Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/17/84; site mhuxr.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxr!mfs From: mfs@mhuxr.UUCP (SIMON) Newsgroups: net.movies Subject: Re: notes on Witness (semi spoiler) Message-ID: <249@mhuxr.UUCP> Date: Wed, 13-Feb-85 13:45:24 EST Article-I.D.: mhuxr.249 Posted: Wed Feb 13 13:45:24 1985 Date-Received: Thu, 14-Feb-85 02:23:59 EST References: <68@ism70.UUCP> Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories, Murray Hill Lines: 18 > [WITNESS] fails to address a fatal structural flaw that > makes it drag on from the middle to the concluding scenes. > I felt that the film addressed the conflict between the Amish world and that of a detective from the Philadelphia police force very well. The Amish point of view, as explained by old Eli to young Samuel when the child is found playing with Book's gun is that involvement with evil automatically corrupts, even if the involvement was innocent. The fact that despite his best efforts, Book deos not fit in is graphically demonstrated by his several phone calls, and especially by his beating up the young toughs harassing the Godunov character. In my opinion, the thriller aspect of the plot is only a cover for the essential point, which is the contrast between the peaceful, picturesque and pastoral world of the Amish and the violent, grimy and hurried world of John Book. Book's world and that of the bad guys do not differ by much: they are both evil. Marcel Simon