Very slow, but with some great moments.

Rating: 6/10 (7 January 2017)

(No major spoilers)
Do not be fooled by the trailer; Silence's 2 minute teaser trailer is full of fast shots, intense music and dramatic acting, but the full 3 hour film is quite the opposite. Silence, Martin Scorsese's latest film, has an immensely slow pace, taking its time with each scene and each shot, almost giving its audience the time to think and ponder, before moving on. The film, based on Endo's 1966 novel, follows a devout Jesuit priest (as played by Andrew Garfield), who is dispatched with his fellow Padre (Driver) to 17th century Japan, where they find inspiration and persecution alike in the search for their fallen master, Father Ferreira (Neeson). Silence is perhaps similar to Inarritu's The Revenant from last year, in its slow pacing and acute intimacy with a tortured, struggling protagonist. However, where The Revenant has stunning landscapes, hauntingly beautiful music and cinematography to match, Silence has no musical score, and is quite minimalist in its directing.
Strong performances come from Andrew Garfield and Adam Driver, who show themselves to be versatile and engaging actors. Liam Neeson is particularly noteworthy, seamlessly portraying a converted apostate, but where the film's strength truly lies is in its Japanese actors. Tadanobu Asano and Issei Ogata play their respective samurai with a frightening realism and presence, bringing a mix of affability and danger that is deceptively menacing, while Yosuke Kubozuka delivers a powerful and haunting performance as a persecuted Japanese Christian, Kichijiro, whose faith and morality are constantly tested. What dialogue there is in the film is quite engaging, raising questions about the nature of faith and God that will stay with the audience for some time after finishing the film. Father Rodrigues hears the voice of Jesus – is it God speaking to him, or merely the result of torture and madness?
Upon leaving the cinema, a viewer may find themselves feeling relaxed and philosophical, as if they've spent not just 3 hours, but 3 years, in the foggy islands of Japan. However, Silence is by no means for the faint-hearted, with scenes of torture and beheading, realistically and jarringly portrayed. Nor is the film for the quick-hearted, it would seem; in my screening of Silence, four people left after the first hour, presumably tired out by its slow, pondering pace.
Overall, Silence is perhaps more meditation than movie.