Silence - movie review
Silence
Plot: Two priests travel to Japan in an attempt to locate their mentor and propagate Catholicism.
Cast: Andrew Garfield, Adam Driver, Liam Neeson
Director: Martin Scorsese
Rating: 15 (strong violence, scenes of torture)
Runtime: 2hrs 41 mins
Release Date: Sunday 1st January 2017
If I were to explain the plot of Silence in vast amounts of depth, I'd disastrously fail so here's the simplified version: Spider-Man and Kylo Ren travel to Japan to save their mentor, Qui-Gon Jinn. Obviously they aren't those characters even if that would make things unique. Silence is the newest film by master director, Martin Scorsese. The most fascinating part of the lure that Silence tempted me with was how this was a decades long passion project for Scorsese but he just didn't have the right equipment or talent to shoot it. Now, all the pieces have come together but was it worth the wait?
One thing that a Scorsese film never disappoints is the triumphant talent on show in front of the cameras. There are plenty of actors onscreen but primarily speaking, Silence belongs to one actor and one actor only, Andrew Garfield. This man is a wonder in this film. Garfield was fantastic back in The Social Network but he is nothing short of outstanding in Silence. He plays the character of Father Rodrigues, a Portuguese Jesuit priest who, through the events of the film, begins to question his faith even though he seemed unbreakable to begin with. His accent may not have been the most accurate but we spend two hours and forty minutes with this man and Garfield never gives a flat moment. This might the best performance we've ever seen of him. It is crushing and carries so much dramatic weight. Unfortunately, I've not seen any awards buzz for this film at all so I'm doubtful if Garfield will get any recognition for this role. It's not a flattering performance either. He's rough, ruined and very damaged as the film progresses. Tears are flowing and Garfield spends a large portion trapped in a cage where he does nothing but scream and yell in anger and pain all culminating in a performance that actors dream of. Joining Garfield on his quest into Japan is Adam Driver who too, gives a sensational performance. It might not be as showy as Garfield's but there is still so much passion and worry stored in a quiet and understated performance. Out of all the characters, his intrigued me the most because I couldn't see where he would end up and what his purpose was other than to protect the faith. Thankfully, with Driver's enigmatic performance and the brilliant and careful writing, Father Garrpe is given a wonderful and impactful arc that serves greatly to the overall story.
The father they're searching for, Father Ferreira, is played by Liam Neeson. Missing the Portuguese accent (Why? Because he's Liam Neeson. You do what he says or he'll smash your face in) Neeson is outstanding when he's there. Ultimately, Neeson has about twenty minutes of screentime but he chews up every single morsel reminding us how great of an actor he is. We've been lulled into this state that Neeson only stars in the small action films now but Silence reminded us that he is one of the best. However, what I didn't expect from Silence were the amazing performances by the Japanese actors. If it was left to me to organise the Oscar nominations, as well as Garfield for Best Actor, Issei Ogata would certainly be commended for his performance as the main Inquisitor that searches and hunts for Christians hiding in Japan. Holy Moly is this guy good. An aspect that I like about Silence is that there isn't a clear cut bad guy because it's ultimately a clash of beliefs but some deal with it in a negative manner. His performance is chilling and entirely transfixing. The way he speaks and his body language just oozes detail making me crave for more information about him. However, that mystery is what makes Silence that more compelling. A couple other of the Japanese actors that are also fantastic are Tadanobu Asano as the manipulative Interpreter that plays mind games with Garfield's priest, and Yosuke Kubozuka as Kichijiro, a villager plagued by past sins who looks to the newly arrived for priests for forgiveness.
Silence is a deeply emotional and thought provoking film that raises many questions about faith and leaves you thinking about various instances where you've encountered faith-like moments in your life and what you would do if you were in the same situation as Garfield. I'm not overly religious but Silence just bowled me over with it's representation of faith and how it drives people to madness and is the only thing people can look to when in the most dire of circumstances. I saw the film with a friend of mine who is very religious and faith has basically fueled his way of life. He enjoyed the film to a point but found it slipped up on a few points in the second half. So if you were wondering how Silence succeeds on a faith aspect, I would say that for someone who isn't totally religious, it's fine but then again, if you are religious, things might not sit right with you. Ultimately, it all depends on you and your tolerance and taste because religion is personal. One thing that I think everyone can agree on is Silence is long. Very long. Most Scorsese films are long but it's rare that they feel lengthy. I can watch Wolf Of Wall Street and not feel three hours pass by. Silence did feel like two and a half hours. That wasn't too much of a problem because the drama onscreen was engrossing but it did come as a shock when I thought the film was nearing its conclusion, checked the time and realised it was only halfway through. Having said that, every scene was constructed with such beauty and craftsmanship that the cinematography softened the blow. The only thing that did bother me with Silence regards the ending. It's stunning and possibly the most gorgeous film Scorsese has made however, Silence's ending is too drawn out for me. A significant moment happens in the lead up and Silence spends too long detailing the repercussions leading to me getting slightly bored. The religious aspect of the film is highly passionate and Scorsese's love for this time period is obvious. It never overindulges in the preachy aspect and handles the very sensitive themes with the utmost respect. What I truly love about Silence is the silence. Pardon that pun, but if memory serves, there's hardly any score here. The sound effects are brutal especially during the torture scenes as we hear every ounce of pain the hostages are going through but the lack of score is so effective. Most scores help further the story but sometimes, silence is golden.
Andrew Garfield gives the performance of his career in a deep and thought provoking film that leaves you emotionally drained. Scorsese can add another success to his stupendous filmography by creating a beautiful movie that pays its dutiful respects to the victims of this time. Silence may not be for everyone because it requires 100% investment but if you stick with it for its considerable runtime, you will witness something special. Whilst I can say I'll probably never watch Silence again, it's impeccably made and terrific to experience.
My Verdict: 8/10
What did you think of Silence? I'm curious, if you're religious, how did you feel Silence discussed the idea of faith and challenging beliefs? Sound off in the comments below.
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