amish. I agree with them hiring English drivers frequently, though. There are a couple former-Amish RUclipsrs who talk about their experiences as taxi drivers (more or less) for Amish folk.
Director Peter Weir who did “Dead Potts Spciety” from Australia
Harrison Ford is really into carpentry.
This was an interesting movie. I had conflicting feelings on representation all around but it did make for a unique crime drama. It was well acted, and I adored Samuel.
Representation?
If you weren't as into this one, you should try Mercury Rising. Essentially the same concept, but Bruce Willis. Nuff said, right? 😅
The Amish are a very old Protestant sect than began in southern Germany and Switzerland. They practice adult baptism and children and teens are not part of the Church. You have to obey your parents but until you are baptized, you don’t have the rules of the church. Rachel is clearly an adult and would understand completely what shunning is about. The Amish hated pride and don’t like to be photographed and it they consent to an interview, they will almost never give their full name. The reason that we consider them ‘quaint’ is because they reject joining a network with non-Amish people. They can used telephones and electricity but only at a non-Amish location. They can drink alcohol and hunt with guns. There are also lots of rules the follow like simple clothes, education only until 8th grade, and no music. They are one of the fastest growing parts of American society.
Part of gun safety is knowing how to handle a gun. Take away some of the awe factor while teaching respect.
Clearly I remembered the ending wrong...I thought they ended up together...bummer.
I like the ending. The standard Hollywood ending would be for the two leads to end up together, but, in this case they are from two different worlds. It would be very difficult for the relationship to work out no matter which one changed worlds.
Oh no I shattered the illusion 😅
There's a really sweet movie called The Outsider with Naomi Watts that you might really love if you enjoyed this movie.
Good movie but, as a Pennsylvanian, the Amish would NEVER allow a strange man to live with their women. Nor would they allow anyone outside their clan to live amongst them. It's against their religion and their beliefs. Just thought you should know.
The question is how do they treat a widow?
The movie deals with that by putting Samuel in danger if he's found.
I think it's appropriate in the context, as he's only expected to stay there a short while until he's healed. They do allow guests to stay with them, if it's temporary. But I don't think there's any way they would have allowed him to stay and marry Rachel, even if he had a miraculous conversion to the Amish faith. They'd know it was only done so he could be with her, not because he wanted to live the Amish life.
Being raised Mennonite (='s Amish + technology. Both from Menno Simons's teachings.) this movie always kinda sat wrong. Its not bad...but the Amish are coldly represented as archtypes...they're 2-dimensional as foils for Harrison to defy and later learn from. But They remain Other (except Rachel who is only humanized by her potential rejection of Amish ways, making Them even *more* Other), which is the major flaw of the film. For me, anyways. Just my opinion, course.
Menno archetypes are so stupid. Hard working, close-knit, with a true belief in something, that's what I've experienced. And they keep being portrayed as backwards. They're not backwards, they choose to be more simple.
Oddly, if a big city police officer visited a small close knitt community. They might be less accepting than this community.
It's a typical movie problem. You only have two hours to tell a story so some stuff gets flattened. In really good movies, it's minimal; in really bad movies, it's everything. When you set a film in the middle of a culture your viewers are not likely to know about, there's little time to establish the milieu. That's why the authenticity of the design is so important, because you can tell the audience a lot with what they see, saving time on what is actually stated. It's a flawed process, but it's what filmmakers have got to work with.
@@jlinkous05 Um, I didn't see anyone portrayed as backwards in this film, so I have no idea what you could be referring to. They're portrayed exactly as you described them: hard working, close-knit, with a true belief in their culture.
@@Serai3 *Very* well said, indeed. But (being bitchy Devil's advocate, tbc) giving a character (especially from an unknown culture) a simple reversal of expectation is a quick, respectful (yawn), and dramatically effective move; dimension and empathy can be lazily added with just a line or preferably an action...but Witness didn't make that small effort. (Again, imao. I'm obviously biased.) The Amish in this remain cartoons, except for Rachel (so, fair? But she diverts *too* much. It's not believable nor effective, imao.)
I like the movie but I get The Feels because it is cartooning my upbringing a little (just a little), so...
Why do you always take 2 Mennonites on a fishing trip?
If you take only 1, he'll drink all your beer. 🤗
Corny 😂
A little corny. Hee.
Just a suggestion for your UK Audience I suggest not using the expression shes got spunk. Ill leave it t to you to work that one out❤😂😂😂😂🇬🇧☺😂😂
Oh my gosh 🤣 I’ve never thought about it before, but it immediately clicked. Thanks for heads up. Haha
@@CasualNerdReactions 🇬🇧☺☺or spunky. Just imagine your in the UK you visit a a British supermarket ie grocery store, you see a heavily pregnant woman with two very heavy shopping bags walking to her car as a very decent human being watching her in the carpark .you would offer to assist her to her car and put her shopping bags in the boot ie trunk. If you as an American at that point say to her having struggled with her bags man lady you are spunky lady you've got got spunk. She would hit you over the head with a big French bread 🇬🇧☺😂😂