Silence so often succeeds but its runtime is a huge weakness too difficult to ignore

Rating: 8/10 (11 January 2017)

Silence is an admirable piece of film-making that will, for many, demonstrate exactly what Martin Scorsese is at the very top of his field and why Andrew Garfield is one of the strongest actors of his generation. It's consideration of such dark, poignant themes and ideas (namely, the silence of God when people need him the most and the importance and dangers of an unwavering faith and reliance on one figure) is profound and very often moving, which contrasted with the brutality of the torture scenes, works on an effective but very uncomfortable level well. The opening scene, with the calmness of Liam Neeson narration in comparison to the brutality and discomfort of the torture being displayed, sets the film off on a strong footing, with some of the film's best work contained in this sequence. The final image is equally as powerful in its message (holding on to your faith) but a lot of the material in between weakens some of the impact. I completely understand the need for the film's runtime, eking out the journey and telling the story in as much detail as it deserves and I while admire the work and talent of Scorsese, it doesn't mean I have to love it and quite frankly, I didn't. Maybe, like some have suggested, I will look back at this more fondly than just a couple of hours after enduring it, but for the time being the film's biggest weakness is a little too deafening and difficult to overlook.
FULL REVIEW: goo.gl/IkFgZB