A clash of cultures. Or, rather, a clash of cultures as they are imagined in Hollywood.
But this is a rather intriguing telling of narratives in conflict—one that revolves largely around “me” and another that revolves largely around “we”. Any intelligent man or woman is able to embrace the best of both worlds. Though I suspect none is intelligent enough to distinguish that philosophically.
Note: There is what has got to be one of the most passionaite kisses ever filmed. Truly, love and lust on an epic scale.
I wonder how many takes it took.
WITNESS
Directed by Peter Weir
[b]Rachel: Are you enjoying your reading?
John: Oh yeah. I’m learning a lot about manure.
…
Eli: 4:30. Time for milking.
…
Eli: You never had your hands on a teat before.
John: Not one this big. [Long pause; then Eli roars with laughter]
…
Rachel: You don’t understand. We want nothing to do with your laws.
John: Doesn’t surprise me. A lot of people I meet are like that.
…
John: [after Samuel and Rachel converse in German] What’d he say?
Rachel: He asked who you are, your name. I told him we didn’t need to know anything about you.
John: Book… John Book.
…
Rachel: Will you be coming back to take Samuel to trial?
John: There isn’t going to be any trial.
…
Rachel: My God, why didn’t you get to a hospital?
John: No, no doctor. Gunshot wound, they have to make a report. If they make a report, they find me…and if they find me they find the boy.
…
Schaeffer: Are you trying to tell me there is no way we can locate this woman? We’re talking about 20th century law enforcement, Sergeant.
Sergeant: Well there’s your problem, Chief. The Amish don’t live in the 20th Century, don’t think in the 20th Century. If the Amish have taken your man in I wouldn’t want to hang on a rope until you find him. The problem is, about every third Amish man around here is named Lapp. And we have upwards of 14,000 Amish around. And that’s just in Lancaster County. I don’t have the manpower to send a deputy to every Lapp farm to see if they’ve got your Rachel.
Schaeffer: Maybe, Sergeant, you could do a little telephoning.
Sergeant: Yeah, maybe I could. But since the Amish don’t have any phones, I wouldn’t know who to call.
Schaeffer: Thank you, Sergeant. It’s been an education.
…
John: How do I look? Do I look Amish.
Rachel: You look plain.
…
Rachel: You know carpentry. Can you do anything else?
John: Whacking. I’m hell at whacking
…
Eli: What is it with you? Is this the Ordnung?
Rachel: I have done nothing against the rule of the Ordnung.
Eli: Nothing? You bring this man to our house with the gun of the hand. You bring fear to this house.
Rachel: I’ve commited no sin.
Eli: Maybe. Maybe not yet. But, Rachel, it does not look good. You know there has been talk. Talk about going to the Bishop and having you shunned.
Rachel: That is idle talk.
Eli: Do not take it lightly. Rachel, they can do it. They can do it just like that…You know what it means, shunning. I cannot sit at table with you. I cannot take anything from your hand. I cannot go to worship with you. Child, do not go so far.
Rachel: I’m not a child.
Eli: But you are acting like one.
Rachel: I’ll be the judge of that.
Eli: No, they will be the judge of that. And so will I. If you shame me…
Rachel: You shame yourself.
…
Schaeffer: I know he’s with the Amish. God, I’d give anything to see him now. Can you see John at a prayer meeting?!
…
Eli: It’s not our way.
John: But it’s my way.
Eli: Book! No!
…
Rachel: I should tell you this kind of coat doesn’t have buttons. See? Hooks and eyes.
John: Something wrong with buttons?
Rachel: Buttons are proud and vain, not plain.
John: Got anything against zippers?
Rachel: Are you making fun of me?
John [softly]: No.
…
John: If we’d made love last night I’d have to stay. Or you’d have to leave
…
Eli: This gun of the hand is for the taking of human life. We believe it is wrong to take a life. That is only for God. Many times wars have come and people have said to us: you must fight, you must kill, it is the only way to preserve the good. But Samuel, there’s never only one way. Remember that. Would you kill another man?
Samuel: I would only kill the bad man.
Eli: Only the bad man. I see. And you know these bad men by sight? You are able to look into their hearts and see this badness?
Samuel: I can see what they do. I have seen it.
…
Rachel: He’s leaving, isn’t he?
Eli: Tomorrow morning. He’ll need his city clothes.
Rachel: But why? What’s he going back to? Nothing.
Eli: He’s going back to his world, where he belongs. He knows it, and you know it, too.[/b]