Director/co-writer Martin Scorsese adapts Shusaku Endo's 1966 historical novel about two Jesuit priests who travel from Portugal to Japan to find their mentor, a man who is rumored to have renounced his religion under torture. In 17th-century Buddhist Japan, Catholicism has been outlawed, and believers are persecuted, but fervent Father Rodrigues (Andrew Garfield) and Father Garape (Adam Driver) are determined to track down Father Ferreira (Liam Neeson). While searching, they minister to villagers who risk their lives to hide them from the wily Inquisitor (Issey Ogata), who gives suspected Christians the opportunity to recant by stepping on an image of Jesus or the Virgin Mary. If they refuse, he mercilessly torments and tortures them in a myriad of graphically gruesome ways, including hot-water scalding, burning on a pyre, drowning on a crucifix in the rising tide, or slowly bleeding to death while hanging upside down over a pit. Betrayal is a recurring theme here, as the priests' guide Kichijiro (Yosuke Kubozuka) repeatedly deceives them, yet begs forgiveness, promising to be stronger next time. The title refers to Rodrigues's prayers for divine guidance—and the silence that ensues. Visually magnificent (an Oscar nominee for its cinematography), Silence is ultimately more of an intellectual exercise than an emotionally engaging film—a dour depiction of an agonized, seemingly endless pilgrimage. A strong optional purchase. [Note: Blu-ray extras include a “Journey Into Silence” behind-the-scenes featurette (25 min.), and bonus digital and UltraViolet copies of the film. Bottom line: a small extras package for a visually magnificent but dramatically uneven film.] (S. Granger)
Silence
Paramount, 160 min., R, DVD: $29.99, Blu-ray: $39.99, Mar. 28 Volume 32, Issue 3
Silence
Star Ratings
As of March 2022, Video Librarian has changed from a four-star rating system to a five-star one. This change allows our reviewers to have a wider range of critical viewpoints, as well as to synchronize with Google’s rating structure. This change affects all reviews from March 2022 onwards. All reviews from before this period will still retain their original rating. Future film submissions will be considered our new 1-5 star criteria.
Order From Your Favorite Distributor Today: