Silence
Blu-Ray
Review by Kam Williams
Scorcese
Faith-Based Docudrama Revisits Rude Reception of Christianity in
Japan
Violators
were forced to either renounce the religion or face crucifixion,
which resulted in many of the faithful's going underground to avoid
persecution. Consequently, when a cleric disappeared, it was often
difficult to discern whether the missing person had been martyred or
was merely in hiding.
This
was the case with Father Cristovao Ferreira (Liam Neeson) who had
been spreading the gospel around Japan for close to a quarter-century
before he suddenly vanished without a trace after sending an ominous
last letter to a friend. The ensuing silence prompted a couple of his
proteges, Fathers Garrpe (Adam Driver) and Rodrigues (Andrew
Garfield) to mount a desperate search for their mentor, despite the
fact that discovery of their identities might mean instant death.
In
1633, the perilous trek began, and that ill-advised expedition is the
subject of Silence, a faith-based docudrama directed and co-written
by Martin Scorcese. The movie represents a bit of a departure for the
legendary Oscar-winner whose name is most closely associated with
gory gangster flicks like Goodfellas, The Departed and Mean Streets.
Based
on Shusaku Endo's 1996 best seller of the same name, the film was a
labor of love which took Scorcese almost three decades to bring to
the big screen. The legendary filmmaker ostensibly identifies with
the picture's protagonists questioning whether God even exists.
Clocking
in at a patience-testing 160 minutes, the deliberately-paced
production could easily have shaved another half-hour off the final
cut and still delivered the same emotional impact. Blessed with a
trio of inspired lead performances, Silence is nevertheless apt to be
well received by Born Again Bible thumpers.
A
thought-provoking, historical drama chronicling the ultimate test of
faith.
Rated R for disturbing violence
In English and Japanese with subtitles
Running time: 160 minutes
Distributor: Paramount Home Media Distribution
Blu-ray Extra: Martin Scorcese's Journey into Silence
To see a trailer for Silence, visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IqrgxZLd_gE
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