Film Analysis Form

Film Analysis Form
Title of Film: Witness Date: 1985
Director of Film: Peter Weir
Actors: Harrison Ford, Kelly McGillis, Josef Sommer
Type of Film：Thriller Romance
Summary and Analysis
There was a woman named Rachel, she was as an Amish. After her husband died, she took her son Samuel to her sister’s house in Philadelphia. When they waited in a train station, Samuel went to the toilet. In the toilet he witnessed a murder. He was a black man and he used a knife killed a man and at that time Samuel hide in a small room saw these happened. Soon, police station came to criminal scene for investigating. Samuel was the only one witness, police John Boke worried that the murderer would kill the little boy, so he took Samuel and his mother to his sister’s house. The next day, John took Samuel to the police station to distinguish same black man. He wanted Samuel can be supposed to recognize the criminal. In a piece of newspaper, Samuel found the murder and pointed to John. In a parking area, the black man appeared and he held the gun intended to kill John. John got two bullets and he was so worried about Samuel and his mother. Therefore, he drove them back home, although he was injured. John could not go back any more, so he began to live with Samuel’s families in Amish. During the life in Amish, he began to know more about the Amish people and loved Rachel. These criminals discovered John at the last. With the Amish people’s help, murderers got the punishment, and John went back to his home. Although he loved Rachel with each other, they had different lives.
Relation to Case Study
In the case study from Unit 12 and in this movie, we see that culture shocks are experienced by the characters in both of these stories. In case study 12, Dita studied in American, but she could not adjust the food and her roommates talking about sex frankly. Eventually, she wanted to give up and went back to her home. When Samuel arrived in Philadelphia, everything was curiosity to him and he even does not know how to use the water fountain. In addition, Amish people should pray before they have meal, John did not know, how awkward he was when he ate hot dogs with them.
Reaction to Film
I enjoyed this film very much because it was very attractive. At the same time, it helped me to know more about Amish people. They live near me in Pennsylvania, but I do not know them before. They use horses as their transports, and they dress old fashioned with black long skirts. They are very nice and friendly, even someone wants to make trouble. They live in their own worlds and few to contact with other people. Thus, when Samuel came to Philadelphia, he was so excited and everything to him is fresh. Amish people are also very brave and smart. When the black man wondered that someone was in the bathroom, Samuel was very smart that he was not discovered. At the end, Amish people helped John catch up the criminals. I will remember this film, although John left and he did not stay with Rachel. John was a hero he protected Rachel and her son. They could not stay along forever caused by culture shock.