Review of Silence (2017) by Luke E — 12 Mar 2017

Martin Scorsese's quite full-on religious historical drama brings a very dark chapter of Japan's history to the big screen. Jesuit priests in the 17th century preaching their faith to a hidden groups of people, when the faith is also being outlawed by the authority.

The biggest challenge of the main priests is to keep their faith with themselves or renounce it so that their souls may be saved. It's also a shocking factor how when others of the christian faith are praying for their salvation all they hear from their god is the titular 'Silence' from their lord.

While Scorsese himself is no stranger to religious themes and motifs in his films, 'Silence' brings the personal conflicts of practitioners and followers up close and personal to the viewers, even in it's rich cultural setting it's a confronting undertaking.

Scorsese once again proves himself to be one the finest filmmakers of his generation still able to craft films from the old classical age of cinema prevalent through the 20th century. Even in the 21st Century a film such as this is hard to come by especially from a director as fine as Scorsese.

The film's scripting and motifs are engrossing as much as the cinematography is breathtaking and the acting is outstanding and feels incredibly real. While 'Silence' is a modern masterpiece in the making, it's also a cautionary watch for the faint of heart, though I can't deny it's 'outstanding' quality.