SILENCE IS UNFORGETTABLE

17th century Japan was not a nice place to live. The ones in charge were strictly enforcing a complete shut out of Christianity/Catholicism and anyone discovered to be practicing that faith or attempting to spread it were arrested, told to denounce their faith (by stepping on a picture of Jesus), and if they refused they were tortured and eventually killed. Silence is based on a 1966 book by Japanese author Tanizaki Prize. This is a passion project for director Scorcese, and has been in development since 1990. Passion projects don't always pan out well, but for Scorsese the effort pays off beautifully.

In 1639, priests Rodrigues (Andrew Garfield) and Garupe (Adam Driver) travel to Japan in search of their mentor Ferriera (Liam Neeson), who was there spreading Catholicism and is rumored to have publicly denounced his faith after being captured and tortured. Their mission is to find Ferriera, discover if he is still faithful to the cause, and spread Catholicism there if possible. While in Japan, Rodrigues undergoes his own crisis of faith as he witnesses unspeakable acts of suffering and torture, and is ultimately tested himself.

Adam Driver is pretty great as Garupe, though he doesn't play as important of a role as I expected him to. A big surprise was Shin'ya Tsukamoto as Mokichi, a Japanese practitioner of Catholicism who befriends both Rodrigues and Garupe. Mokichi has some of the most affecting scenes in the whole film. Liam Neeson is superb as Ferriera, although he doesn't appear until well into the third act, and has little screen time. He still manages to make a strong impression, and this is easily his best modern day role.

All this said, Silence is mostly a one man show. That one man would be Andrew Garfield, who tackles his meaty role with gusto. He is our main character, and we spend 100% of the running time following him and his journey. His struggles throughout the film are deeply affecting, and there were a few scenes where I choked up a bit watching his and others' suffering and abuse. Garfield's Rodrigues continually prays to God throughout the film, and after a while it starts to feel like he is praying to the audience watching the film. This alone brings up questions and will be sure to ignite discussions. Andrew Garfield continues to prove himself a stunning, magnificent talent and this is easily his best role so far. He manages to make his character relatable and personal, but also vulnerable and all too human. It did bother me a bit that the film kept relating his trials to that of Christ's, but luckily this is brought up and discussed later on in a satisfying way. I have no qualms saying that Andrew Garfield as Rodrigues is easily the performance of the year. I'm happy to see him get a nod for Best actor at the Oscars, although it was for the wrong role.

Silence is a film that is expertly crafted from beginning to end. The direction, script (by Scorsese and Jay Cocks), the editing (Thelma Schoonmaker), and the cinematography (by Rodrigo Prieto) are all fantastic.  It's interesting to note that the film itself is pretty silent as there isn't much of a score to accompany the scenes. At two hours and forty one minutes, it does run a bit on the long side. That said, every single frame in this film is important. It's all a part of the deeply personal journey Scorsese is taking us on. Yes, this is a very tough film to watch. There is a lot of torture, and every scene of it is deeply affecting and disturbing. Don't walk in expecting a feel-good film, this is a challenging cinematic experience. Silence is about religion, faith, the personal resolve of men, and how all this can be tested (the audience is tested as well).

There should be no doubt by now that Scorsese is a master at his craft. His modern films have all been masterpieces in their own right, and Silence is no exception. After two hours plus of nasty, disturbing stuff going on, Scorsese offers the audience a meditative, calming credits score consisting of crickets and ambient noise (which fits in perfectly with 1600s Japan). It's a nice, welcome reprieve that allows us a chance to finally catch our breaths and reflect on what we just watched. It's not often I want to stay for the whole credits, but this was one of those rare occasions. This alone demonstrates how in tune Scorsese is with his craft. He was able to sense what audiences would need after such a grueling, relentless experience.

Silence acts as a history lesson (some of the proceedings are fictionalized, but it is historically accurate to that era in Japan, and Rodrigues is based on real life historical figure Giuseppe Chiara), a deep character study, and an examination of faith during trying times. It never condones or condemns one religion or another. It takes us on a deeply personal journey (I'm not a religious person, but this affected more than I expected it to. I look at it as more about faith than religion). This is a film that is impossible to ignore, and I know it will be swimming around in my mind for a long time to come. Silence is powerful, moving, complex, and meaningful. It is the crown jewel and defining masterpiece of Scorsese's modern film career.