The big picture
- That of Martin Scorsese Silence is an underrated work sandwiched between the wolf of Wall Street And The Irishman.
- Based on a Japanese novel, the film explores the 17th-century journey of two missionaries through brutal persecution in Japan.
- Despite delays and a small release, Silence is a visually stunning, emotionally intense and thought-provoking exploration of faith.
Fans of Martin Scorsese often refers to 2019 The Irishman as a follow-up to that of 2013 the wolf of Wall Street. Although this timeline may be true for Scorsese’s iconic crime filmography, he actually released another film in between. We’re not talking about a short film, documentary, or project that Scorsese simply served as an executive producer on, like The current war Or Uncut gemstones. The film arrived between the wolf of Wall Street And The Irishman is the full feature film, Silenceand it is perhaps Scorsese’s most underrated work.
What is Martin Scorsese’s “Silence” about?
Based on Shusaku Endothe 1966 Japanese novel of the same name, Martin Scorsese Silence stars Andrew Garfield And Adam Pilote like the 17th-century Portuguese missionaries Sebastião Rodrigues and Francisco Garupe, respectively. After learning that their mentor, Cristóvão Ferreira (Liam Neeson) renounced his faith during a Catholic mission in Japan, the two young priests go looking for him and continue to spread the word of the Gospel.
True to history, Rodrigues and Garupe arrive in Japan during the Edo period after the Shimabara Rebellion, where anyone known to practice Christianity is subject to torture and death. The priests do their work in secret, aided by underground Christian populations who hide from government inquisitors. However, their concealment can only last for so long. As they bear witness to increasingly horrific persecution, their faith is shaken and they understand how Ferreira lost his along the way.
How was Martin Scorsese’s “Silence” made?
Silence was a long-time passion project of Scorsese’s. Allegedly, development lasted more than a quarter of a centuryand he first proposed adapting Endo’s novel in 1990, two years after the release of his other religious film, The last temptation of Christ. Pre-production first began in the late 90s, but Martin Scorsese postponed the project TO DO Bringing out the dead, New York gangsAnd The aviator First of all. Nearly ten years later, Scorsese put Silence on the back burner again TO DO The dead, Shutter Island, Hugoand eventually, the wolf of Wall Street. These perpetual delays almost led to a trialas SilenceOnce-promising production company Cecchi Gori Pictures claimed that Scorsese owned them back-end fees for the delays. Scorsese denied the allegations and the matter was settled out of court.
Following the wolf of Wall Street, Silence filming finally began in 2015, with a script written by longtime Scorsese collaborator Jay Bites. Taiwanese sites have replaced Japan, and although the weather, the climateAnd fatal accident involving collapsed studio ceiling delay production, filming finished after three and a half months. Primordial acquired the distribution rights to the film well in advance, and it premiered in late 2016 and was released in theaters worldwide in early 2017.
What works in Martin Scorsese’s ‘Silence’?
Despite the long development and delays, Silence is one of Scorsese’s boldest and most epic works. The film is deliberately paced, creating a slow but invigorating intensity over a running time of 161 minutes. Although films that last close to three hours are almost a Scorsese’s must-see at this point, Silence maintains interest throughout this noble runtime without many of the pop culture references, camera tricks, or classic rock soundtracks that support films like the wolf of Wall Street, The FreedmenOr Casino.
While Period pieces are nothing new for Scorsese, Silence did not settle in America in the early to mid-20th century. Instead, it takes its viewers to the 1600s, placing them in a time and place in history that most Western audiences are unlikely to be familiar with. Part of the success of the transport is due to the cinematographer Rodrigo Prietowhich earned the film its only Oscar nomination, as well as director Dante Ferretti. Together they beautifully constructed and captured the pre-modern setting, filled with ancient architecture and breathtaking views of the Asian Pacific coast. We are far from the digitized sets of Hugo or the foggy bars of Mean streets. In fact, it is probably Scorsese’s film with the most sublime natural imagery, and therefore one of his most aesthetically remarkable.
But above all, it is Silencethe story and the message that make it unforgettable. The film is a vast epic, an adventure of the highest intensity and a psychological study of faith. Sometimes it looks like an emulation of Schindler’s List, Come and seeOr Hotel Rwanda for its unflinching depictions of real-world political brutality. The conflicts and horrors explored by the film are large in scale, and yet Scorsese manages to personalize them with a particular emphasis on Sebastian Rodrigues by Andrew Garfield. As Rodrigues witnesses the atrocities committed against his fellow Catholics in Japan, he questions the role of the Church, the purpose of its mission, and even the presence of God. It’s a meditation on faith, but never preachy or didactic – just painstakingly honest.
Why did “Silence” fail at the box office?
Silence received critical acclaim upon its release, becoming one of the Top 10 films from the American Film Institute of the year. However, it exploded at the box office, barely made back half of its $46 million budget. Movie buffs still tend to ignore it, and it remains an underrated entry in Scorsese’s long filmography.
Many factors could contribute to SilenceThe underestimated value of. Often in film, long and tumultuous development processes are a sign of poor quality products. Although this was certainly not the case for Silence, all the delays could have dissuaded viewers from going to see it even before its release. Then, the outing itself was rather atypical. Although the film was not a “Christian film”, it had its universe premiere at the Pontifical Oriental Institute, a Catholic educational establishment in Rome attached to the Vatican. This could have sent mixed signals.
But it’s more likely that it was the esoteric subject matter and lack of strong marketing that prevented Silencethe financial success of Although the unique setting, heavy themes and long runtime are ultimately some of the Silence, they probably didn’t have the same pull value as some of Scorsese’s more bombastic pictures. The film does not Leonardo DiCaprio in an elegant suit, relevant music from the 1960s, or even contemporary cityscapes which could all benefit a marketing team. There is not even The iconic iconography of Scorsese’s crowd films. What it did have was a stellar cast dressed in 17th-century costumes, intentionally unstylish hair and makeup, and a story about Catholic missionaries. Even with the director’s famous name, these details don’t exactly promise the same sexiness as a movie. Jordan Belfort Or Howard Hughes biopic.
In addition to this, Paramount decided to give Silence a very small theatrical release at the end of 2016 for Oscar eligibility, before opening it to a wider audience (but remains relatively limited) released at the beginning of the following year. With only the two Roman premieres that preceded it and no film festival, Silence had an unconventional release route and there was little room for large-scale commercialization. In March 2017, the the film was already released on home video.
Nevertheless, Silence remains one of Scorsese’s most singular works for all the best reasons. It’s ambitious, original and aesthetically brilliant. A work of art through and through, it’s the kind of film that forces its audience to think deeply about the human spirit and question its dark limitations. As we prepare for Flower Moon Killers next month, this modern Scorsese masterpiece is worth seeing.