Editing Witness (1985 film) (section)

==Themes==
In his book ''The Amish in the American Imagination'' (2001), scholar David Weaver-Zercher notes that ''Witness'' is primarily concerned with the intersection of contrasting cultures, a recurring theme in several of Weir's films, including ''[[The Last Wave]]'' (1977) and ''[[The Year of Living Dangerously (film)|The Year of Living Dangerously]]'' (1982).{{sfn|Weaver-Zercher|2001|p=154}} Weaver-Zercher notes that the conflict between Amish and non-Amish as depicted in ''Witness'' "reflect[s] well on the Amish ways" and also serves as a redemption story for Captain Book, who regains a new sense of humanity during his displacement in the Amish community.{{sfn|Weaver-Zercher|2001|pages=154–155}}