Bill Kelley and Earl W. Wallace effectively use visual language to create a rich story in Witness. The action is riddled with images in the description, report, and comment. The title sequence alone contains great examples. "Young children are presented in CLOSEUP, as they walk TOWARD US..." In this phrase, the writers illustrate the action of the characters and the movement of the camera. "SOUNDS OF A GREGORIAN FUNERAL CHANT...CAMERA PANS UP...all are dressed in the distinctive clothing of the Amish." The first part depicts audio; the second, technical comment; and the third, description of characters. Unlike other screenwriters, Kelley and Wallace fill the action with sounds. This allows the reader to visualize and hear the sounds of a scene.
Whereas heavy description hurts some screenplays like Matthison's A Boy's Life, the visual language in Witness allows the reader to experience a world and culture that many of us modern people find alien. In this case, it benefited the audience more to read description through action than dialogue.
-Fernando Rosas
Discussion Questions:
1. Who was McFee's PARTNER in the bathroom scene in the beginning of the story? Was it Schaeffer? Why was it not revealed? Does it matter?
2. Does it really matter how accurate the screenplay portrays Amish people? They don't even watch movies.
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I thought his name was McElroy in the screenplay. I think his partner could have been anybody, I seriously doubt though that Schaeffer would have presented himself in public like that. He seemed to be more of an administrator to me. I don't think it matters who the partner was, and I don't think Samuel could have recognized him.
I think it's a matter of honor to present Amish people correctly. And there are people who have been raised in Amish communities who have compromised into the real world. I'm sure they wouldn't have been happy if the movie'd portrayed them incorrectly.
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