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Poster for The Witness

The Witness

1978 · 90 min

A slow-burning, cynical crime drama that keeps you uneasy as innocence and guilt blur.

Overview
An Italian painter, Antonio Berti, pays a visit to Reims to his friend Robert Maurisson, a banker with political views on the town hall, who hides, under an affable air and an irreproachable dignity, a libertine and cynical temperament. Charged by the notable with the restoration of paintings exhibited in the cathedral, the artist calls on Cathy, a young girl from the choir, to serve as his model. The young girl will be found dead a few hours after their interview, near one of Robert's properties.

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In the UKNo streaming, rental or purchase options known.
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How it feels

Written by AI. It can be wrong.

Tone
  • darkstrength 2 of 3
  • cynicalstrength 2 of 3
  • tensestrength 2 of 3
  • melancholicstrength 1 of 3
Pacing
slow-burn, 1 of 4, from slow-burn to relentless
Attention
engaged, 3 of 4, from background-friendly to demanding
Themes
  • betrayal
  • justice
  • guilt
  • deception
  • morality
Places
  • big city
  • single country house
Era
contemporary
Audience
adult
Form
  • twist ending
Content intensity
  • Gore mild
  • Language mild
  • Violence mild
  • Sex mild
All scales, 0 to 10
Scales, 0 to 10
ScaleValue0 to 10
Action3
Horror2
Humour3
Realism7
Romance1
Tension7
Darkness7
Complexity6
Emotional weight6

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Where to watch in the UK

No UK streaming, rental or purchase options are known.

Streaming data from JustWatch.TMDB

Details

Genres
crime, drama
Directed by
Jean-Pierre Mocky
Written by
Sergio Amidei, Jean-Pierre Mocky, Augusto Caminito, Jacques Dreux
Starring
Alberto Sordi, Philippe Noiret, Roland Dubillard, Gisèle Préville, Consuelo Ferrara, Paul Crauchet, Sandra Dobrigna, Gérard Hoffmann
Music
Piero Piccioni
Cinematography
Sergio D'Offizi
Runtime
90 min
Country
France
Languages
French

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