Review of Silence (2017) by Paul F — 20 Jan 2017

Here we have it, a film I've been anticipating for months, from visionary, genius director Martin Scorsese. Silence tells the story of two Jesuit priests, portrayed by Andrew Garfield and Adam Driver, searching for their teacher and mentor, portrayed by Liam Neeson, in 1600's Japan, a place where Christians were persecuted with extreme prejudice. The film explores the suffering and extremities experienced by the Christians of the era, as well as spirituality on a deeper level. Scorsese takes these aspects to craft an emotional, beautiful journey.

The most obvious things about Silence to be discussed are the acting talents employed in the film and the famous Scorsese directing that movie-goers have come to love. So, let's start by talking about Andrew Garfield, because, holy crap, this man is AMAZING in the movie. Garfield has, time and again, proven himself to be an awesome actor (most recently with Hacksaw Ridge, or so I've heard), and nothing is different here. I've never seen emotion of this scope portrayed this beautifully by anyone before. In moments of happiness, overwhelming grief, unbearable stress, or breathtaking awe, Garfield takes these emotions and hands them directly to the audience, making them feel those exact things. The man definitely deserves an Oscar nomination at the LEAST for his performance, and I'll be shocked if he isn't awarded that. The other performances are great as well. And while Neeson and Driver aren't as prominent in the film as Garfield, they still deliver riveting performances. The rest of the supporting cast delivers memorable acting as well, creating impactful scenes and conveying intense emotion.

Another thing that stood out throughout Silence was the cinematography and scenery. Of course, it's hard to go wrong with shots of the Japanese forests, mountains, and countrysides, but they are employed expertly by Scorsese. And, for that reason, "beautiful" is an accurate word used to describe the movie.

The most affecting part of the film, however, is the exploration of spirituality and dedication. Silence focuses heavily on Christianity (specifically the Jesuit order of Catholicism) and how beautiful it is, especially how compassion can impact other people and save lives on both a physical and a spiritual level. The way it explores human nature is fascinating, emotional, and amazing. It requires a very particular mindset and openness on the part of the viewer, since the film drags on extensively otherwise. Unfortunately for myself, I went into the theater believing Silence was shorter than it was (silly on my part, considering it's a Scorsese film), so, at times, it seemed very slow and I felt it could have conveyed its message significantly quicker. However, the way the film wraps up forgives those weaknesses for the most part and leaves viewers in deep thought after its conclusion.

Silence is a thought-provoking, spiritual, emotional film experience, one that Scorsese assembled masterfully. As I mentioned earlier, the acting in the film is Oscar-worthy, and the shots and cinematography are gorgeous. And while it dragged on for me upon first viewing, I'm very willing to watch it again and see how much more I enjoy it the second time around. I can't explain the feelings brought about by Silence very thoroughly without spoiling things (and, frankly, it would be nearly impossible to explain that), and I appreciated the film especially due to my experiences from an amazing Jesuit high school. Silence is a great film, and it gets 4 stars.