Great Scene: “Witness”

Oscar-winning project has been called a B-movie with an A-movie treatment.

IMDb plot summary: A young Amish boy is sole witness to a murder; policeman John Book goes into hiding in Amish country to protect him.

If I asked you to name the most memorable scene in Witness (1985), it would probably be this one: Where young Samuel witnesses a murder in a Philadelphia train station bathroom. It is an incident that unbeknownst to the story’s Protagonist John Book (Harrison Ford) will become his Call To Adventure. Here is the scene from the script:

ANGLE IN MEN'S ROOM
As Samuel enters.
It's a long row of sinks, urinals, and stalls... Samuel stops 
before one of the urinals – a long, trough-like affair with 
water drizzling down the rear porcelain panel.
It's set a little high for Samuel, and it is making GLUGGING 
FLUSHING NOISES that are, at least, intimidating. Samuel 
stares for a moment, then turns, looks toward the stalls, 
stoops to see which are empty.
HIS POV – TOILETS
Beneath the row of doors we can see no feet visible. Samuel 
is alone in the restroom.
BACK TO SCENE
As Samuel proceeds along the row of door, finally selects a 
stall near the end. He enters. As he does so, a heavily 
bearded youth in a dirty sweatshirt enters. With some urgency, 
he removes small notebook from his pocket and places it behind 
a paper towel dispenser. Suddenly he glances up.
Two other men have entered the men's room; one is a large 
BLACK MAN in a three-piece suit under an expensive, overcoat. 
His PARTNER is a Caucasian in designer jeans, half boots and 
a short leather jacket.
They advance on the young man with unmistakable menace.
The young man whirls in terror; his two assailants lunge for 
him... a savage, wordless struggle ensues in the close 
confines of the lavatory.
ANGLE IN SAMUEL'S STALL
As the struggling men bounce off the door of his stall... he 
can see their feet under the edge of the door.
BACK TO FIGHT
As the struggle builds to a climax... ends with the young 
man stiffening with a grunt, his face draining of color.
The two attackers step away, the blade in the black man's 
hand bloodstained. His partner stares at what they've 
accomplished with a stunned expression:
                          PARTNER
              Jesus...
The young man's hand comes away from his belly covered with 
blood.
He stares at it, staggers toward the sinks. Finally his 
bloodied hand reaches to smear at his face in the mirror. 
Then he collapses to the floor.
The black man motions for his partner to watch the door, 
then quickly reaches up and removes the notebook from behind 
the dispenser.
ANGLE IN SAMUEL'S STALL
As he edges open the stall door a crack. Over his shoulder 
we can see the black man, his BACK TO US, rifling the 
backpack. But beyond him, in the mirror on the far wall, we 
catch sight of the black man's face.
SAMUEL
As he stares out the narrow crack. A beat, then he closes 
the stall door.
ANGLE IN STALL
Samuel tries to make the latch work, but it's warped and 
won't fall closed.
BLACK MAN
As he checks the notebook before placing it in his pocket. 
His partner is covering the door, an automatic in his hand.
The black man makes for the exit, then on second thought, 
glances at the row of stalls.
HIS POV – STALLS
All quiet, but...
BACK TO SCENE
The black man whips out a .38 caliber revolver, and, starting 
at the near end, starts pushing open the stall doors.
ANGLE IN SAM'S STALL
As the black man approaches, Samuel working desperately on 
the latch. At the last minute he finally wedges it in.
BLACK MAN
He elbows Samuel's stall... the door won't open.
ANGLE IN SAM'S STALL
Fighting back panic, Samuel has retreated as far as he can.
BLACK MAN
As he gives the door a kick. It holds. He swears under his 
breath.
ANGLE IN SAM'S STALL
In desperation, Samuel does the only thing he can think of... 
he slips under the partition into the neighboring stall the 
black man just checked out. But he loses his hat in the 
process. His hand snakes back INTO FRAME to snatch it just 
as the black man gives the door a ferocious kick that 
splinters the lock and nearly takes it off its hinges. He's 
framed there, the big muzzle of the .38 revolver looking 
down our throats.
ANGLE
As his partner snaps from the doorway:
                           PARTNER
              Will you come on, for Christ's sakes!
A beat, then the black man holsters his weapon, turns to follow the partner out.
BACK TO SAMUEL
As we hear the SOUND OF THE TWO MEN EXITING the lavatory. A 
long beat, then Samuel opens the stall door a crack.
HIS POW THROUGH DOOR
Samuel's own face reflected in the blood-smeared mirror... 
then PANNING DOWN to the still figure of the young man lying 
in the crimson pool of his own blood on the floor.

Here is the scene from the movie:

This is one of those movies that lays out perfectly in terms of character archetypes:

Protagonist: John Book
Nemesis: Schaeffer, McFee, Fergie (the bad cops)
Attractor: Rachel Lapp
Mentor: Eli Lapp, the Amish community
Trickster: Samuel Lapp

Screenplay by Earl W. Wallace & William Kelley, story by William Kelley and Pamela Wallace & Earl W. Wallace.

Comment Archive