Silence Review – Beautiful, Unsettling and Profound

Silence is both a monumental work, and a punishing one. It puts you through hell, with no promise of relief, and more importantly, no answers. Only a set of questions and propositions. A plethora of weird sensations, particularly self-anguish.

By no means, is this movie for the faint of heart. Neither does it appeal to a wide array of audiences. However, what Silence does do, is showcase the power of faith. It is both subtle and powerful in its exploration of the struggle people have to endure to hang on to their faith, and how it helps them through it at the same time.

Silence is an unapologetically patient, long, and painful examination of the destruction of a soul and spirit. Thus, its execution is also unsettling, particularly for the viewer who is put in the straightjacket by Scorsese and forced to endure the torture presented throughout the film, along with the characters. What makes the suffering all the more unbearable is the distance Scorsese maintains throughout the film. It conflates the point-of-view of the viewer, paralysed, unable to do anything to change any events. Helpless and alone. Men of God being tested.

The struggle to maintain faith in a world plagued by God’s Silence is felt through every second of the movie. In this, Silence faces you with an interesting yet difficult moral dilemma: If God loves us, why would he ask us to endure torture and death in his name? The movie not only addresses those of faith, but also the skeptics.

Silence never absolves nor condones its colonial era protagonists, however, it interrogates the true nature of proselytism, while never vilifying either party in regards to the questions it tends to bring up throughout its run. Did the Jesuit Priests really help the Japanese or just cause harm to their lives and culture? The open-ended questions it brings up, it adequately provides exposition for and then leaves the choice up to us.

Scorsese’s direction is both subtle and effective, essentially being completely flawless. He maintains a sense of urgency and doubt while telling the harrowing story that Silence takes on. While many people tend to criticise the acclaimed director’s approach to faith in his previous films, describing it as ‘elementary’ or ‘immature’, I can safely say that the decades of work that Scorsese put into this film, did not go to waste, especially when compared to his other religious ventures.

As far as the performances of the cast go, they were as encapsulating as can be. At the head of it all, Andrew Garfield, gave one of, if not his greatest ever on-screen performances. When I saw Silence it changed my perspective of Garfield from ‘that Spider-man actor’ to in my opinion, a Hollywood A-lister. While he was nominated for an Oscar the same year, he should’ve been nominated for Silence, not Hacksaw Ridge. That being said, his performance in the latter was also worthy of immense praise.

The supporting cast also committed to their roles and performed them with utmost perfection. While Adam Driver may have not been as big a name then as he is now, and he may have not have had a huge role in the film, he played it with the necessary emotion and haste that elevates the movie even further.

The film has superb imagery and astoundingly gorgeous cinematography that helps to convey the harrowing story that pervades the story the movie tells. Along with this, effective use of violence leaves it impactful, but never overly gratuitous that invites empathy and frustration from us, while never alienating you to the point of disgust.

The colour and tone of the films continually shift, each one tailored to what emotion or feeling the director feels he wants to portray. This paired with the ambience of the environment and the impeccable lighting in each and every shot in the film, captures you and refuses to let go.

One criticism of Silence I kept on hearing was that it was too slow, and while it is true that the film is exhausting, it is for all the right reasons. The profound exploration of faith and the struggles throughout the film, I felt were maximised by the corresponding pace of the film.

“Christ did not die for the good and beautiful. It is easy enough to die for the good and beautiful.”

Some may point out Pro or Anti-Catholic sentiments in Silence, however, the film is completely neutral. To really capture the essence and message of the film, is for you to look through the lens of the protagonist. The noticable shift in perspective once the narrators change is magical and very important to the message of the film. You may see it as ‘white savior complex’ today, but the protagonist constantly struggles in his imitation of Christ. Until he realises, he can not, at least not in the way he hoped he could.

“What have I done for Christ? What am I doing for Christ? What will I do for Christ?

The movie Silence, inspired by a novel of the same name written by Shūsaku Endō, has been widely read and studied in various Christian communities around the world. In fact, the book was adapted into film in the 1970s as well, however, not to the effective extent of Scorsese’s masterpiece. The novel is troubling, navigates tension through its characters on every single page, and refuses to comfort the reader whatsoever. That being said, to capture the nuances of the original novel is almost impossible. This film, comes as close to a perfect adaptation of the book one can hope for.

“I know that you can do all things; no purpose of yours can be thwarted.  You asked, ‘Who is this that obscures my plans without knowledge?’ Surely I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know. You said, ‘Listen now, and I will speak; I will question you, and you shall answer me.’ My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you. Therefore I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes.” (Job 42:2-6)

Humans have forever felt the weight of God’s silence. To question is natural. It is okay to ask God: Why? The greatest comfort, when dreading amidst His silence, is to remember that God understands. And in this case particularly, Christ understands. Christ has suffered like men have. He was betrayed, nailed to the cross, He has walked through a world of difficulties. He understands you and your sufferings. For Scorsese, for Christians, and for many God-fearing people, Christ is the pavement, the path which they follow, or try their best to.

The Verdict

Silence beautifully explores themes of religion, faith, psychological disposition, empathy and human suffering. The film is much more stark in its violence and presentation of torture and human suffering, compared to most films with its subject matter. It brings some of Christianity’s most powerful dilemmas to light, such as the nature of forgiveness, and it does it with utmost sincerity and importance. Silence is compelling, artful and thought provoking. It’s an odyssey into spiritual anguish, and sums up to be monumentally taxing to experience, yet spiritually enlightening. The movie is memorable, and soul destroying. Even though I’m not Christian, it has left a lasting impact on me that I doubt will fade away any time soon. One of Scorsese’s most underrated films, as well as one of his very best. However, it definitely isn’t for most people. It is tiring, forbearing and puts you through a ton of turmoil that exhausts you endlessly. However, if you’re willing to persevere, you will experience something magical.

“But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 10:33)

More from us:
Does The Simpsons Actually Predict Events?
Ai Is Already Replacing Jobs in The Gaming Industry