Director / Martin Scorsese (THE WOLF OF WALL STREET, THE LAST TEMPTATION OF CHRIST)
Stars / Andrew Garfield, Adam Driver, Yôsuke Kubozuka, Tadanobu Asano and Liam Neeson
There are certain moments in life when silence is deafening. When silence simply speaks for what words cannot convey. Then, there are times when silence is present where a voice is needed.
The immersive story to be told in SILENCE, although based on actual historical facts, is derived from the 1966 novel, by the same name, from Japanese author Shūsaku Endō. An author that writes from the rare perspective of a Japanese Roman Catholic, Endō was said to be inspired by Federico Fellini’s LA STRADA (1954) when conceiving the story and certain characters. This also happens to be the second film produced that is based on this novel, the first being a 1971 Japanese film.
This passion project from veteran filmmaker Martin Scorsese, is also the first cinematic feature film he’s written a screenplay for (along with writer Jay Cocks) since 1995’s CASINO. Set in the 17th century, it tells the story of two young Jesuit Priests, Sebastião Rodrigues (Garfield) and Francisco Garupe (Driver), who travel from Portugal to Japan on a mission to locate their mentor, who has gone missing, and to evangelise Christian Catholicism.
Some of you may feel that the near three hour run time of SILENCE sounds as inviting as an over-extended service of Sunday mass. While it does occasionally make the bum a little numb, SILENCE is a quiet work of mass proportion that is a near masterpiece from Scorsese.
An immeasurably superb job has been completed in the development and execution of the films critical points. However, where SILENCE is destined to gain utmost admiration and satisfaction is by its studious intentions to challenge. Rodrigues and Garupe arrived in Japan as strongly-trained men in their faith with a clear and definite mission. The unforeseeable and sometimes unspeakable experiences that await their quest will undoubtedly re-shape every lesson that has been learned in their lives. Yes, SILENCE, a meticulously crafted, strikingly insightful and wholly fascinating film not only challenges its lead characters but simultaneously succeeds at mounting another toward your own personal beliefs and forces you to question your dedication to them. This is such bravely written work, expertly penned toward the most religiously devout.
It feels like foreign territory for a Scorsese picture, but final accolades go to the Taiwanese locations SILENCE is filmed at, the Oscar-nominated Cinematography and another gutsy Andrew Garfield performance.
4 ½ stars
Viewer Discretion/ MA15+ (strong violence, some of which viewers may find disturbing)
Trailer / SILENCE
Moviedoc thanks Transmission Films and the Cinema Nova for the screening invite to this film.
Review by Moviedoc / “LIKE” on Facebook – Moviedoc
©
Moviedoc 
Leave a comment