Witness Speech

Witness, directed by Peter Weir is an American film which combines a crime story with a love story, creating a dual narrative. The Amish element complicates the genres, which makes them both familiar and new. Good morning Mrs Goundar and fellow students. Peter Weir draws the audience into the world of film through various techniques to explore the clash of two worlds and forbidden love. Peter Weir has effectively conveyed the theme of clash of cultures by showing the power of loyalty within the Amish community in contrast to the deceit and betrayal which lies in the modern civilisation. Weir has also conveyed the forbidden love of Rachel Lapp, an Amish widow and John Book, an English policeman.
Witness is a film about the clash of two cultures, being the Amish and the modern civilisation known as the English. Peter Weir has begun the film with a contrast of the two cultures settings. The panning shot of the countryside with natural lighting, enhanced by Jarre’s synthesiser music. The Amish people wearing anachronistic costumes shows uniformity and peacefulness this culture holds. This is then contrasted with the busy American city, cars and modern buildings, with a very noisy background. This suggests the fast-paced and individualised lifestyle of the English. Additionally, significant scenes that show this are the barn building scene and the police station scene. The eye level angle shot of the Amish men and Book, raising the barn gives an impression of teamwork in the Amish community. Weir than contrasts this community at the police station, where middle angle shots of people working alone at desks, convey the idea of individualism. It is also seen in the high level angle shot of people walking around independently in the train station, reinforcing the individualism of the modern civilisation.
However, Weir strategically uses the existence and non-existence of technology to juxtapose the two cultures. This is conveyed in the mis-en-scene of the truck