John Book (Harrison Ford) lives in two very different worlds
in the Witness. He starts the movie
as an aggressive cop who doesn’t care about anyone else. He puts the case over
the safety of Samuel (Lukas Haas) by forcing him to be directly involved in finding
the killer. Samuel is a young Amish boy who has never seen the outside world
before and Book forces him to help find the killer. Book never seems to take
into account that the young boy has just witnessed a murder and may need
psychological help. If Book would have been thinking about the safety of him he
would have protected the boy and been more sensitive about having the boy help
with the investigation.
Book’s
aggression is one thing that didn’t seem to change much throughout the film.
When he was a cop he was very violent. This is on full display when he slams
the wrong man up against the car so the boy can identify him. A less aggressive
man would have done more to make sure it was the right guy before beating the
hell out of him. Even when Book’s is separated from that violent lifestyle he
still shows his aggressive tendencies. The man who is taunting the Amish in the
middle of the road gets under Brook’s skin and Brook shows his violent side.
Schaeffer even tries to stop him but Brook basically tells him that violence is
his way of handling situations like this. He breaks the guys nose instead of
keeping his cool. He shows that even being taken away from the violent city
can’t take the aggressive cop tendencies out of him.
Book does
under go a change pretty soon after he is in the Amish community. He and Rachel
(Kelly McGillis) obviously have a thing for one another. In the beginning Book
doesn’t seem to care too much about what is best for her and her son but he
eventually shows that he does care about what is best for her. Even though he
has strong feelings for her he doesn’t force himself on her. He is careful
about how he acts with her and isn’t sexually aggressive with her because he
understands that not how her people do things and they would look down upon her
if they did. Book becomes a more caring person after spending time with the
Amish.
Book also
changes in the way of how he treats his relationship with Samuel. Like I said,
in the beginning he puts his work before the well being of Samuel. As the movie
goes on Book shows that he does care for Samuel and even teaches him things
that a father would teach a son. When Samuel is playing around with the gun,
Book lectures Samuel on why it isn’t ok to play with guns instead of just
getting angry with him. It’s telling that Book takes the time to teach Samuel
why it is wrong.
“Rather, what makes Witness unique
is its painstaking and loving depiction of life among the Amish"(Pfeiffer,
151). The audience can see that Book buys into this lifestyle. He helps out in
the community and takes an interest in Rachel and her son. He changes from
putting his work and himself first and learns to respect others and treat
people the right way. He goes from being a harsh, violent man into a more
caring and accepting person.
I think that you definitely have a good point about how the life Book lives with the amish changes him and forces him to learn to be a better person. However, I think that there is also a clear point that Book doesn't fit in with this society, and he never can. Being from the city Book is ingrained with the violence that is systematic, he is a police officer and deals with violent people to make his living. We see this when Book beats up the abusive tourists, and again at the end when Book kills his attackers, and uses Samuel as a human shield. Book has little choice but to remain in the amish community at first as he is injured, but once he falls for Rachel, and he realizes that he is safer hiding out there, he decides to stay until it is eventually too late. Along with this, the crooked cops would never have found Book if he hadn't punched out the tourists, because of his violence he essentially casts himself out of his place in the amish community. While Book does become a better person, and is more respectful and polite to the people around him in the amish community, in the end he doesn't belong there and he has to go back to the violent community in Philadelphia.
ReplyDeleteMichael D. Miller
ReplyDeleteBlog Response
Sanderon-Witness
On the contrary, I believe that John Book does care about people. He cares about the victims and the victims’ families who have to suffer without knowing who killed their loved one and why. They too are victims of the murder, not to mention the fact that it was a police officer that was murdered. Police tend to take the murder of one of their own more personally, because that murder is like one of their family members being killed. If Book didn’t care about people he would not be so passionate about his job and solving crimes. So, I disagree with you assessment that doesn’t care.
I agree that Book’s aggression did not disappear throughout the film, but is did dissipate to some degree. The scene that you cited when he went into the bar and grabbed the guy out of the bar, who fit the profile of the killer; black male, tall, well dressed, and brought him out to the car to show him to Samuel might have been a little over the top. But, I would assume that Book knows this subject from past experiences and it also appears that this subject is no stranger to being roughed up by the police for his past indiscretions. Book in no way “beat the hell out of him” as you wrote.
Have you ever been taunted and humiliated? How about in front of your family and friends? That punk was taunting people who were peace-loving and passive and he knew that he was not going to be challenged by any of them. I personally cheered when that punk bully was confronted, when he did not expect it, and his nose was broken. You don’t think that the bullying might have escalated to more violent acts in the future? What would have happened had those bullies began grabbing and taunting one of the Amish women? Would you have felt any differently about what Book did?
I agree with your assessment of how Book handled his attraction to Rachel. It would have been wrong for him to pursue her any further than he already did.
Book does care about Samuel and Rachel. He does what he can with the resources available to him to protect Samuel and Rachel. He has always had Samuel’s safety in mind. You must admit that it is a tough decision whether to put the psychological well-being of the child ahead of solving a murder and brining closure to the officer’s family. Children are resilient and especially with Samuel returning to his community, I am sure that Samuel will recover very well and may not even remember the incident when he grows older.
You are correct, Book adapts himself to the Amish lifestyle to some degree for the short time her is there. He learns that value of community and self-restraint. Book is certainly a better man for his experiences in the Amish community.