In some ways, despite its depictions of heroism in the face of horror, “Silence” is also a painfully sobering study of human weakness. Yet Scorsese, despite his occasional penchant for over-the-top violence, never allows the imagery here to become exploitative-or, indeed, anything less than reverent. In part, this is a story of the persecuted church: an unflinching depiction of Japanese Christian martyrs who are blasted with scalding water, beheaded with swords, left to die in freezing waves, and burned alive at the stake.

Scorsese brilliantly translates Endō’s novel to the screen: “Silence” is a long, but totally engrossing film that takes time to build up its devastating dramatic stakes. God remains perpetually silent, plunging Rodrigues into an agonizing “dark night of the soul.” How Martin Scorsese Translates ‘Silence’ to the Screen Set in Japan in 1639, “Silence” follows the journey of two Catholic priests-Father Rodrigues (Andrew Garfield in the film version) and Father Garrpe (played onscreen by Adam Driver) who are dispatched to discover the truth behind the alleged apostasy of senior priest Father Ferreira (Liam Neeson).Īs the narrative unfolds, Rodrigues and Garrpe find themselves on a journey into darker and darker situations of torture and martyrdom. The riveting drama continues to haunt me more than a month later, particularly after seeing the film. I read “Silence” over the Thanksgiving holiday this year, and it was without doubt the most powerful novel I read this year. The story probes issues of culture, faith, courage, and value in ways that bite deeply-and is perhaps Hollywood’s most compelling portrayal of religious themes since “The Passion of the Christ.” Martin Scorsese’s new film “Silence”-an adaptation of the 1966 novel by Shūsaku Endō-has already been winning plaudits from a broad diversity of film critics, and is almost certain to spark thoughtful reactions from viewers of faith.

Silence by Shūsaku Endō