Silence [DVD] [2017]

Great film.

The film begins in silence, or near silence: the murmur of waves along a shore, the faint pounding of a distant taiko drum. Music, the standard start of any film, is absent. Instead, birdsong and the chirping of summer insects, crickets and cicadas. Thus virtual silence. Silence is also the spiritual theme of the film, or a quality at its heart. What is silent? Answers to prayers, the voice of God, the empty cosmos. Questions can be raised but answers are not forthcoming. Instead, they have to be imagined. So too the sound of God’s voice, a voice that doesn’t even whisper. Belief is not just a leap of faith, then; it’s a leap of the imagination too. The God whom the Jesuits long to meet either isn’t listening or isn’t there. Either way, he has abandoned them. Or so it seems to them. They have travelled far to spread the holy word, the gospel of Jesus and his disciples. They are Portuguese far from home in places such as India, China, Macao. A mission to Japan is proposed. It will be undertaken by two priests, Sebastiao Rodrigues and Francisco Garupe, both young and idealistic disciples of Cristóvao Ferreira (1580-1650), a Jesuit who came to Japan some years ago but was forced to renounce his faith. Or so the rumour goes. It has reached Lisbon by way of a confiscated Dutch letter now in the hands of Alessandro Valignano, the Father Superior of Rodrigues and Garupe. The young Jesuits are keen to reach Japan to establish the truth of Ferreira’s situation, but Father Valignano strongly advises against it, saying the plan is too dangerous. Persecution against Christians is raging in Japan. The mission would be suicidal. The year is some time in the mid 17th century after the failed Shimabara Rebellion of 1637-38, an uprising of over 40,000 armed peasants, mostly Christians, against the Tokugawa shogunate (and mercenary Protestant Dutch soldiers). After this incident Christianity in Japan was driven underground and the draconian sakoku exclusion laws were promulgated, laws that banned nearly all foreigners (except the secular, trading Dutch) from the country. A flashback to 1633 shows Ferreira in chains. He’s in a mountainous place of volcanic hot springs where Japanese Christian martyrs are being tortured for refusing to renounce their faith. They cry out in pain as the scalding water sears their reddened flesh. Ferreira says in voiceover: “I never knew Japan when it was a country of light. But I have never known it to be as dark as it is now.” Blood flows throughout the land: whippings, crucifixions, beheadings. The Tokugawa shogunate and its lordly daimyo have seen enough of Catholicism, this sinister, pernicious foreign faith. Its fetishes and fanciful delusions have been undermining social and political stability, converts from the peasantry still revolting in some parts of the country. The priests are a malign force that must be extirpated. Those who renounce (apostatise) will be spared, serving as examples for local Christians to follow. Apostasy is carried out through public desecration of holy relics, especially carved images of Christ called fumi-e. Samurai soldiers with swords stand guard while the prisoner, bound at the wrists, is commanded to trample the fumi-e underfoot or spit on a small wooden figure of Christ on the cross. Many refuse, preferring torture and martyrdom to desecration and renunciation. The Jesuits have done their work well, convincing the desperate peasantry that a better life with God awaits them in Paradise compared to the harsh one experienced here on earth. Their sacrifices and suffering are thus undertaken for a greater good. But is it so? Do these Japanese truly understand and worship the god and saviour of Christian teaching? Or do they worship the spiritual power and authority of Portuguese and Spanish priests? By serving God have the Jesuits inadvertently established a cult of clerical worship as conduits to some higher power? Who knows what’s happening in the minds of the Japanese, an isolated people who have developed their own fetishes and practices over the centuries: the worship of ancestors, nature, mythological beings and the Emperor. Can they visualize God? Do they know he personally cares for them? Do they understand sin and why the Saviour died for them? Do they realize Hell is real, as is eternal torment for them there unless they repent and confess their sins? Who can say? They go through the motions of the Christian rituals, mouth the Christian prayers, seem to be devout, but some still worship things Christianity condemns as pagan, irrational, meaningless. In Macao the young priests Rodrigues and Garupe are introduced to Kichijiro, an exiled Japanese fisherman. His ship had been blown off course and he was rescued in Macao. He can speak some Chinese, Portuguese and Spanish (though in the film he speaks English, Japanese and some Latin). He will act as guide and interpreter for the two Jesuits. All three sail to Japan, landing on a remote coast near Hirado and Goto islands in Kyushu. Here they hide out in a mountain hut for some weeks, cautious of discovery. Word among the local Christians spreads, the people overjoyed to know two genuine Jesuit priests are now in their midst. Cautious and silent pilgrimages are made to the hut where the priests bless them and listen to their confessions. Gradually the priestly missionary work expands to nearby villages, though of course it only takes one informer among the flock for them to be exposed. This happens and it is Kichijiro, of all people, who sells them out for a few pieces of silver, just as Judas did long ago to Jesus for the same reward. So the two Jesuits are betrayed by the person they trusted most, their guide and interpreter. Such is the cynical humour of irony. Taken into captivity, Rodrigues and Garupe are separated, and for a while Garupe disappears from the story. The local daimyo, also a Grand Inquisitor named Inoue-sama, learns of the capture of the Jesuits and visits Rodrigues in captivity. Their conversations are philosophical and theological, as Inoue-sama in fact is a lapsed Christian, fully aware of the tenets of the faith. Thus there is little Rodrigues can persuasively say to him that he hasn’t heard before. Inoue-sama is reasonable to Rodrigues when the two meet. He says this to the priest: “[This is] all so unnecessary. Just make a little effort to understand our point of view. We don’t hate you. You’ve brought it on yourselves. And you can rid yourself of it too. No need to feel lost.” But Rodrigues is deaf to this reasoning. It’s the Japanese who are lost. God has commanded him to rescue and save them. A local samurai interpreter interviews Rodrigues in captivity. The priest sits in his wooden cage, thin, haggard, emaciated, bearded. It’s unclear if he’s been fasting or hasn’t been fed enough. Like his daimyo master Inoue-sama, the interpreter knows his Bible and the logic of the Jesuits. He is keen sighted intellectually. The two of them — interpreter and Rodrigues — have the following conversation: Interpreter: I’ve been asked to interpret on your behalf. We have our own religion, Padre. A pity you do not notice it. Rodrigues: No, no. We just think in a different way. I: True. You believe our Buddhas are only men. Just human beings. R: Well, even a Buddha dies. Like all men. I: You are ignorant. Only a Christian would see Buddha only as man. Our Buddha is a being which men can become. Something greater than himself, if he can overcome all his illusions. But you cling to your illusions and call them faith. Rodrigues finds Father Ferreira. Or, more precisely, Ferreira is brought to Rodrigues by the daimyo. But he isn’t Ferreira anymore. Now he is called Sawano Chuan, his Japanese name. He’s an upstanding citizen in Nagasaki, married to a Japanese and the father of two children, his priesthood and celibacy things of the past. Years ago he renounced his faith to save many others from persecution, suffering and death. He did the humane, compassionate thing, suffering for it spiritually but not morally. If his faith would have destroyed the lives of hundreds of people, better to destroy that faith, or at least renounce it publicly, than to witness the deaths of innocent people. Rodrigues listens in disbelief and despair, his hero and mentor a traitor, a spiritual fraud. His crisis of faith will now be even greater than was Ferreira’s. How will he endure? You will not know until the very last scene in the film. This story of faith raises an interesting question for me: What is faith based on? I think it’s possible to believe in anything, to invest that belief with meaning and consider it precious, even holy or sacred. I think faith is an emotion that’s made in many cases by cultural storytelling, by old tales handed down through the generations. Identity for many comes from the stories they tell themselves about themselves. But the process is all quite strictly human, not divine, an imaginative invention, as it’s doubtful any rat, horse or dog prays to any god. The Jesuits were devout, sincere and deluded. That’s my view of them, and it was the Japanese establishment view of them too. Figures for Christianity in East Asia nowadays are as follows (percentage of the total population): Philippines (92%), South Korea (29%), Singapore (18%), Hong Kong (11%), Malaysia (9%), China (4%), Japan (2%). This is the legacy of sakoku in Japan’s case, its history an experience of isolation, defence and protection. The word of God as espoused by the Jesuits was something inimical to the overall mental and spiritual health of Japan. It was rejected outright as false and dangerous. Modern Japan today may suffer from many things, but one of them is not the fear of eternal damnation for failing to believe in the divinity of a man crucified in the deserts of the Levant thousands of years ago. Or as the science fiction writer Robert Heinlein once put it: “One man’s religion is the next man’s belly laugh.”

A beautifully shot and conceived adaptation of a deeply engaging novel. The book is a brooding, intense piece of commentary on faith, catholicism and imperialization. Never easy elements to capture in a film - Scorcese does well. It is magnificent in terms of cinematography, sound and editing. It falls down in characterisation - the complex relationship of each priest to god isn't developed fully enough and the character of Kichichiro, while the crux of the stories narrative, is too one dimensional. Garfield does a good job - both stoic and troubled. His belief transition and evolution are well played out and credible. Scorcese's film diverts slightly from the book in it's criticism - so while catholicism, missionary work and religion gets a scathing analysis the book is more absolute and the film offers 'hope' for believers. At 2hrs 30 mins its not a fast film and it does pose many questions of the viewer and people are likely to come to it with strong and differing views on the subject matter. This inevitably leads to polarised opinions on the themes and their handling. I liked it and enjoyed it - I never expected the film to offer answers to the questions it poses, that's for the viewer to determine... much like the role of god in the film.

Scorsese at his best. The subject matter is difficult and needs concentration to pick out various themes, several of which are under the surface. There's not actually that much action, barring some extremely brutal executions, and it is a long film at over two hours. This is compensated for by the fabulous photography and atmosphere of the physical landscape and the characterisation and fate of the two priests. The Japanese inquisitor is also a sinister but mesmerising character. A difficult journey for all concerned including the audience but also rewarding if you enjoy challenging subjects. An intelligent and thoughtful film.

Silence is a movie that director Martin Scorsese has obsessed about for over twenty years, having become enamoured of Shusaku Endo’s 1966 novel of the same name. The story of two young Jesuit priests and the trials they must endure for the sake of faith is a harrowing one, but unfortunately with a running time closing in on three hours, Scorsese's passion project becomes an endurance test in its own right. I believe a good amount of fault here is found in the casting. Andrew Garfield simply doesn't believably carry such weighty material, and he is constantly outshone by the supporting cast. It's entirely possible that simply switching the roles of the two padres could have changed the entire tone of the movie, with Adam Driver as the central figure. Both Driver and Neeson are captivating as two sides to the same coin, Father Garrupe almost ablaze at time in his belief while Father Ferreira is muted and painfully resigned to his fate. The standout figure of the movie though is the fallible Christian guide Kichijiro, himself the most powerful image of faith in the entire film. I really enjoyed that you don't need to be a Christian to take something away with you. There are some moments of true thought provoking clarity, but unfortunately the moments are brief and too far between. At times the Japanese inquisitors almost fall into pantomime or parody, the characters are so broad. Also, the accents from the main characters are all over the place- We're following three Jesuit priests from Portugal. Driver and Garfield sound like they are from God knows where (it changes with every scene) and when Liam Neeson shows up his Portugal is somewhere in the middle of Northern Ireland. It's jarring and almost comically bad. For two more hours we watch as Father Rodrigues struggles with doubt and lack of good sense. The problem with Silence is that not only Jesuit priests can lose their way. Hollywood directors can too.

Version française ok. Bon film sur l'orgueil, et "œil pour œil" nagazaki 1640-1940 ! "la punition de dieu ! violent et cruel japon médiéval, beaux paysages, bons acteurs, belle histoire des derniers prêtres apostolats portugais

This is a Movie worth buying, However it's a Dvd that you'll only would watch once a year.

Excelente película, dusfrutable de principio a fin. Contiene audio en inglés, francea y español latino al igual que subtítulos en estos idiomas. Llegó en tiempo y bien cuidado. Si van a comprar no duden en hacerlo.

Martin Scorseses Silence ist ein tief bewegendes Historiendrama über zwei Jesuitenpriester (Andrew Garfield, Adam Driver), die im 17. Jahrhundert im geheimen Japan missionieren. Der Film ist radikal entschleunigt, meditativ und kompromisslos – eine Auseinandersetzung mit Glauben, Zweifel und moralischer Zerrissenheit. Garfield liefert eine der besten Leistungen seiner Karriere, und Liam Neeson beeindruckt in einer intensiv stillen Nebenrolle. Die Blu-ray bietet sehr gute Bildqualität mit natürlicher Farbgebung und fein aufgelöstem Körnung. Tonspuren: Englisch Dolby Digital 5.1 – atmosphärisch stark; Deutsch DTS 5.1 – sauber, aber weniger subtil in leisen Momenten. Fazit: Ein filmisches Gebet – schwer, schmerzhaft, wunderschön. Für anspruchsvolle Filmfreunde Pflicht.

Very good acting. I mean VERY GOOD. This is one of the best movies that I never want to see again. Compare it to Dear Hunter that way. As far as rating this strictly as a movie, I give this five stars. Story seems to move slowly, but it needs to in order to make you really understand the plight of these people. As far as writing this as faith goes, I am a mixed bag. Do I believe stepping on an image of Christ or spitting on a cross means you renounce your faith and are lost to God for forever? No. These are carved images and nothing more. Do I believe that only a priest can forgive your sins and hear your confessions? No Only Jesus can forgive sins. We are to confess our sins to others, but no human can ever intercede for you on behalf of Jesus. Only Jesus can forgive your sins. Is there such a thing as a Christian vs. unChristian burial? No. It is so sad to me that these people endured this torture for their faith over actions they could have done that would not have caused them to lose their faith. There is nothing in the Bible that says you lose your faith if you spit on the cross or stamp on an image of Jesus. Do I believe in dying for your faith? Yes. Would I have the courage to do so?...... I ask myself that all the time, and that is the question this movie asks..... How far would you go to defend what you believe? What would you endure? Are you willing to live for your faith, or are you willing to live to die for your faith?