Martin Scorsese's Most Unfairly Overlooked Movie Is This 10-Year-Old Historical Epic
Those who have seen this three-hour epic call it one of the most powerful cinematic experiences of their lives.
Martin Scorsese is a director whose name has long been synonymous with cinematic greatness. Films such as Taxi Driver, Goodfellas, and The Departed are known and loved by millions.
However, there's one movie in the maestro's filmography that, despite its merits, has been undeservedly overlooked – Scorsese has wanted to make Silence since 1989, when he first read Shusaku Endo's novel of the same name.
It took decades to bring his vision to life, but when the film was finally released, it was met with silence – box office receipts were meager and major awards passed it by.
What Is 'Silence' About?
The story is set in 17th-century Japan. Two young Portuguese Jesuit priests, Sebastião and Francisco, embark on a dangerous journey. They are searching for their missing mentor, who is rumored to have renounced his faith under torture.
Upon arriving in Japan, the priests witness the brutal persecution of Christians – the Japanese government seeks to rid the country of the harmful influence of the West.
The priests must make a difficult decision: renounce their faith to save themselves and others from suffering, or remain faithful to Christ and condemn themselves and their supporters to death.
'Silence' Was Developed Over the Course of Decades & Required Significant Sacrifices From Its Lead Actors
The story behind Silence is worthy of its own movie. Scorsese first read Shusaku Endo's novel in 1989 and was immediately inspired to adapt it. Benicio del Toro and Daniel Day-Lewis were both attached to the project at various times, but filming kept getting delayed.
When the movie finally went into production, Andrew Garfield and Adam Driver were cast in the lead roles and the two actors approached the work with incredible dedication.
To realistically portray the physical and spiritual exhaustion of their characters, Garfield and Driver starved themselves to near-anorexic levels. Garfield also admitted that, while preparing for filming, he observed a vow of silence and did not speak to anyone for a week.
Though Underrated, 'Silence' Is Perhaps Martin Scorsese's Most Personal Movie
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Silence is a three-hour, meditative film that is, at times, unbearably heavy. It demands patience and reflection from the viewer.
Why is God silent when his children die in agony? Can one renounce faith to save others, and would such a renunciation be considered a sin? Scorsese offers no answers.
His movie is an invitation to dialogue and a painful reflection on the nature of faith, duty, and human weakness. Its financial failure and lack of major awards should not be misleading – Silence is one of Martin Scorsese's most powerful and personal works.
What Did Critics & Viewers Think of 'Silence'?
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Silence has 83% from critics and 70% from viewers on Rotten Tomatoes.
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On IMDb, the movie has a score of 7.2/10.
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On Letterboxd, Silence scored 4.0/5.0.
Where to Watch 'Silence'?
Silence is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video.
