Storyline
The story of two Catholic missionaries (Andrew Garfield and Adam Driver) who face the ultimate test of faith when they travel to Japan in search of their missing mentor (Liam Neeson) - at a time when Catholicism was outlawed and their presence forbidden.
Writers: Jay Cocks, Martin Scorsese, Andrew Garfield, Adam Driver, Liam Neeson, Andrew Garfield, Adam Driver, Liam Neeson, Tadanobu Asano, Ciarán Hinds, Issei Ogata, Shin'ya Tsukamoto, Yoshi Oida, Yôsuke Kubozuka, Kaoru Endô, Diego Calderon, Rafael Kading, Matthew Blake, Benoit Masse, Tetsuya Igawa, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Cast: Andrew Garfield -
Rodrigues
Adam Driver -
Garrpe
Liam Neeson -
Ferreira
Tadanobu Asano -
Interpreter
Ciarán Hinds -
Father Valignano
Issei Ogata -
Old Samurai /
Inoue
Shin'ya Tsukamoto -
Mokichi
Yoshi Oida -
Ichizo
Yôsuke Kubozuka -
Kichijiro
Kaoru Endô -
Unzen Samurai (Uneme)
Diego Calderon -
Prisoner Augustinian Friar #2
Rafael Kading -
Prisoner Augustinian Friar #1
Matthew Blake -
Prisoner Franciscan Friar
Benoit Masse -
Prisoner Augustinian Friar #3
Tetsuya Igawa -
Prisoner Japanese Jesuit
Taglines:
Sometimes silence is the deadliest sound
Trivia: Liam Neeson lost 20 pounds for his role. See more »
Quotes:
User Review
Author:
Rating: 10/10
Saw an advance screening: This is a powerful film, incredibly
challenging and well-acted. Amazing location footage, historical
details from 17th century Japan, and depiction of a clash of cultures
between East and West. Scorsese is clearly doing a Kurosawa homage
here, as the film has an old-fashioned epic feeling to it. As for the
plot based on Shusako Endo's historical novel, it's remarkably
even-handed. At the time of the isolationist Tokugawa shogunate, which
only ended in 1867 after American gunboats forced Japan's ports to
reopen to trade, the Japanese clearly saw the Catholic faith as
symbolic of Western cultural and political takeover. But does that
justify the torture, coercion, and killing of Christians to make them
abandon their faith? We might consider a historical analogy: When the
Spanish later felt the same way, driving the Moors out of Spain and
forcing those who remained to convert to Catholicism because of the
perception that Islam symbolized cultural and political takeover, do we
excuse the Spanish Inquisition? The best answer might be that we can
understand even if we do not excuse violent push-backs against invading
cultures. There is perhaps an allegory here, as well, to the current
plight of Syrian refugees and their reception or non-reception by
European nations. In any event, the themes here are rich and complex,
and the cast -- particularly Garfield, Neeson, Driver, and the
masterful Japanese actor who plays the inquisitor -- are outstanding.
This is Scorsese at his finest, eschewing black-and-white thinking in
favor of complex moral dilemmas. I don't think I've ever seen a
mainstream Hollywood film that is as intelligent about addressing
cross-cultural and inter-religious dialogue as "Silence." The anguish
of religious faith is part of what's going on here, but it's only the
centerpiece of a very rich cinematic canvas.
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