Silence is the newest feature film by director Martin Scorsese. It lives up to the expectations one likely has of this master director. The use of silence in this film is often powerful and a theme that Rodrigues (Andrew Garfield) struggles with internally. The layers of depth that Scorsese is able to create in this story of Jesuit priests from Portugal who travel to Japan searching for answers of their mentor’s fate.
Silence is the newest film from Martin Scorsese
The Japanese inquisitor has been persecuting christians in Japan. Rodrigues and Garrpe (Adam Driver) hear that their mentor, Ferreira (Liam Neeson), has become an apostasy and is living in Japan. They refuse to believe their mentor would denounce his faith and set out to find the truth while also assisting the Christians in Japan.
The story in the film is one that asks the question about faith, religion, self doubt, and cultural assimilation among other things. Scorsese and cinematographer Rodrigo Preito tell this complex story visually in stunning ways. From the framing of shots using a POV of Rodrigues behind wooden bars to the beautiful fog and mist used to create a supernatural feeling of the foreign land, Silence is a stunning film. The landscapes are gorgeous and that is offset by the heinous killings that include men being tied to crosses, burned, or beheaded.
The acting of Garfield, Driver, and Neeson are all subtle and powerful. The emotion each man is able to portray in their eyes alone make for deeply moving performances. The cast is filled with Japanese actors who add so much depth to the story and share their suffering with the missionaries. Particularly Mokichi (Shin’ya Tsukamoto), Ichizo (Yoshi Oida), and Kichijiro (Yōsuke Kubozuka) who spend a lot of time with Rodrigues and Garrpe when they first arrive to Japan. Then there is the old samurai (Issei Ogata) and the interpreter (Tadanobu Asano) who take on the antagonistic role. They all perform amazingly and make this story feel all the more real.
Final thoughts on Silence
Silence is the end product of almost three decades worth of work by Scorsese. The film shows the care put into it. Despite its two hour and forty minute runtime the film never felt longer than it needed to be. The story is engaging as are the characters who are struggling to deal with so many things. Silence is definitely a Must See film.
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