Barbarity is brought into sharp focus in Silence, Martin Scorsese’s long-winded story about faith and religion. It is the tale of two 17th century Portuguese missionaries – Father Sebastian Rodrigues (Andrew Garfield) and Father Francisco Garupe (Adam Driver) who undertake a perilous journey to Japan. They are searching for their missing mentor, Father Christavao Ferreira (Liam Neeson) and spreading the gospel of Christianity. At that time in Japan, feudal lords and ruling Samurai were determined to eradicate Christianity. Christians were persecuted and tortured, forced to apostatise, that is, renounce their faith or face a prolonged and agonising death.
Scorsese directs Silence from a screenplay he wrote with Jay Cocks. The film, based on Shusaku Endo’s 1966 award-winning novel, examines the spiritual and religious question of God’s silence in the face of human suffering. So, these are questions that still resonate today and certainly did, for example, during the Holocaust.
In 1988, at a special New York screening of his latest film The Last Temptation of Christ for the city’s religious leaders, Scorsese made the acquaintance of Archbishop Paul Moore. At the event Moore, who was nearing the end of his tenure as the Episcopal Bishop of New York, presented the director with a copy of Endo’s historical novel Silence. It had been published in Japan in 1966 where it was highly praised, the subject at the time of the most intense, thorough and rigorous analysis. When an English edition of the book appeared in 1969, the novel’s reputation as a profound examination of, and meditation upon, religious themes was further enhanced. The first time he read the book, Silence made a huge impression on Scorsese – it seemed to speak to him personally.
The subject matter presented by Endo has been a stalwart in Scorsese’s life since he was very young. “I was raised in a strong Catholic family and was very much involved in religion. The bedrock I still have is the spirituality of Roman Catholicism I was immersed in as a child, spirituality that had to do with faith.” Scorsese says that while reading the book he was astonished to discover it confronted the very deep and profound issues about Christianity that, as he puts it, “I still cope with constantly. At this time in my life I continually think about – wonder about – faith and doubt, weakness, and the human condition, and these are the very themes that Endo’s book touches upon in a such a direct way.” Tokyo-born Endo is one of the few Japanese authors to write from a Christian perspective.
Silence the movie is disturbing and deeply affecting. It raises important moral questions about free will and thought. Its elongated, drawn out nature is likely to see it appeal to only a small audience. So the build up is slow and exacting, as the two young priests come to terms with what they are confronted with in Japan. They are out of their depth and struggle to comprehend the cruelty, the harshness of judgment cast by the Japanese at the time.
Eventually, the movie settles to focus primarily upon Father Rodrigues’ experiences. Determined to maintain his vision, the Japanese continue to chip away, psychologically and physically. Garfield’s representation of his agony appears real, such is his investment in the role.
The film picks up momentum in the last 45 minutes when events come to a head. That, to me, is when Silence is at its most compelling. An hour shorter and its message would not have been any less impactful, but its shorter running time would definitely have made it more attractive to audiences. Cinematography is a feature, with Rodrigo Prieto (The Wolf of Wall Street) capturing the beauty and brutality of Japan in Taiwan (due to financial pressures). So, you could safely say Silence is a Scorsese passion project that, for all its merits, will only be seen by few. Rated MA, it scores a 7½ out of 10.
Director: Martin Scorsese
Cast: Adam Driver, Andrew Garfield, Liam Neeson
Release Date: 16 February 2017
Rating: MA 15+
Alex First
David Edwards is the editor of The Blurb and a contributor on film and television
