The Amish world, however, is the direct opposite to this, a point that, I think, Peter Weir wanted highlighted. The amount of care and attention that is exhibited by nearly every item in view in all of the Amish scenes is in direct contrast with that of the modern world. Each item in the Amish household shows the care and attention to detail that can only be achieved by time-consuming labour done by hand. From the lemonade they drink to the buildings they build, this is displayed in every aspect of their life. The misc on scene always has a very old fashioned feel to it, almost classical in nature. Moving on however, it is with objects that we see the first clash between the two cultures, a clash between care and convenience, as seen when the horse and cart is the cause of a traffic jam due to its slow, stately pace. This is one of Peter Weirs most obvious uses of symbolism, representing the Amish way of life holding up modern progress. This movie also seems to serve as a reminder to how many of life’s little moments that we fail to enjoy and appreciate properly, as we are too busy trying to keep up with the buzz of modern life. The fact that Amish people bottle fruit, and have cows for fresh milk, shows how much they care and fully enjoy the simpler things, which we “Modern-age” people tend to ignore.
One of the Amish culture idioms, however, is to avoid vanity at any cost. This means that typical Amish dress is plain, and tries to raise nondescript to an art form. This is thought to avoid attention and retain purity. On the other hand, modern clothing is a city dwellers scream for attention with loud designer labels that seem to say “LOOK AT ME!” The first impression the viewer gets of the Amish community is one of being very old fashioned and reserved. This is in direct contrast with the average city goer which, in comparison, all seem relaxed and easy going, perhaps due to all the undone top buttons etc. This is the director’s way of reinforcing our first impressions of the two cultures, that of the Amish being rigid and morally upstanding, and the Modern man being slack and careless. Clothing is also used in a way to show conflict between the opposing worlds, as the feeling that the viewer gets when Rachel gives John her dead husbands clothing, is one of incompatibility, as if the two worlds should never be brought together in such a way. This is displayed by how uncomfortable John looks, and how unnatural the clothes appear to be on him. This however changes completely, towards the end where Rachel, in a small act of rebellion, pulls of her cap and goes out to meet John. Although this is one of the few scenes where the two cultures come together relatively smoothly, it is also symbolic in the way that Rachel is still nearly entirely clad in Amish clothes, therefore still inseparably tied to her world. This adds a great deal of irony to the scene, as, even with Rachel casting off some of the Amish way of life, it will never be enough, and so, in this film at least, love does not conquer all.
Sound fits very smoothly into the film, and is as important as the visuals in defining the two disparate societies. The modern world is a frantic, busy and unnatural place, filled with frantic, busy and unnatural sounds. From the electronic beep of a mobile phone to the deep roar of a bus engine, all of the sounds in the city are harsh and unnatural. Some of the sounds in the city make people tense, such as the sound of a siren, which only heralds a unpleasant circumstance, and therefore has the same effect on the viewer. Other areas in the city, such as the police office, have a permanent array of ambient sounds, be they people talking, phones ringing, or even handcuffs jangling, they all convey a sense of stress and overall unpleasantness to the scene. Peter Weir hardly, if ever, portrays the city as a comfortable environment; instead he illustrates it as a place of conflict and tension.
In comparison, the Amish community is in direct contrast. Similar the city, the countryside never silent, but instead the ambience of the scene instils a feeling of safety, almost as if the countryside is a haven. Sounds which are associated with a calm and ideally setting, such as birdsong and a gentle breeze blowing etc. are commonplace within the Amish community. This is a device used by the director to make the audience relax and wind down from the tension inspired by the previous city scenes. Although, as previously stated, none of the scenes are truly silent, the ambient noise level is significantly toned down, giving the Amish community a relaxed, pleasant tone to it.
Music is used to good effect in many of the scenes and is used as yet another contrast between the two cultures. This contrast is evident in the murder scene, where the music used has a very fast, tense rhythm and tempo. The tension is highlighted by the fact that previous to the electronic dirge used, there was no background track running and very little ambient sound. The music has no sense of harmony whatsoever and the instruments used are as artificial as everything else in the urban scenes, consisting of electronic beats and instruments. This is combined with the violence of the scene to have an even greater effect upon the viewer. The suspense is tangible when the corrupt policemen start searching the cubicle, as the music slows down to a hypnotic beat which increases in tempo as the policeman gets closer to where Samuel is hiding. This method of inducing tension is repeated when Book’s partner retrieves Samuels file from the office. The music gives the strong sense that he shouldn’t be there and the danger he is in of being caught. The music that is played in the urban scenes is a mirror of the city way of life, modern, electric and lacking harmony.
Conversely the music played in the Amish barn raising scene is the exact opposite. The barn raising scene is almost quintessential to the Amish way of life, and the music reflects this. To raise the barn, the entire Amish community comes together to work as a team, exactly as the instruments creating the harmony in the music do. The music in the Amish scene is in direct contrast with the city music, as it pleasant and natural. The instruments are all classical, made out of natural materials and are working together to make something that is a delight to listen to. This point in the film also provides a brilliantly crafted sound bridge which links nicely to the bell ringing scene.
This sound bridge comes into play in the final scenes where the community comes together to avert disaster at the hands of Schaffer. This personifies how close knit and caring the Amish community is. This is demonstrated by how all the community comes together as one big family. This image is also accented, and encouraged, by the music which, when playing, makes the viewer feel extremely relaxed and comfortable. The dancing in the barn scene is probably the most important scene in the entire film, as it portrays the walls between Rachel and John coming down, and the two cultures coming together. It is the lyrics of the song which require the most attention in this scene, not the beat or instruments. The lyrics personify the couple’s ignorance of each others’ society. The lyrics also suggest that the ignorance is irrelevant as long as the love each other, but, unfortunately, we know that in the end this isn’t the case.
Lighting is a great way to set the tone of a scene, and Peter Weir uses this to good effect. The city scenes are separated from the Amish scenes quite obviously through use of lighting. The city lighting is that of which is employed by most modern establishments these days: unattractive, cheap strip lighting. This overhead lighting is the key light, which allows for very few shadows. This allows the murder scene to be very graphic, and so at no point is any detail obscured by shadow. This gives the scene a clinical feel, and lets the viewer know the murder was premeditated and very much in cold blood. This is also true of the police office, which is always busy. That fact alone implies there is a lot of crime committed in the urban settings. The lighting does little to soften the ugliness of the scene, if anything they add to the hectic and distressing feel to the city.
In opposition to this, the countryside scenes are ALWAYS sunny and pleasant. This makes the Amish community seem infinitely more attractive than the city scenes. The Amish lighting is always natural and easy on the eyes whilst the city lighting is never natural. This always lets the viewer know which culture he/she is observing. However in the bedroom scene, the lighting exudes a sense of being ill prepared and uncertainty, and it seems to represent John hovering on the edge of death. The fact that they are treating his wounds by the light of a gas lamp which doesn’t even show the full extent of his injuries gives the feeling that he should be in a hospital who can properly deal with a gunshot wound, not in a country house.
The lighting in the scene where Rachel and John dance in the barn is very important. It signifies the two cultures moulding into one, as it is not only lit by the Amish gas lamp, but also by the car headlights. The two lights come together nicely, and provide a pleasant ambience. This is symbolic, as, at the same time, Rachel and John are falling in love.
The framing of the Amish scenes are nearly always fixed shots of lovely country scenes. These shots allow us to take in the full beauty of the countryside and surroundings. It also adds an element of humour to the scene as we see the huge traffic jam tagging along after the horse and cart. This is an example, as mentioned earlier, of the clash between the two societies. The shot in the fast food diner is used to add a feeling of tension to the scene, the unpleasantness and danger associated with the city. This is achieved by showing the huge buses turning within an arms length of where they are sitting. The fixed shot takes in as much of the scene outside, as it does of that inside, which increases the tension further as they they seen totally unaware of events around them. Rachel and Samuel are markedly different from everyone else present, not only by their clothes, but by their bearing as well. This makes them seem especially vulnerable amidst the bustle of city life. The framing in the parting scene is very powerful as not only does it show each and every emotion across Johns face, but also the long road back to civilisation stretching over the horizon. The close ups show the reluctance John shows over leaving Rachel and the conflicting emotions he feels. Finally he pulls up the courage to walk away and in the long shot we see him pass the Amish man on the way back to the city. This is a tragic tear jerker moment which the director milks for every bit of audience reaction he can get.
The film “witness” is excellent entertainment and is extremely effective in showing both clash between modern American and the Amish way of life. As previously stated I believe this theme adds a great deal of substance to the plot and a huge entertainment factor, especially when John hits the American baiting the Amish people. Overall I would say that this is a well directed piece and that Peter weir has done a very good job!
