Look at them - they hate you, yet you come to save them.

Rating: 6/10 (19 February 2017)

Went to the movies today to watch this film without any particular knowledge on the subject. Just knew that it will be a historical movie about a Christian priest getting stranded on Japan.
After watching the movie I came to these conclusions: 1) This Martin Scorsece's film is serious and very much so. It depicts a story about a priest from Portugal - a one Father Fererra (Liam Neeson) - during the time of persecution of Christians in Japan, about how he was forced to disavow his faith for the sake of saving the lives of others. And how after a couple of years two Portugal priests will share the same faith that Father Fererra had.
2) There's a lot of Christian undertones in the movie, and at times it seems too much of them for a person, who is not entirely religious. A lot of convergence of the main protagonist - Father Rodriguez (Andrew Garfield) - with the trials and tribulations of Jesus Christ. And, as Father Fererra in the movie so said - and I am paraphrasing it - "These men are not suffering from hubris to think of their suffering as Jesus's suffering, but you do. Will your pride get the better of view and you will suffer as Jesus had suffered and let these poor souls die?" 3) I don't know much about the history of Japan apart the basics that I was taught in school many years ago, but it would have been nice to have an introduction in the movie as to why the Christians were prosecuted. The unfamiliar with history viewer will just have to suffice with the answer that it just the way it is. Was it due to Opium Wars? Again, we do not know, because it's never explained in the movie.
4) The movie is very lengthy and monotonous. The same faith crisis of the main protagonist and his mentor is seen throughout the movie. And the same question is questioned through the length of it - will you disown your faith so others may live? How strong is your faith? While these monotonous introspection are sometimes enlivened - if one could say so - with some pretty graphic execution scenes, but the very tone of the movie remains the same through the length of it: a lot of melancholy mixes with rain.
I rate this movie a six out of ten. Again, if I was of a religious type, I may like it more, but even though this is a Scorece's film, it does not warrant to watch it a second time, at least in my opinion.