Harrison Ford (The Fugitive) and Kelly McGillis (The Accused) star as would-be lovers from two different worlds in Witness, director Peter Weir’s (Picnic at Hanging Rock) Academy Award-winning neo-noir thriller which pits modernity against tradition. When a young Amish boy inadvertently witnesses a brutal murder while en route to Philadelphia with his recently widowed mother, Rachel (McGillis), Detective John Book (Ford) is assigned to the case. With the perpetrators desperate to silence the sole witness, Ford and his two wards are forced to hide out in the heart of the Amish community. As passions between Book and Rachel ignite, the killers close in, culminating in a dramatic, life-and-death clash of cultures that will change the lives of those involved forever. Noted for its sensitive portrayal of the Amish community, Witness features a career-best performance from Ford, earning him an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor. Now fully restored in 4K, Witness proves as timeless as it is masterful.

For thoughts on Witness, please check out our discussion on The Video Attic:

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Video Quality

Arrow Video presents Witness with a pretty impressive 2160p transfer in its original 1.85:1 aspect ratio sourced from a 4K restoration courtesy of Paramount graded in 4K HDR/Dolby Vision. The previous Blu-Ray release of Witness from Paramount first seen in 2015 has been criticized for being a very unnatural-looking disc derived from a DVD-era master that greatly compromised the natural image of the feature. This new release is a substantial improvement, but it does not quite reach perfection. We suspect this is in large part due to Paramount handling the restoration themselves instead of allowing Arrow Video to take the lead. This has been a recurring issue across many boutique labels where Paramount implements some bad habits that actually hinder instead of help.

With the core transfer, you will thankfully not find anything in the way of print damage. Where you first see signs of weakness is when it comes to the grain field. The film grain appears to have been retained to a point, but some moments appear to have a light touch of management – a Paramount special. Brighter areas seem to struggle the most, such as the bright, open skies. During these moments, grain seems to fluctuate a bit unnaturally in a way that lacks consistency. This is not a consistent issue, as most of the movie looks quite nice with more detail on display than ever before. The texture present in the costumes and within the setting is a welcome sight. When it comes to encoding, there do not seem to be many digital anomalies such as compression artifacts, banding, or any other such nuisances.

The application of Dolby Vision for increased color output appears to be implemented naturally by enhancing the natural beauty of the picture without boosting an unnatural palette. The new restoration features some colors in the landscape and production design that really stand out with deep complexity. You can appreciate the juxtaposition of the grimy urban landscapes with the vibrant rural community even more. This disc handles every carefully curated choice from director Peter Weir with ease. The black levels are strong with nothing in the way of crush present, and highlights are flawless with no evidence of blooming. Cinematographer John Seale captures some striking compositions within his framing which are a joy to explore with this disc. This presentation never lacks something to appreciate. While not quite perfect, this presentation is another pleasing effort from the crew at Arrow Video.

Audio Quality

The 4K UHD Blu-Ray of the film comes with two DTS-HD 2.0 stereo tracks (Theatrical and Home Video Mix) and a DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio track, all of which represent the film quite capably – with some caveats. The good news is that Arrow Video has finally provided a complete audio track that represents the film as it was presented theatrically. The Theatrical Mix does not include the enhanced sound effects that were introduced during the DVD era and has been present ever since on home entertainment. The inclusion of this original mix also restores a line of dialogue that was strangely omitted during the remastering process of that time. The other two audio tracks represent this revisionist choice for the audio that sounds perfectly good for what it is. As we are purists, we would recommend going with the Theatrical Mix, but we are glad to have several different options.

Dialogue comes through clearly without being overshadowed by the sound effects or music. The memorable score from Maurice Jarre brings a very distinct mood to the proceedings that is represented well in the mix. The environment of both the rural countryside and the city creates a din of sound that creeps through to provide some excellent ambient details. All of the various sounds in the mix seem accurately rendered so that nothing ever feels off. There are moments of violence that add some notable intensity without becoming a muddled mess in the fallout. Everything is presented with a strong fidelity that garners no complaints. This presentation is free of any hiss or other age-related wear-and-tear. Arrow Video has covered all of their bases here in a way that fans will appreciate.

Special Features

The Limited Edition Collector’s Set of the Arrow Video Blu-Ray of Witness comes beautifully packaged in a hard outer case and includes a 60-page bound book featuring four essays from Dennis Capicik, Martyn Conterio, John Harrison, and Amanda Reyes which delve into the film from multiple angles. These works provide a great analysis of the film in a thoughtfully written style. This package also includes a double-sided poster and six double-sided collector’s postcards. The on-disc special features are as follows:

Audio Commentary: Film Historian Jarret Gahan uses his deep knowledge of the history and production of this film to relay rich anecdotes about the development of the script and subsequent film, the shooting locations, the background of the performers large and small, the costume choices, the work of director Peter Weir, and much more.

The Eye Of The Witness: A new 15-minute interview with cinematographer John Seale in which he reflects on his time making Witness, working with Peter Weir, the difficulty of shooting around the real-life Amish people, the visual aesthetic of the feature, favoring performance over the technical perfection of a shot, and more.

Show…Don’t Tell: A new 15-minute visual essay is provided in which film journalist Staci Layne Wilson delves into the nuances of Witness, the transition to Hollywood for director Peter Weir, his dynamic with Harrison Ford, the themes of the feature, the naturalism of the performances, and more.

Harrison Ford In Conversation: A seven-minute archival interview with Harrison Ford in which he discusses the movie with critic Bobbie Wygant including the aspects that appealed to him, the opportunities that his success has allowed him, the search for creative satisfaction, and more.

Between Two Worlds – The Making Of Witness: A five-part archival documentary totaling 64 minutes is provided here which features interviews with Harrison Ford, Kelly McGillis, Peter Weir, John Seale, producer Edward S. Feldman, and actors Lukas Haas, Patti LuPone and Viggo Mortensen. This piece explores the genesis of the project, bringing the Amish society to life, respecting the culture, the technical details of the feature, the chemistry between the main characters, and the conclusion of the film.

A Conversation with Peter Weir: A seven-minute archival interview with the director in which he discusses his work on the project, striving for authenticity, the look of the film, and more.

EPK Featurettes: Two vintage featurettes are provided here featuring Peter Weir, Harrison Ford, and Kelly McGillis discussing the film in broad terms.

Deleted Scene: A four-minute unused scene from the network television airing of the film is provided here featuring a slight clashing of cultures.

Theatrical Trailer: A minute–and–a–half trailer is provided here.

Image Gallery: A collection of stills, behind-the-scenes photos, and marketing material is provided here.

Final Thoughts

Witness is one of the truly exceptional films to come from the ‘80s. Peter Weir gently guides this story through the hurried thrills of its crime aspects into the captivating humanism of the character growth and romance in a way that never feels tonally jarring. Harrison Ford has rarely been better, and his chemistry with Kelly McGillis steams up the screen in a way few pairings can match these days. This film delivers everything that Hollywood filmmaking should aspire to do from a craft, performance, and storytelling perspective. Arrow Video has released a 4K UHD Blu-Ray featuring a really good A/V presentation and a favorable amount of special features. If you are a fan of the film, this release is a welcome sight. Highly Recommended

Witness will be available to purchase on 4K UHD Blu-Ray on November 7, 2023. The film is currently available on Blu-Ray

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the 4K UHD Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: Arrow Video has supplied a copy of this set free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.