Very Unusual, Deep, Tragic, Albeir Rather Violent

Rating: 8/10 (26 May 2017)

Martin Scorcese is a tremendous filmmaker which he has proved time and again with numerous awesome movies such as Gangs Of New York or The Departed. When I was told he had made a film on Christian missionaries to Japan in the 17th century, I became highly suspicious - who of all the people, Mr Scorcese, the very man who made a highly insulting The Last Temtation Of Christ. I was very cautious when starting watching this epic movie. My impressions are very mixed. Let me touch upon certain pluses and minuses/ What was good - 1. Excellent casting - Neeson, Garfield and Driver are awesome from start to finish, they are impeccably excellent and very powerful in each scene they do. This is the 2nd Garfield's film connected with the issue of faith and he again shines brightly. I must also pay deep respect to Japanese actors Tadanobu Asano and Issey Ogata who did marvelous job. 2. The setting - filmed in Taiwan, but depicting Japan, the camera simply enjoys every single trait of gorgeous nature, deep and mighty, superb and awesome. 3. The plot - I was deeply moved by a very correct depiction of Christianity and the real, present, graphic suffering that believers had to endure. 4. The message is simple and yet powerful, too. Silent suffering is often equal to that vivid and loud
What was bad: 1. The length. Unwielding 160 minutes are too much to swallow at one gulp. Too slow and too plodded. 2. Too graphic a violence. No, real, too too much. I felt sick and tired soon. 3. Tempo. Must be faster and more abrupt at times, me-think.
General rating - 8 out of 10