Silence Review

R: Some Disturbing Violent Content 

Paramount Pictures, AI Film, Fabrica de Cine

2 Hrs and 39 Minutes

Cast:   Andrew Garfield, Adam Driver, Tadanobu Asano, Ciarán Hinds, Liam Neeson, Shinya Tsukamoto, Yōsuke Kubozuka, Issey Ogata

REVIEW: In 1990, Martin Scorsese has a passionate idea of an American adaptation of the Shūsaku Endō's novel, of the same name. For the past 30 years, this film has been through numerous feats of development hell from casting changes to lawsuits. Thankfully after directing one of my favorite films, Hugo, he dove right back into working on his third and arguably the most powerful faith-based film to date.

In the seventeenth century, two Portuguese Jesuit priests (Andrew Garfield and Adam Driver) face violence and persecution when they travel to Japan to locate their mentor (Liam Neeson) who had committed apostasy after being tortured. The story takes place in the time of Kakure Kirishitan ("Hidden Christians") that followed the defeat of the Shimabara Rebellion (1637–38) of Japanese Roman Catholics against the Tokugawa shogunate.

THE GOOD: First off, I attended a screening and Q&A for this film with the cast, producers, and director in attendance and one of the first thing they all shared was the film’s budget. $22 million dollars this film costed for shooting on location for 8 in Taiwan and when you watch the film, you can’t even see it. Silence is Martin Scorsese classically telling an epic tale that is worth the near three-hour running time. One of the biggest stars of the film is the production design. The locations of these villages where these two priests have to travel to in early Japan is as much of a journey to the audience as much as it is to them. With one of Scorsese’s right hand cinematographers Rodrigo Prieto, you see the Japanese part of Taiwan in a way that you’ve never seen before. You are just engaged with the masterful beauty of this country without any CG backgrounds or green screen. This is classic filmmaking in it’s ultimate perfection. 

Besides it’s setting, the casting of theJapanese characters is magnificent. 85% of the cast members are Japanese actors when the dialogue is 65% Japanese of the film. In a time where we see a numerous amount of cases of whitewashing in casting, only Scorsese is fearless to jump the shark and hire professional Japanese actors that not only serve purpose into his powerful story but give rather stellar performances on par with these European and American actors we are familiar with. The majority of the Japanese actors arguably get much more screen time than Driver and Neeson combined.

One of the great performances comes from a Japanese comedian named Issei Ogata who plays Inoue Masashige, an inquisitor who isn’t introduced until the first hour into the film. For him being a well known comedian, most of the film’s humor bounces from his dialogue and exchanges with Garfield. When he’s not funny which is the majority of the film, he is a frightening absolute threat. Think of him as a Japanese seventeenth century Negan. He’s scary yet makes valid points as he’s able to make you giggle and spoil your pants at the same time. He pretty much is the enforcer that tells Rodrigues “don’t mess with our religion. Christianity has so many limitations to people, that it messes with the pleasure of man. You have your religion. We have ours. Don’t bring that Christianity crap over here. If you convert and denounce your God like your teacher we tortured and converted we will let you live. Until then, these innocent people will die and you will watch.” And boy do they make him watch. 

It’s tough to sit through the execution of these innocent people wanting to study Christianity that you may break into tears. The film bears it’s R rating from its violence but it’s gruesome the different untimely deaths you see these people face. The film is a near three-hour intense endurance test that tests the limits of spiritual belief between the clashing of these two different religious beliefs and what is considered acceptable and unacceptable.

Another great thing about the film is its way of storytelling. The way Silence’s utilizes its storytelling is through the narration. The film is narrated by Garfield’s character Sebastião Rodrigues. He narrates the film as an auditory confessional that you hear change throughout. After a climatic scene, the film uses Rodrigues’ narration and does something unexpected with it that is subtly poignant, astounding, and genuinely depressing. His narration plays a huge part of the film where by the final frame you just go “damn.”

This year is the year of the Garfield, because of Jesus Christ (pun intended) if his performance didn’t blow you away in Hacksaw Ridge, this is the one that will. This is the second consecutive time Andrew Garfield is playing a man of a Christian belief but in this time a seventeenth-century priest. Like Hacksaw Ridge, this is a film that puts Garfield’s religion to the test much larger than war can ever throw on him. Through his journey and his narration, you both see and hear Rodrigues’ inner struggle to preach and hear confessions of the Japanese people who secretly believed in Christianity in a country under Buddhism and maintaining his own belief in God. If you think Washington and Affleck are shoe-ins for the Best Actor category, Garfield’s performance definitely give them a run for their money.

THE BAD: This film is damn near perfect in the way it covers the narration, but a few times you’re able to point out some of the dialogue was through ADR. It is at a time done rather poorly that it does become a distraction.

As much Garfield’s character is the centerpiece of the entire film, Driver, unfortunately, takes the backseat. He is great as his Jesuit partner Carpe, but most of his dialogue are followed by reaction shots.

THE RENDY: If you are to see this movie, you better clear your entire schedule. This movie is nearly three hours long (yet surprisingly shorter than Batman Vs. Superman) and you will feel the length. but by the time you walk out shaking in shambles, you’ll know it was worth it. If you are to see this film make sure to do a double feature with this and Hacksaw Ridge. These films of 2016 both starring Andrew Garfield in the lead, brilliantly display detailed character struggles of maintaining the faith in God, given the brutal and harsh circumstances they face. Watch this next to Mel Gibson’s Hacksaw Ridge and you won’t feel sorry you did. You might feel internally shaken, but I assure you, you won’t regret it.

LAST STATEMENT: With outstanding performances by Garfield and Ogata and powerful direction by one of the best auteurs in Hollywood, Martin Scorsese's Silence is a beautifully poignant epic masterpiece that perfectly depicts the importance of religion and how far you’ll go to maintain your beliefs.

Rating: 4.5/5 | 91%

Super Scene: “Step on me.”