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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