Silence (2016)

Director: Martin Scorsese
Starring: Andrew Garfield, Adam Driver, Liam Neeson, Yôsuke Kubozuka, Yoshi Oida, Shin'ya Tsukamoto, Issei Ogata, Nana Komatsu, Tadanobu Asano, Ciarán Hinds
Certificate: 15
Genre: Drama
Awards: TBC


It seems almost pointless to say that Silence is a different type of film than the ones that Martin Scorsese is well known for, with so much already being said on how people missed his swinging camera movements and style that made his name, but it is an interesting point to bring up as the film seems to be unfairly compared to films that have nothing to do with it other than the fact that they share the same author.  Silence is not Scorsese first film not to use his most frequent style and hopefully it will not be his last.

The film takes place in 17th century Japan, when the country had isolated itself and outlawed christianity, where two Jesuit priests sneak into the country to try and find their mentor, Father Ferreira (Neeson), who is rumoured to have given up christianity and now lives as a Japanese. On their journey, they meet Japanese christians who have been persecuted by the government.

Scorsese's calm film style seems to be influenced by the Japanese directors of the 1950s, especially Mizoguchi and Ozu whilst the first sequence could come from a colour Kurosawa film. The lingering shots and minimal movement creates a very interesting atmosphere that I enjoyed immensely. It did make the film seem slower yet I think it works as the story is a long meditation on the meaning of faith.

The performances are also solid throughout. As the main lead, Garfield does well - keeping us engaged throughout the character's journey. Driver and Neeson have less to do - In fact Neeson has only a small bit more screen time than he did in Gangs Of New York - yet also perform to good standards. It is the Japanese cast that really stand out though. Oida and Tsukamoto are absolutely fantastic as the christian leaders of their community whilst Kobozuka plays a strange character we both sympathise with as well as become irritated by him.

Silence is not Scorsese's best but it is still a very well crafted, beautiful piece of cinema that is also unique. The themes are incredibly central to viewing the auteur whilst the story and visuals also seem extremely Japanese. Mesmerising and haunting, it is certainly recommended.

****Good