Starring
Andrew Garfield, Adam Driver, Liam Neeson, Tadanobu Asano, Yosuke
Kubozuka, Shinya Tsukamoto, Ciaran Hinds, Issey Ogata. Directed by
Martin Scorsese (2016, 160 min).
What
makes Martin Scorsese so great - besides impeccable narrative and
technical skills - is that he's never directed a film that isn't worth
watching. Not that everything he's made has been stupendous, but even
his weakest efforts (for me, that would be Bringing Out the Dead)
reflect a sincerity you simply don't see from most mainstream
directors. His pictures always feel like they are labors of love.
Silence
is no exception. Though its audience appeal is probably more limited
than the flamboyant epics Scorsese is typically associated with, this
one is just as ambitious in scope and ultimately a rewarding, if
somewhat challenging, viewing experience.
 |
| "Francisco...my Spidey Senses are tingling. Or maybe it was that burrito I had for lunch." |
Andrew
Garfield is Sebastiao Rodriguez, a 17th Century Jesuit priest who's told that his mentor, Father
Ferreira (Liam Neeson), has apostatized (renounced his faith) after
being tortured in Japan. Ferreira was there on a mission to spread
Christianity, which Japanese authorities view as a dangerous threat
to their own culture and therefore outlawed. Thousands of Christians
have been tortured and killed over the years.
While
the church believes Ferreira is missing because he is either dead or
has truly renounced Christianity, Rodriguez and fellow priest
Francsico Garupe (Adam Driver) are convinced their mentor's faith is
unshakable and journey to Japan to try and find him. With the aide of
a drunken fisherman, Kichijiro (Yosuke Kubozuka), the two priests
sneak into Japan, only to discover villages of converted Christians
who still worship in secret. They welcome the priests with open arms,
even though doing so puts their own lives at risk because a samurai
known as The Inquisitor continues searching the island for anyone
practicing the "outlaw faith." He routinely tortures and
kills anyone who refuses to renounce Christianity. Though Silence
is seldom very graphic, the variety of horrific ways these people die
is difficult to watch.
 |
| Andrew Garfield in The Barry Gibb Story. |
Rodriguez
and Garupe split up to avoid capture and continue their search for
Ferreira. Rodriguez is eventually caught - betrayed by Kichijiro -
and imprisoned in Nagasaki along with a bunch of other Christians.
His faith is severely tested when they insist he apostatize in order
the save, not only his own life, but those of the other religious prisoners. He also discovers that Ferreira has been living in
Nagasaki this entire time and did indeed renounce Christianity. Their
confrontation not only has the viewer questioning Rodriguez' stoic
dedication and the nature of the Jesuits' mission, it's also the high
point of the entire film, giving us a lot to think about. How the
Japanese government chooses to deal with Christians is unjustifiable,
yet at the same time, we're led to understand why this new religion
is seen as an invasive threat to their culture. Similarly, Rodriguez'
steadfast convictions are supremely admirable, but it's also clear
he's unwilling to accept any "truth" other than what he's
been taught. Has sort of a timely ring, doesn't it?
Like
some of Scorsese's other "passion projects" (he's been
trying to adapt Shusaku Endo's novel for years), Silence
requires a certain amount of dedicated commitment from the viewer.
While beautifully shot and wonderful to look at, the film is long and very deliberately paced. Though the most traditionally
plot-driven film he's made since Shutter Island, Scorsese
is not interested in providing easy answers to the many questions his
story raises. Additionally, we are presented with characters far too
complex to simply be labeled "good" or "evil."
Is
it one of Scorsese's best? Well, there's no easy answer to
that, either. His films are so varied that one can't really compare
Silence to, say, Goodfellas, Taxi Driver or Raging
Bull. But like those classics,
it's one that might haunt you long after it's over.
EXTRA
KIBBLES
FEATURETTE:
"Martin Scorsese's Journey Into Silence" - a making-of
featurette featuring cast & crew interviews.
DIGITAL
COPY
KITTY CONSENSUS:
PURR-R-R...LIKE A GOOD SCRATCH BEHIND THE EARS
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