PBS looks beyond the horse and buggies to find the real ‘Amish’

The Amish, the 120-minute documentary that first premiered on American Experience on PBS, is the perfect type of introspective storytelling. It examines an often misunderstood group of people, studying their rituals, values and beliefs, but never passing judgment or treating the subjects in an undignified manner. The editorial piece, written and dirtied by David Belton and now available on DVD, doesn’t turn away from the tough questions or the areas of interest that many American viewers will have, but it also tries to depict these Anabaptist communities in a truer sense — less like a tourist attraction and more like a living, struggling population of devoted Christians.

The cinematography is beautiful, thanks in large part to the pastoral land of Lancaster County, Pa., where many of the Amish call home. The verdant farms and dusty country roads are expertly captured by Tim Cragg. This is a picture of the Amish at all times of the day and all times of the year. So we see these communities and their living space covered in snow, in the middle of a warm summer and as the leaves begin to grow.

Much of the early exposition has to do with the central question: Who are the Amish? What are their beliefs? What’s their history, and how does that story tie into the modern day? Because the community believes closeups are against the second commandment (“Thou shalt not make graven images…”), all of the footage of the Amish is from afar. We see them toiling away in fields and in the kitchen, but the camera never focuses on their faces. When they speak intimately to the camera, it’s always portrayed as a voiceover. This can be quite frustrating to audience members looking to get closer to this community and learn detailed information, but, in many ways, this refusal to be captured on film is very indicative of the overall faith. As one commentator puts it: The Amish want to be in this world, but not necessarily of it. Their distance from society is what makes up most of the content in the two-hour documentary.

The more sensational (and misunderstood) topics of shunning and Rumspringa are also discussed. And the filmmakers are able to bring both occurrences to life with real people, including a 20-year-old who left the community, but yearns to have a connection to his parents. One scene shows groups of teenage Amish enjoying fireworks at a high school football game. They talk and laugh and enjoy one another’s company — and we’re told this is the more accurate depiction of Rumspringa, a time for some Amish to socialize on weekends to eventually find a husband or wife.

The most revealing section of the TV special deals with the tragic massacre of 5 young Amish girls in 2006. It was a heinous crime against a group of defenseless pacifists. Charles Roberts, a local milk truck driver, allegedly entered a one-room schoolhouse and rounded up the girls. He shot 10 of them, killing five. It was a graphic scene that received national news coverage, but what many spectators may have not realized at the time was how forgiving the Amish community was to the killer and his family. Some of the victims’ parents even attended Roberts’ funeral — an act that seems almost impossible for others.

The Amish is an exquisite piece of broadcast journalism. It doesn’t turn away from the perceived negatives (there are several interviews with former Amish who were unfulfilled with the community life), but it also goes beyond the “tourist attraction” spectacle and tries to understand the Anabaptists from the inside out. As the documentary’s catch phrase goes: “The truth isn’t plain or simple.” These people are not stuck in the 18th century, wishing to never interact with modern-day luxuries. Their story is one of deep thoughtfulness, peace and struggle with the ever-changing times.

By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com

• The Amish

• American Experience on PBS

• Written and directed by David Belton

• Running time: 120 minutes

• Rating: