Witness Essay

A clash of different cultures that come together briefly cannot mix, although concise co-existing is possible, an ongoing amalgamation is not. In Peter Weir’s film Witness, this is the case through the growing relationship between John Book and Rachel Lapp. Where Rachel embodies the traditional ideals of the Amish, she is juxtaposed with John who reflects the conflicting ideals of the modern world. Although through their forbidden love Rachel and John briefly come together, they ultimately cannot co-exist as their relationship does not come to fruition. Consequently the themes of traditional/religious values in local communities VS the modern globalised world and forbidden love become central to the film, facilitated through different camera techniques. These techniques reinforce emotions such as sadness and romance that are being expressed through the visuals, collaborating to demonstrate a clash between the city and the country.
It is difficult for relationships to exist in most situations when a cultural conflict is present. A conflict between traditional modern values is represented in the film Witness. The traditional values are represented by the Amish people. The movie begins with the depiction of the Amish community through a panning shot of the country through grassy fields, symbolising the peaceful and natural world in which they live. The traditional values are furthered through the fact that the Amish reject modern technologies. This is depicted through their old modes of transportation, using only a horse drawn carriage to commute. Weir uses a long shot to juxtapose the modern vehicles with the horse drawn carriage in the frame, thus demonstrating the conflicting values between the Amish and the modern world. Hence, a clash of cultures that comes together but eventually does not mix is illustrated. The horse drawn carriage reflects and aspect of traditionalism and security, which is contrasted with the low angle shot of a train approaching which...