'Silence' Review

Image from Vox

By Diego Coya

            Silence is directed by Martin Scorsese and stars Andrew Garfield, Adam Driver, Liam Neeson, and Issei Ogata. Silence takes place in 1542 and tells the story of two Jesuit priests who travel to Japan for two reasons- to find their mentor, Father Ferreira, who had apparently denounced God in public and left Christianity, and to spread Christianity in Japan, where it was illegal at the time. The film shows how people’s faith was tested, how they were tortured physically and emotionally for believing in Christianity and how some characters question whether there is a God or if they are just praying to silence.

            Silence was one of my most anticipated movies of the year. Martin Scorsese has made some of my favorite movies of all time, and in my humble opinion, he rarely has a misstep. Silence is Scorsese’s passion project that he has been trying to make for almost 30 years, a wait well worth it because not only is this one of Scorsese’s best, it is a masterpiece.

            Silence is not an easy film to watch. It is powerful, brutal, and it can be a frustrating, not because of its long runtime, 2 hours and 41 minutes, but due to the torture that people endure. It is perfectly understandable why some may never want to see this film again, however I cannot say the same about my experience. I want to see Silence again and again, because there are so many themes in here that Scorsese conveys and it is a film that requires a lot of attention. I found the film to be beautifully shot; it has some of the best cinematography of the year. The scenery and the set design are truly incredible.

            The acting is phenomenal, everyone delivers a wonderful performance but this is yet again another Oscar-worthy performance from Andrew Garfield. His performance is filled with so much pain and emotional depth. In my review of Hacksaw Ridge, I stated that Andrew Garfield gave the best performance of his career. After seeing Silence, I honestly don’t know which performance I prefer. I also loved Issei Ogata who plays The Inquisitor, he gave a fantastic performance as someone who is complex.

            Which leads to one of my favorite aspects of the film, its complexity. Silence has many shades of grey; it is not biased against Christianity but it is most certainly faith-challenging. It is a heartbreaking film that has so much going for it, and it showcases that Scorsese is arguably the greatest director working today. I predict this film will receive many Oscar nominations, and it rightfully deserves to. This is yet another film that has not done well in the box office. Please support Scorsese’s latest film, because it absolutely deserves your money. Silence is a film that I will remember for years to come and will be known as another cinematic achievement from Martin Scorsese.

Rating: 10/10