Witness

Unit Essay

Peter Weir’s ‘Witness’ is a perfect example to show the many opposites and clashes in cultures. The main clashes viewed in ‘Witness’ include the Amish and Urban views and ways of life. The Amish live very simple lives free of violence and technology which in ‘Witness’ is the very opposite to the urban world.
The first clash we see is early in the movie where an Amish group travels to the city in a horse and carriage. The viewer sees the horse and cart holding up a seemingly enormous truck. The horse and cart is tiny compared to the built up industrial town which surrounds it and seems very out of place in the very busy and fast paced streets of the urban world. A number of techniques are used by Weir to exaggerate this clash including the use of long full shots which show the large city in the background in comparison to the cart.
The barn raising scene clearly out lines w...