Silence the sound of the faith

Rating: 8/10 (6 July 2018)

In 2016 Martin Scorsese produces, writes and directs a film that was completely snubbed by both the public at the box office and the Academy Awards, despite the discrete criticism it has received.
Silence cost 46 million dollars and earns only 7 at the American box office, a film that certainly deserved greater consideration but the duration of 2 hours and 40 certainly did not favor it.
A really long time for a film with a very challenging plot, taken from the novel of the same name, which is however managed impeccably, so much so that time runs without this being felt, thanks to a great atmosphere that makes immediate the immersion in the film by the viewer.
Of course the plot, and it can be seen even just seeing the dimensions of the book from which it is taken, is very diluted but this does not affect at all because in the most static moments, silent or anyway in which the story suffers a slight arrest, the viewer can enjoy the magnificent artistic component that makes "Silence" a real painting to be admired constantly.
Thanks to a cinematography that is able to cleverly exploit the light and colors that enhance the fascinating and evocative scenographies that are the background to a story that otherwise could have been uninteresting.
Admirable Scorsese's ability to make the whole film a great testimony of the Christian Church accessible and appreciable even by those who, like the undersigned, do not share its ideals but nevertheless can not remain charmed, almost envious, for the protagonists of the story paintings with great respect and admiration by the director himself.
A directing from a technical point of view that is simply perfect, with intelligent camera angles and movements and extremely functional long shots, but what is missing is a greater thrust on emotions and feelings that are represented but that can not pierce the screen, probably also because of the script, obviously pretentious and introspective (positive aspects for this type of film), but that fails to excite as much as a story like this could have done, perhaps even for some slightly predictable steps and some redundancies avoidable.
This is also due to the somewhat restrained interpretations, almost detached by Adam Driver, which I found subdued, and by Liam Neeson who could have given much more. While Andrew Garfield confirms his great talent again giving body and soul to a role that is anything but simple to interpret.