Review of Silence (2017) by Indi V — 13 Jan 2017

Martin Scorsese does it again. This film was a passion project for him, but it's just another in the long line of amazing work he has produced.

Our story follows to Jesuit priests (Andrew Garfield and Adam Driver aka Spider-Man and Kylo Ren) who are the last two missionaries sent to Japan to learn the fate of another priest (Liam Neeson), who has allegedly committed apostasy (denouncing God in a public venue). Unfortunately, being a Jesuit in 1600s Japan is very dangerous since Japanese Christians are persecuted relentlessly and many sufferings are inflicted on those who believe in Jesus.

The acting is across the board great. Garfield is our main character and between this and Hacksaw Ridge, it's truly difficult to tell which performance is more impressive. Adam Driver is given less to do, but he does well with what he is given. Liam Neeson is wonderful in his brief role. He only gets 4 scenes, but every single one of them hits you like a wave crashing on the rocks of the Japanese coast. Of the Japanese cast, the most impressive is Issei Ogata, who plays an inquisitor tasked with stamping out Christianity in Japan. One particular highlight is the scene where Ogata tells Gafield a story of a daimyo and 4 concubines, with each concubine representing a different European power vying to influence Japan (for the record, the Dutch eventually won that prize).

From a technical standpoint, the film is also quite impressive. The cinematography is gorgeous. The use of fog to fill some of the shots is just jaw-dropping. The costumes and sets are all quite good as well. However, it's the story that is the highlight and the strength of the characters' faiths, which are tested time and again against the many hardships they have to endure. The Silence in the film refers to the supposed Silence of God as He watches the Japanese suffer for simply believing in a different faith. Yet, this film and the praise for it should be anything but. Hats off to Mr. Scorsese.