The Basics:
Who made it? Martin
Scorsese (director, screenwriter), Jay Cocks (screenwriter), based on a novel
by Shûsaku Endô.
Who’s in it? Andrew
Garfield, Adam Driver, Issei Ogata, Yôsuke Kubozuka, Liam Neeson.
Synopsis:
The story of two Christian missionaries (Garfield and Driver) who face the
ultimate test of faith when they travel to Japan in search of their missing
mentor (Neeson) - at a time when Christianity was outlawed and their presence
forbidden. Trailer.
Mean Streets (1973) opens with Martin Scorsese, saying in voiceover, “You
don’t make up for your sins in church. You do it in the streets. You do it at
home.” That philosophy, introduced in his breakout film, serves as an accurate
summary how Scorsese has examined faith and religion throughout his career. He
isn’t interested in how people of faith should be, but who they are, and how
that faith interacts with the world outside of church.
Scorsese’s
newest film, Silence, is about faith.
The plot and central conflict revolve around whether Garfield’s Father
Rodrigues will apostatize (renounce his faith) or not. But this isn’t a simple
matter of Rodrigues withstanding torture and staying true to his faith; the
Japanese leaders won’t let him become a martyr. Instead, the Japanese Christians
(who rejoiced at the arrival of Fathers Rodrigues and Garupe) are being
tortured and executed, with Rodrigues apostasy being their only route to
survival. He can end their suffering and renounce his faith, or hold fast and
watch as countless innocents are killed because of him. Rodrigues simply doesn’t
know what to do, and the titular silence is that of God’s responses to his
prayers. Is it God’s plan that Rodrigues be sent to save these people? Or is it
God’s plan that he continue to spread his faith, against all odds? If Rodrigues
does apostatize, but privately keep his faith, wouldn’t God offer forgiveness?
Isn’t faith still existent even if it is between just an individual and God,
and hidden from the rest of the world? Or does it require a community, and
sacraments, and the other institutions that are held sacred?
These
are hard questions that Scorsese poses, and, as his way, he doesn’t provide any
easy answers. He also complicates matters by avoiding showing the struggle
between the priests and Japanese as purely black and white. The Japanese
leaders could have very easily been portrayed as pure villains. They are given
motivation and reasoning for their actions: they want to protect their
traditions and culture, and see Christianity as a threat. They see it as doing necessary
evil in order to serve the greater good. Also, the head of the prosecution is
referred to as “The Inquisitor,” a reminder that Christians were doing some
similar mass persecutions during the same time period.
Silence is
powerful cinema. Granted, a non-religious person may find it hard to connect
with Rodrigues’s struggle. However, for a person of faith, Silence should prove to be a thought-provoking experience.
Scene of the film: Refusing to give up their faith or Fathers Rodrigues and
Garupe, three Japanese villagers are crucified in the crashing waves of the
Pacific. Though it is not at all fun to watch, it is powerful.
My Rating: 8/10
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