Classic Weir

Harrison Ford has done very few films actually worth watching. Peter Weir's Witness is definitely one of them however. Set amongst the backdrop of Amish life as Ford hides from dirty city cop colleagues, he and Kelly McGillis form an unsaid relationship. The clash of two worlds is a perfect arena to play out a difficult love story.

The plot involving McGillis' inocent son witnessing the murder of an undercover police officer does not threaten to override the characters, and ultimately the film does not compromise itself.

Interestingly Peter Weir went to the studio looking for anything with a green light to be shot, and this intersting love story was there waiting for him. Weir's attention to detail and his treatment of a story not overcrowded by characters or dialogue is a pleasure to watch again after 20 years.

After the chaos of recent years in filmic terms this simple piece is both cinematic and personal. Worth another look.