Poses some powerful questions but provides zero answers!!!!

Rating: 5/10 (30 March 2017)

It started off as something very unique and extraordinary, then you prepare yourself for the path that it takes, but then comes such a twist (by showing Rodrigues dying with a crucifix in his hand) that makes you feel robbed off a good ending, makes you question the whole purpose of those 160 minutes.
It's really confusing as to which idea or what concept this film sides with.
1. That, that faith can be practised even privately even after apostatising? That's problematic because they then shouldn't shown Rodrigues help the Japanese government further Christians who'd try to sneak in Christianity-related symbols and objects as means of propagating the religion. Why doesn't Rodrigues make even a slight attempt at saving a single Christiant by not even pretending not to have known that a certain symbols/object was a Christianity-related one? How would such an act go with God - that is, the act of helping the others catch and punish your fellow believers?
2. If it favours faith and also shows that it can still be practised privately, then why did they've to make Father Ferreira's argument to Rodrigues sounds so convincing? It suddenly sounded as if it's against the concept of Christianity.
3. If, again, the purpose was to show that faith never dies and can never be taken out of an individual who believes no matter what the circumstances are, then why did they show on countless instances Rodrigues question himself and his faith? Such scenes actually gave a strong feeling that it questions the purpose and the idea of faith.
4. If it's whole idea was to criticise the Church, then at least this film hardly holds the right to point fingers at Church/Christianity/faith because it's exactly as confusing and impractical as it portrays faith to be.
Make no mistake, this film poses some powerful questions with the circumstances that it creates: for example, showing Rodrigues question himself as to what Jesus would've done in his situation, a unique situation where he's given the choice to apostatise in order to save other people's lives. A powerful question indeed, because, as it is, the Bibical account is solely of Jesus tolerantly facing the violence upon himself which, as hard as it is, is still a decision and a choice that brings far less regret than when someone else is killed because of your action, or inaction in this instance. But here too, it shows something strange: Jesus' voice is heard by Rodrigues which actually asks him to step on that symbol, which is a fair interpretation of the noble man that Jesus of Nazareth was, but why doesn't the same voice guide and stop him from helping the Japanese government in catching other Christians?
Kichijiro's repeated offences and confessions were a masterpiece though and extremely thought-provoking, and Rodrigues questioning himself about him and whether Jesus would forgive such a man too was very powerful.
Coupled with that, I loved the atmosphere that it shows of the persecution of Christians and how for a fearful life it must've been for the minority of any faith living in a place where any day could bring about your death; and equally creative yet very painful were the punishments shown that they handed to the people caught by them. However, the thing remains that the film this film had the ingredients of all-time greatness, but chooses to take a route that confuses you more and more. It pretends to be knowing the answers, but in the end doesn't have a single solution.