![]() Though Amadeus is a fantastic film about the fascinating life of Wolfgang “Mozart”Amadeus, it’s a film that is a product it its era. A year prior Amadeus earned the title of best picture. However, when reviewing the films before and after Witness that received acclaimed by the critics it starts to make sense why this film got held in such high regard. Nevertheless, the general public watched this love story laced as a thriller and saw a prized piece due to the cultural standards and taste at the time. Witness is underwhelming in its stance, boring even. Still, the direction and writing aren’t enough to uphold Witness as an extraordinary film or even above average. The screenplay also effectively reminds viewers of the untactful nature of scrutinizing and fish bowling these people. We enter into their world through Weir’s focus on the rituals and practices in place by the Amish and also through Earl and Pamela Wallace and William Kelly’s script that paints the details of their lives for outsiders. Peter Weir, who a few years prior made the mesmerizing Picnic at Hanging Rock, implored his skills as a means of capturing the simplistic nature of Amish life. The conflict is minimized and the value of watching is even less, but that didn’t stop Academy officials from heralding this film as a beacon among filmmaking. The anxiety and tension the murder creates in the story gets marred by the evolving love story between John Book and the boy’s widowed mother, Sara. Why? What was it about the somber, bland story of Witness or the hokey plot of Prizzi’s Honor, or the bland, racially insensitive Out of Africa that adamantly caught so many people’s attention? Witness is a romantic drama masked as a thriller that follows the events of a murder investigation that an Amish boy witnesses on his first trip away from home. The other three went on to sweep the Oscars that year. Of all these films, The Color Purple fell by the wayside as a contender winning nothing despite having 11 nominations. This invited the quandary of how Witness received its nomination and whom were its competitors? In 1985, three films dominated the critical opinion of best films in the year by Academy standards: Prizzi’s Honor, Out of Africa, Witness and The Color Purple. We waited with bated breath for a stellar performance sure to emerge somewhere in the two-hour film, but atlas were only met with disappointment. ![]() No one considered it an exceptional film. Within the room of people I watched Witness with the consensus was unanimous. So, how did his most subdued and underwhelming performance receive high praise? While Ford’s charisma still shines through John Book, his talents are all but squandered in the lackluster story of Witness. Ford is capable of a range of emotions in most, if not all, of his previous films before 1985. He captures a mysterious seriousness and sadness as Ray McCoy. Ford showed audiences an interplanetary humor and charm without being hokey or cheesy as Han Solo. This is the man who gave us bravery in the face of fear and uncertainty as Indiana Jones. I find it puzzling that many considered Ford’s performance as groundbreaking, because it frankly just isn’t by any stretch of the imagination. ![]() Witness is one of the most flavorless films I’ve seen that has been regarded in such high esteem by the masses. I can’t for the life of me figure out why Witness turned into such a phenomena that still holds acclaim and regard within the critical world. Ford received his first Oscar nomination from his role as John Book and cemented himself into a status of legacy. It swept through Oscar nominations gaining traction for best actor, director, screenplay, editing, and ultimately best picture. Witness released in 1985 where it became a sleeper hit while film critics ate it up with a spoon, then begged for more. Two, as tastes and time changes, sometimes it’s hard to find the greatness in archaic, outdated relics that were once praised. One is that you shockingly can never have enough Harrison Ford. I learned two things from this accidental Harrison Ford film orgy. The day after I watched Witness, then I happened into a marathon of the Star Wars films before finally ending with Ford’s triumphant return as Han Solo in The Force Awakens. I finally watched Witness for the first time this past Christmas during an unintentional Harrison Ford marathon that began with listening to Screen Junkies Movie Fights’ heady discussions about Ford’s importance in Indiana Jones, Blade Runner and Regarding Henry. I knew of it throughout the 1990s, but the opportunity or interest to watch it never produced itself. I never got to watch Witness when it came out in 1985 seeing as I wasn’t even conceived then.
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