(Reviewed by our Guest Critic: The Movie Knight) In 17th Century Portugal, two priests, Father Rodrigues and Father Garrpe (Andrew Garfield and Adam Driver) get word that their mentor, Father Ferreira (Liam Neeson) has either died in Japan or is alive, but has renounced the Christian faith. Neither of the two can believe either story, especially the latter, and set out to Japan themselves in hopes of finding their teacher and to also help spread the word of their faith. It is a hard task as not only is the religion outlawed in the land, but those who are caught practicing it are either tortured or killed. If they are caught their faith will be tested as never before.
This is unlike anything you have seen from Martin Scorsese. It has been a passion project of his for many years and it’s understandable why. The finished product is a major accomplishment from the Academy Award winning director and that’s really saying something at this point in his career. You would think he has already done everything he could have dreamed as a filmmaker, but this brings him up to a whole new level.
The movie raises lots of questions, the biggest question lies in the title of the movie, when we pray to God, we only get silence in return, so how do we know He exists? How can He allow so much suffering to those who are loyal to him? Some questions you may not like asking when you consider the answers. Are the Japanese, who in the movie practice Buddhism, really in the wrong for how they deal with the Christians in their land? When asked why he is bringing the Christian faith to Japan, Father Rodrigues replies that he is bringing “the Truth,” thus implying to the Japanese that they are practicing the wrong religion. How do any of us feel when we are told that? This is the kind of movie you can have deep discussions about long after the end credits have rolled.
Andrew Garfield is up for a Golden Globe award for the performance he gave in Hacksaw Ridge. It was a worth nomination, but this movie is where the better performance comes from and is arguable the best he has done up to this point in his career. As the movie finally gets a national release, hopefully he’ll gain more recognition from the role. As you would expect from a Scorsese film, there is not one weak link from any of the actors. Also, Rodrigo Prieto’s cinematography is nothing short of breathtaking from the first frame to the last.
The movie is over two-and-a-half hours long and it can be a slow moving at times. However, it is not the kind of picture you can really speed up. Some people may find the religious tones uncomfortable and the scenes of torture even more so. These are just some factors you will just have to power through, but it’s worth it.
3 tiaras.