Eerily fantastic, explores a heavy subject matter in its rawest form

Rating: 8/10 (13 February 2017)

Silence was eerily fantastic. Based on the 1966 novel by Shusaku Endo, it explores a very heavy subject matter and does so in its rawest form. Set in 17th century Japan, two Catholic priests, Fathers Rodrigues (Andrew Garfield) and Garupe (Adam Driver), begin their journey to find their missing mentor Father Ferreira (Liam Neeson). At the time, Christians in Japan were under severe persecution by the Shogunate and many went into hiding to avoid torture and execution. Director Martin Scorsese tells the story in a very unique way. He lets the audience witness the grim details of the physical and mental suffering the Christians endure through from the very first frame. It is very difficult and uncomfortable to watch, and that dreadful feeling lingers and persists during the entire film.
What's really fascinating about this film is that Scorsese built the film around the theme of Silence. There is no music in the film in the traditional sense. The score (Kathryn Kluge and Kim Allen Kluge) comprises almost entirely of insect noises and chirping of birds. The audience, like Rodriguez and Garrpe, are left vulnerable and there is nothing to distract us from the brutality that is being depicted. Darkness is a common theme here, both figuratively and literally. Many scenes are set at night, or in a hidden hut lit by candlelight, with people talking in fearful whispers.
If we dig deeper, Scorsese presents many 'Why' questions around God's silence to the Christians' sufferings and it doesn't readily divulge the answers. The viewers mainly follow and see things through Garfield's perspective (quite literally through Rodrigo Prieto's brilliant cinematography) and after being part of what he goes through, we are compelled to raise the same doubts and questions as him – questions such as: What is faith? What is strength? Should you deny God to save others? Like him, the audience's willpower is chipped away little by little as the film progresses, and I could feel myself approaching my breaking point too.
The film does tone down past the half way point, with its intensity dissolving slightly. Or was this because we are somewhat used to the violence at that point? The screenplay spends the majority of the film dissecting and delving into Garfield's emotional realm. They do this slowly and painfully, and for the viewers, it could feel a little wearisome. I found though, that this was all part of the process. Scorsese was merely preparing us for the much anticipated encounter between two central characters in the climax. By that point, it is easy to be fully engrossed in the conversation, and it is powerfully sincere and heartbreaking, as we could understand both characters' thoughts and motivations.
After his exceptional performance in Hacksaw Ridge, Garfield gives another heartfelt performance here. Neeson's role as a mentor reminded me of his character as Qui-Gon, with his quiet maturity and perceived respectability and wisdom. Even with their limited screen time, the Japanese actors, in particular Issei Ogata as the Inquisitor Inoue and Yosuke Kubozuka as Kichijiro are incredibly memorable. Inoue's creepy voice would stay with me for a long time to come.
Scorsese' Silence deliberately uses silence to punctuate its impact. It puts you through trials and tribulations and when you finally absorb everything, you'll feel extremely sick. At almost three hours running time, it is long and it takes a fair degree of patience and resilience to sit through. Regardless of Scorsese's intentions and what his message is, this film forces you to be in touch with your humanity and that's in my opinion, achieved brilliantly.