Religion is something of a dying breed in modern society. As time moves forward, the world becomes less conservative and much more accepting of other cultures and differing beliefs. It stands to reason that even the most devout person can be left with a sense of doubt towards this dedicated upbringing. Martin Scorsese has previously expressed this waning devotion with his eighties shock-hit, The Last Temptation of Christ; a film that dared to hold a lens over the more questionable motives of religion and gave us a “what if” scenario towards Christ himself having doubts about his destiny. Thee decades later, Scorsese tackled this issue again with the very film I’m talking about today. Scorsese was raised as a Catholic and still remains quite devoted to his religion, so to see something that both challenges the concept while also remaining pro-Catholicism in this modern era could be considered more challenging than his previous venture. Silence is like many of Scorsese’s films: one that projects his own outlooks and life experiences in a completely fictionalized light. Daring as it is thought-provoking, it’s far from your casual movie-going experience. This is Martin Scorsese’s Silence.
Set in the 17th century, the film focuses on two Catholic missionaries who are sent to Japan during a time where Catholicism is outlawed to find their former mentor, Ferreira (Liam Neeson) who secretly aimed to convert Japanese citizens over to his beloved religion. Rodrigues (Andrew Garfield) is the primary protagonist, passionately devoted to his cause, he and Garupe (Adam Driver) find a group of secretly converted Japanese that aim to help the two priests on their quest in favor of being protected by a tyrannical dictator that is ready to murder any known Catholics. Right from the start, there is a waning doubt within the two priests, with their faith being tested further and further with each horrifying moment they witness. The two eventually separate in an effort to save other refugees, but many of said refugees are caught and slain in front of their eyes. Rodrigues begins to have doubts, having to reassure both his followers and himself that God will protect them, all the while, a man within the group selfishly tries to save himself by feigning devotion, then begs for repentance each time. With murder and selfishness surrounding these two devoted priests, their loyalty to God slips away more and more, and the question of whether their mentor is still truly alive begins to grow louder and louder.
How much, and what kind of message, you take away from this is entirely dependent on your religious beliefs. Last Temptation always felt rather one-sided in it’s message, being more than favorable towards Scorsese’s own biases (ironic considering it was lambasted for being anti-Christian.) Silence is still very much leaning towards the director’s background, but leaves much more room for centrism. As much as my synopsis made it sound as though Scorsese was denouncing these beliefs, there is a running theme of Rodrigues still maintaining loyalty to his cause, even when witnessing some truly horrendous actions. Through internal monologue, we witness a man struggling to make sense out of straight-up murder. In the most dire of situations, he resorts to intense praying while also screaming out in anguish. As the film progresses, that doubt becomes more and more overpowering. It’s an issue that everyone with religious devotion can relate to, there is always reason to doubt these core beliefs that have been instilled within you. Perhaps the acts that are witnessed are much more exaggerated than basic questioning, but they are there to represent the most extreme of doubts.
Abundantly clear is how hopeless the world is made to look. Dull grays wash over this world without any hope of brightness, embodying the themes presented. The protagonists are given rather shallow and disheveled appearances, gradually worsening over time. This film chooses it’s moments of religious hope perfectly, making the audience feel desperate for that same blinded faith that something good will come from all this bloodshed. Silence finds a way to trap its audience in a box, writhing in agony. Even if you don’t have the slightest bit of faith, this film perfectly puts you into the mind of someone who does. Scorsese typically makes his protagonists rather despicable people with a small sense of likability that keeps you rooting for them, this film instead makes the world around the central character feel more hopeless. Shots are still and linger for long periods, there’s a haunting score that accompanies the bleakness of the world and the way the villain is portrayed as particularly ruthless makes Rodrigues the perfect focal point. It’s ingenious how Scorsese can make even the most non-religious person feel sympathetic towards the opposite side.
I rarely ever use these Lookbacks as a way to gauge my own beliefs, but with the subject that this film dares to tackle, I can’t help but feel as though my own upbringing may have influenced my opinion on this film. I was raised on a semi-strict Catholic upbringing, going through all the stages that makes one an “authentic” Catholic. While I was never aggressively devoted, I still strongly believed that God very much existed. As I got older, and my teenage years became progressively more cruel, that faith became more dwindling. I became disparaging towards the Catholic church and began to question the logic of a “God” even existing. There was a mental struggle in whether I should remain strong in this belief and whether I’d even be capable of simply not believing in this figure I had been taught to believe was real. Right now, in my life, I am very much an Atheist with no intent on returning to my beliefs. As needless as this anecdote may seem, it allowed me to resonate with the main character more. I may never have been that religiously devoted, but that constant questioning of yourself, and how much of it is simply a form of mental programming, is an issue that I could wholly grasp. Even while this film is still geared towards the ‘pro-religion’ angle, there is most definitely a centrist approach that filters through the background. While I felt that Last Temptation was more patronizing in its message, this one shows a more progressive look at one of the most controversial topics of today.
Silence is a difficult film to recommend to the casual movie-goer. I feel as though Scorsese is becoming less ingrained into cultural recognition, with his films becoming undermined by the more popular mainstream successes. Scorsese was heavily criticized for his views on Marvel movies that it has become apparent that the general public do not want movies that feel genuinely challenging. Silence is a perfect film for those who want a more alternative jumping off point. It’s one of those movies that reminds me why I love cinema and see it as one of the greatest outlets for expressionism. This movie perfectly delivers it’s message towards a more controversial topic without feeling patronizing, but also leans towards opposite side. It won’t have the same staying power that something like Taxi Driver or Goodfellas has, but it does speak for the artistry of film making. The performances from the both Garfield and Driver, actors of which have geared towards more independent cinema, help to enforce its message, while also being so wonderfully sublime. There is a vision that no other director could possibly imitate, because it’s so specific, and that’s what makes film so special. Perhaps it’s the personal connection I have with the subject matter, or even a violent Scorsese bias, or maybe I just really hate how mind-numbing mainstream cinema has become, but I really adore this movie. Check it out.
Side note: I hold no ill will towards your religious beliefs, I am more terrified of hardcore Marvel fans and how much they despise Scorsese. (Shh, I like Marvel films as well, it’s ok.)
Written review by C. Johnson.