Whenever Martin Scorsese has his name attached to a project, I am there opening weekend. He has been directing films since 1967 and some of them are my all-time favorites. Silence became one of Scorsese's passion projects in 1988 after reading the acclaimed novel of the same name from Shūsaku Endō. The story follows two Portuguese Jesuit priests (Andrew Garfield and Adam Driver) in the 17th century, who travel to Japan in search of their mentor (Liam Neeson) and to spread Christianity.
This is unlike anything Scorsese has ever brought to the eyes of moviegoers throughout his 50-year career. It's a film that tests the audience. It'd be clichéd to say this is his most "non-Scorsese" film yet, but I'd have to agree with those people. While this isn't my favorite film from the New Yorker, it might be the best he has ever made, even if the rewatchability factor is very low.
My eyes were glued to the screen, as every single frame meant something important. The film may bore some due to its extreme slow pacing, but it's the characters and their moving story that made me feel connected to the emotional powerhouse that Silence is. Scorsese's first screenplay since 1995's Casino is one of 2016's best and definitely one I hope doesn't get ignored by the Oscars. His direction is perfection to the point where your jaw drops when it comes to fruition that this is a Martin Scorsese-directed picture. If the Oscars, however, ignore the beautiful cinematography, then there'll be a problem.
The performances are heart-wrenching and realistic to the point where, similar to Hidden Figures and Patriots Day, we see the characters and not the actors. Andrew Garfield topped his work in Hacksaw Ridge here, which was something I didn't expect, but lo-and-behold, it has happened! His character arc is one of the best of Scorsese's catalog, by starting off as someone who has high amounts of faith and by the end of the film, it goes downhill in a depressing matter. Adam Driver, Liam Neeson and all the other actors do great work too, but this is Garfield's film from front to back.
This is another Scorsese masterpiece and someone who isn't religious in any way, shape or form... the film blew me out of the water. This felt like an important lesson about how humans were being beaten, broken, and killed over believing in Christianity. It was also terrific that he didn't beat Christian propaganda in your face, which is something every other religious-based film has done.
Well done, Marty. Well done.
