Year: 2016
Director: Martin Scorsese
Country: US/Taiwan
Language: English/Japanese
Silence marks the third entry into Martin Scorsese's spiritual trilogy, the others being the masterpiece Last Temptation of Christ (1988) and the somewhat forgotten Kundun (1997). It was a passion project that Scorsese had in development for decades, but had to put it off for more commercial projects as nobody wanted to fund his intense vision. Made without artistic compromise or commercial intent (this film did fairly poorly at the box office as a result) the film proves to be utterly remarkable.
Silence is the story of two Catholic missionaries (Andrew Garfield and Adam Driver) who face the ultimate test of faith when they travel to Japan in search of their missing mentor (Liam Neeson) - at a time when Catholicism was outlawed and their presence forbidden.
An adaptation of Japanese author Shusaku Endo’s 1966 novel of the same name, Silence evokes themes of Swedish Director Ingmar Bergman as the characters struggle with the fact that God remains mute during their plight and suffering. The picture is deliberately paced, mediating on Catholic themes and religious questioning. It is in stark contrast to Scorsese's last picture Wolf of Wall Street.
Much of the setting evokes Francis Ford Coppola's Apocalypse Now. Clouds of mist and fog often shroud the landscape. Cinematographer Rodrigo Prieto in a rare rural Taiwan shoot, sprawls across the landscape in long, pensive takes. Each shot is elegant, even when many scenes are absolutely brutal. The editor refrains, making as few cuts as he possibly can, likely to help the audience immerse themselves in this seventeenth century Japan.
Few modern films are as poetic and meaningful as Silence. Few evoke themes of past masters, such as Akira Kurosawa and Robert Bresson. Scorsese's religious film is a treat that will captivate all who seek it, even those with no religion. It's a damn fine picture that ought to be considered a classic in a few decades.
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