The Amish depicted in the movie “Witness” and their awareness of the other world

The light and darkness of the Amish that caused a stir after the movie was released.

The existence of the Amish became widely known not only in the United States but also around the world through ``Witness''. Their simple lifestyle, community ties, and teachings of nonviolence and forgiveness have become famous, and they are often introduced as an ideal lifestyle.

The Amish's teachings of nonviolence and forgiveness were further shocked and moved by the 2006 shootings.

In Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, the setting for ``John Book'', a neighbor barricaded himself in an elementary school where Amish children study, killing five girls and seriously injuring five others. The man who committed the crime said he hated God and took his own life when surrounded by police.

At this time, the Amish community not only mourned the victims and victims, but also treated the criminal's family as neighbors without blaming them, and tried to stand by and support them. The deceased girl's family invited the killer's family to the funeral, and some Amish people also attended the funeral. In accordance with God's teachings, they also "forgave" the criminal.

This extraordinary generosity was widely reported and hailed by many as an example of the futility of retaliation. It also sparked debate about its pros and cons and developed into a social phenomenon. In any case, this incident proves the strength of their faith when they commit heinous crimes and violence.

However, recently, incidents unique to closed communities have been reported.

In January 2020, Cosmopolitan magazine published an investigative article exposing the darkness of the Amish. In Amish communities, there are many cases of women being sexually abused by their fathers and brothers, but families and communities encourage them to forgive rather than hold grudges, and there is no room for police or local government to intervene, and victims' voices are heard. It is said that it has been suppressed.

Of course, abuse does not occur in all families, but the image of poor people who continue to maintain a simple lifestyle was just the surface. Even before the Cosmopolitan article, there had been reports of rape and abuse occurring within Amish households. However, what was so shocking about this article was that it exposed a system of concealment that had been established over a long tradition, such as the existence of correctional facilities that segregated female victims.

What you should keep in mind is that movies are just a gateway into an unknown world. A two-hour movie is packed with rich possibilities, but you can't learn everything from a movie. Also, once you know about the real-life incident, there is no need to completely deny the movie or the Amish, nor is there a need to go out of your way to affirm it.

However, by rewatching ``Witness'' from a current perspective, 36 years after its release, I think we can gain some new insights. I believe that movies grow in this way and surpass the intentions of their creators.

Text: Akira Murayama

Born in 1971. Writes articles for magazines, newspapers, movie sites, etc. Representative of “ShortCuts,” a review site for distribution-based works.

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