SILENCE (8.5 out of 10) Directed by Martin Scorsese; Written by Jay Cocks and Martin Scorsese, based on the novel by Shûsaku Endô; Starring Andrew Garfield, Adam Driver, Liam Neeson, Tadanobu Asano, Ciarán Hinds, Issei Ogata, Shin’ya Tsukamoto, Yoshi Oida, Yôsuke Kubozuka; Rated R for some disturbing violent content; Running time 161 minutes, Limited release December 23, 2016, expanding to semi-wide release January 13, 2017.
Whenever Martin Scorsese takes on a new project, cinephiles’ ears perk up. And for good reason, especially given his recent track record. Silence is another addition to his growing oeuvre of modern classics.
Based on the award-winning historical fiction novel about Jesuit priests during the time of the Kakure Kirishitan (or “Hidden Christians”) when Christianity was outlawed and Christians tortured and persecuted in Japan, Silence tells the story of Rodrigues (Garfield) and his companion Garrpe (Driver) sent to discover the truth behind the rumors that their mentor Ferreira (Neeson) has apostatized.
Facing every conceivable challenge– hunger, thirst, isolation — and enduring unimaginable torture, Rodrigues faces a crisis of faith as his prayers go continually unanswered. Those familiar with the Biblical narrative of the trials and crucifixion of Jesus will see very clear (intended) parallels as Rodrigues struggles with the same feelings of “my god, why hast thou forsaken me?” What results is a beautiful reflection on faith, its purpose, and the sanctity of one’s inner soul and conscience which no one can break but you.
There’s also a giant clash of cultures, and it’s thrown in your face the arrogance of trying to convert others of various ancient cultures to not only Catholicism but Western ideals and thinking. This is not to say that the Japanese aren’t any less arrogant in this endeavor, as they find it impossible to break the faith of some of the converted, and of Rodrigues himself. There’s no judgment as to who is right or wrong– except that perhaps we’re all right in the same ways and all equally wrong in the same ways as well.
On top of the deep, rich narrative and characters of the film, this is just gorgeous (and terrible) to watch. While nowhere near as graphic as, say, The Passion of the Christ, (this film is actually pretty bloodless) it’s psychologically distressing as you see Christian congregants tied to crosses and forced to face the incoming tides if they do not recant their faith. But the film captures both the stark countryside and the quiet, simple elegance of pre-industrial Japanese towns.
The film also clocks in at a whopping 2 hours and 40 minutes. While it never feels overstuffed and there’s nothing that could have conceivably been cut out, this is a film that demands your attention for a long time, so be prepared to give it the respect it demands. Your mileage may vary whether you find this an enjoy this or not, but be prepared regardless.
One questionable choice Scorsese made is to make one of his characters in particular portray some very broad ethnic stereotypes. I’ll leave it to my Asian brothers and sisters to decide how offensive this truly is, but in terms of service to the story, it becomes incredibly jarring to have a major character acting this way. Perhaps Scorsese tired of Italian wiseguy stereotypes on screen decided to turn the tables? Regardless, it was an interesting choice if not necessarily the best one.
The other questionable choice is to leave this film on Andrew Garfield’s shoulders. While Garfield does an ok job, he is outclassed by almost all of his co-stars, as well as the others in the stable of actors Scorsese usually works with. What Garfield does bring to the role is a beautiful youthful naivete, which is totally believable, and an understated simplicity. So in this sense, Scorsese might have made the right choice.
Otherwise, this is nearly a flawless film. Anyone who has dealt with faith in their own life will find a lot to love here, and those who can appreciate sweeping historical epics will as well.
8.5 out of 10