SILENCE (2016) - 1/14/2025
Amazing, but why?
Silence seems to be an overlooked film in Scorsese’s oeuvre, and one I definitely did not see when it came out. In recent years though, it seems as if it's had a resurgence on the back of the popularity of Adam Driver and Andrew Garfield, who, at the time, we couldn’t make out what kind of actors they were going to be1. Now it seems, as a collective audience, we point back to this film that Marty did as a true testament to his ability to see what an actor will become before the rest of us do.
It’s a weird film he chose to do. This was, at the time, his main passion project. He bought the rights nearly three decades prior when Kurosawa loaned him the book while filming Dreams in Japan, and tried forever to get off the ground. By the time he was actually about to do it, The Wolf of Wall Street fell into his lap and he took that on. This was probably for the best because it gave him some carte blanche on the back of Wolf making nearly four times its budget (over $400 million), thus being able to finally get this long gestated film in the works.
Silence is truly a spectacular movie, and one I shook off at the time because I don’t care for Christian tales of evangelism, but this film is truly gorgeous. While it is shot in Taiwan not Japan (for cost reasons), Scorsese does a phenomenal job capturing the South Pacific to tell this expansive tale of Christian martyrdom. Garfield is the obvious star, shining in a way that we have come to know him over the past four years. But my biggest question from all of this is, “Why this movie?”
Sure, the tale of European colonialism into Japan is an under-told one that has gained more traction in recent years with shows like Shōgun and Blue Eye Samurai making huge waves, but it is not a story that people were dying for. Part of me believes that this is Scorsese’s way of getting to make a Kurosawa film (one of his heroes) without being Kurosawa. It’s also his way of being able to make a Japanese movie without the - for lack of a better term - appropriating the culture.
We all want to cosplay as the people we admire and idolize from time to time, because all art influences art. Anything you observe influences your art. But Martin is so incredibly white, Italian-American, that while he could make a Japanese film (not unlike Wim Wenders a couple of years ago) he knows that he could never truly emulate the Japanese sensibilities and heart that a native-born Japanese person could. So, he does the next best thing and tells the story of Europeans being lost in an unknown world to them. A fairly solid metaphor of him trying to navigate that space. I think, more importantly, he gravitated to this because of his strong Catholic upbringing.
It’s no secret that Marty tries to reckon with his religion through his work (The Last Temptation of Christ, Gangs of New York) but this one really seems to hit some type of chord for him. Maybe it's the story of truly strong devotees of faith being tested amongst a world that can clearly operate without you. Maybe it’s because he believes that Christians are true sufferers. I am unsure, but honestly, the latter worries me.
Sure, this is a singular story where Christianity could be subbed out for any religious persecution in today’s society, showing how these stories are transcendent and interchangeable throughout history. You can point at this and say (if you’re of the Christian faith) that we have suffered, so do not make others that are going through the same persecution for their beliefs suffer the way our Christian ancestors have in the past. I understand that. But I also know, sadly, that in this world, many Christians (especially American Christians) love to create a victim complex for themselves even though they have become the dominant force and standard bearer around the globe. Don’t believe me? Well tell me what year it is, and then tell me why it is that year. I don’t believe Marty is here to bemoan about how Christians have it hard (they don’t), but we are increasingly seeing a world (and again, especially an America) where Christians act like they are the constant victims in society, even though they are the ones who have arguably caused the most damage globally and locally.
Shows like Pachinko and Shōgun, I fell, do a better job at exploring the impacts of Christianity in feudal and imperial Japan. Showing the issues it may bring, but also the impact it brings to those who follow it and are subjected to Japanese rule. This film does an incredible job of that, but it also weirdly leaves a lot open for interpretation by certain hardcore sects of Christianity that worries me a bit. Luckily, those people will probably just rewatch The Passion of the Christ or Sound of Freedom for the umpteenth time, instead of proper art.
So, I have not seen every Scorsese film, and not even close when considering all of his docs. But I figured I’d use this space to give my Top 5 Scorsese films of all-time.
Honorable Mentions: The Last Waltz, Silence, After Hours
Goodfellas - Listen, I know putting this here is controversial, but this one came to me later in life. The other four I have revisited multiple times and mean more to me because I saw them at that young, impressionable age. Goodfellas is an undefeated classic. But it just doesn’t mean as much to me as the others on this list.
Gangs of New York - I think this is the first Scorsese film I ever saw because every once in a while we’d get Showtime or HBO for free as some sort of promotion. This movie is flawed, but man if it doesn’t rip. I really don’t hate anything about this and it fucking rules. The final battle of Five Points at the end? Sick.
Raging Bull - This is easily my favorite of the “classic” Scorsese films. Everything is captured so well and beautifully. Years ago, I got to go to a screening with a Thelma Schoonmaker Q&A after and it made my life.
The Wolf of Wall Street - I think it says a lot about me that I gravitate more towards the late period Scorsese films, but I think it’s also because of when I grew up. The man was just churning out bangers like this nearly three hour movie that fucking moves. Probably Leo’s best performance ever. It’s this, Once upon A Time…in Hollywood, or my #1.
The Departed - You can read about that here.
Garfield showing dramatic chops early, but coming off of sub-par Spider-Man movies and Driver trying to establish himself with serious directors after Girls.