Silence, 2016.
Directed by Martin Scorsese.
Starring Andrew Garfield, Adam Driver, Liam Neeson. Tadanobu Asano, Issei Ogata, Shin’ya Tsukamoto, Yoshi Oida, Yôsuke Kubozuka, and Ciarán Hinds.
SYNOPSIS:
In the seventeenth century, two Jesuit priests face violence and persecution when they travel to Japan to locate their mentor and propagate Catholicism.
To be honest, Martin Scorsese’s (Goodfellas, The Wolf of Wall Street and a dozen other classics) latest film Silence (based on the nonfiction novel with some character historical basis by Shûsaku Endô) is so emotionally draining, that it deserves an upbeat lede joking that it’s a movie starring Spider-Man, Kylo Ren, and Qui-Gon Jinn as Jesuit priests in Christianity-hostile 17th-century Japan, before diving into the power of the entire experience. Silence isn’t even just a simple marketable name for the flick, it’s an action that contains unlikely power and meaning. Silence is a sound that can send a heavy statement, to which Scorsese explores in multiple ways to great effect.
Even before the opening title card flashes across the screen, Scorsese inundates viewers with the singing of cicadas among other similar noises for almost a full minute before going completely silent and pitch black. Noises (most of the movie is free from music, using wildlife and other unorthodox musical cues as the soundtrack source) and silence are employed with the precise ability to generate a sensation of dread. You don’t need a spoiler alert or a blaring orchestra to know that s*** will go south fast as soon as priests set foot in unwelcome territory. There is an ominous tone throughout the film, even when Scorsese is depicting acts of suffering and torture that most people probably don’t even know exist.
The film follows a pair of padres clandestinely sailing to Japan in hopes of getting to the bottom of a slanderous rumor, detailing word spread that Father Ferreira (a revered longtime priest with loyalty to the cause of preaching Christian faith played by Liam Neeson) has apostatized. Specifically, the film follows the character of Andrew Garfield’s Father Sebastião Rodrigues (although Adam Driver does get a decent amount of screen time to showcase his impressive performance, both in terms of acting and dedication as he looks seriously emaciated), trapping him in a mental war regarding if the ends justify the means for his cause.
Choices he has to make are certainly not easy for him (although to lesser religious folks the answer might be more cut and dry), but Scorsese makes it a point never to judge Rodrígues’ commitment to Christianity. More importantly, the direction is able to generate a strong amount of empathy for the situation as high-ranking officials in Japan force the remaining local Christians into humiliating acts such as placing a foot over a stone tablet engraving of Christian iconography, often of Jesus Christ. Those that are resistant meet a more violent fate. Rodrigues could end the suffering for his devotees in an instant by apostatizing, but he has his convictions, priding himself in the name of Christianity.
Also, Andrew Garfield gives the performance of his career; some of the most emotionally resonating moments of Silence come from watching him wrestle with maintaining a calm state of mind during the degrading of his religion, at times giving in and bursting into screaming rage. The build-up to these moments is even better, as there are lingering shots centered on him in isolation, visibly shaken up, hyperventilating, and on the brink of erupting into tears. Even his narration of the film (Scorsese loves his narrating protagonists) which is done in letters/prayers to his God, further flesh out a stressed out and endangered priest that may or not be abandoned by his God.
Dialogue is a high point, as Christians and Buddhists eloquently debate the state of Japan, the meaning of faith, what people are really believing in by giving faith to a higher power, the weight of forgiveness along with how many times a person be forgiven/cleaned of sin, whether Christianity exists in Japan or not, and so much more. Back-and-forth exchanges between characters, (especially a poignant talk featuring Rodrigues and Ferreira) are loaded with beautiful metaphors for religion in general. To say that there is a complex depth to the thematic presence of Silence would be a massive understatement; the story will likely take days to finish washing over before allowing viewers to come to a final verdict on its message. Personally, one aspect that sticks out is again, what silence says about a person. It’s hard to properly explain without spoiling, but the ending shot gives away the point I’m getting at. It also needs to be pointed out that the Japanese aren’t painted as one-dimensional villains, although their violent measures are unwarranted.
Silence is a motif; that has been established, but Scorsese is also operating on a deep level of thinking from the perspective of cinematography. Sure, the film has a healthy balance of wide shots, close-ups, slow zooms, extended takes, and more, but what’s most intriguing is that there are quite a few overhead shots in the beginning, which disappear entirely as Rodrigues’ faith is questioned and broken little by little. Even more interesting is that as the film goes on, more and more scenes begin fixated on the ground and mud. It comes across as a cinematic metaphor for God’s abandonment. Furthermore, there is a shot of Rodrigues staring at his reflection in a body of water, depicting his face mashed up with Saint Peter, which probably locks up the Oscar nomination and victory for cinematography.
The only real flaw Silence has is that it might be a little too complacent on not passing judgment. It’s great that the film doesn’t get preachy about religion, but at the same time, it feels as if there could be a little something more, especially for themes articulated this thought provokingly. I also had absolutely no clue what Adam Driver’s character set out to do as he exits the picture practically for good. It almost feels as if the novel also follows him, whereas the movie hones in solely on Rodrigues. There is also one minor nitpick I have regarding a creative decision for something during a pivotal moment of the film, but alas it’s something easily forgivable.
For a passion project that took 26 years to reach fruition, Martin Scorsese’s Silence was worth the wait; it is at the same time deeply emotional and beautifully haunting. In an age where most films can’t even get an audience to ponder even one thing, this one is chock-full of conflicted scenarios to contemplate. It also has some of the finest acting, cinematography, writing, and editing of any 2016 picture. There certainly won’t be silence on the ride home after watching this latest piece of masterful work from arguably the greatest working director of the past four decades.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★ ★
Robert Kojder – Chief Film Critic of Flickering Myth. Check here for new reviews weekly, friend me on Facebook, follow my Twitter or Letterboxd, or email me at MetalGearSolid719@gmail.com
