听 One of the winning features of "Witness" is the beautiful cinematography that captures the Amish landscape in this unusual thriller. The DVD release does a lot to complement the imagery and its symbolism is explained in an interview with director Peter Weir on the disc.
That's not to give the DVD full marks for picture quality, as opening scenes like the field of green corn in chapter 2 is quite grainy and there is print damage. But as the film progresses the picture improves with the fabulous barn-raising scene in chapter 7, clear as a bell.
The sound score has been upgraded to a 5.1 mix that adds a considerable amount of subtle effects to enhance the brooding Amish countryside. The music gains power as well although this is not of benefit, with Maurice Jarre's Vangelis-styled score dated and wholly inappropriate to the movie today.
Included on the disc are the trailer and a 7 minute interview with Peter Weir. It is all too short as Peter Weir imparts fascinating information about the film's cinematography. More would have been nice but this still remains a good release of an excellent thriller.
Chapters: 17
Ratio: 1.78:1
Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1
Extra Features: Scene selection, interview with Peter Weir, trailer, multiple languages, subtitles and English for the hearing impaired.
