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Silence (2016)

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2:14 | Trailer
In the 17th century, two Portuguese Jesuit priests travel to Japan in an attempt to locate their mentor, who is rumored to have committed apostasy, and to propagate Catholicism.

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(screenplay by), (screenplay by) | 1 more credit »
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402 ( 80)
Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 6 wins & 47 nominations. See more awards »
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Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
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Old Samurai / Inoue (as Issey Ogata)
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Kichijiro (as Yosuke Kubozuka)
Kaoru Endô ...
Unzen Samurai (Uneme)
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Prisoner Augustinian Friar #2 (as Diego Calderon)
Rafael Kading ...
Prisoner Augustinian Friar #1
Matthew Blake ...
Prisoner Franciscan Friar
Benoit Masse ...
Prisoner Augustinian Friar #3
Tetsuya Igawa ...
Prisoner Japanese Jesuit
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Storyline

The story of two Catholic missionaries (Andrew Garfield and Adam Driver) who face the ultimate test of faith when they travel to Japan in search of their missing mentor (Liam Neeson) - at a time when Catholicism was outlawed and their presence forbidden.

Plot Summary | Plot Synopsis

Taglines:

Sometimes silence is the deadliest sound


Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for some disturbing violent content | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

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Details

Official Sites:

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Country:

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Language:

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Release Date:

13 January 2017 (USA)  »

Also Known As:

Silencio  »

Filming Locations:

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Box Office

Budget:

$46,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$130,880, 23 December 2016, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$7,079,191, 17 February 2017

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$23,737,523, 23 February 2017
See more on IMDbPro »

Company Credits

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Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

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Color:

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1
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Did You Know?

Trivia

Ken Watanabe was originally slated to portray a Japanese interpreter to the Jesuit priests, but dropped out before filming commenced. He was replaced by Tadanobu Asano. See more »

Goofs

At 2:08, when Ferreira is talking to Rodrigues, the left side of his face is in the sun. So with the sun on his left he turns his head to the right, where he points to the sun and stares right into the sun for seconds, even without blinking his eyes. See more »

Quotes

[first lines]
Ferreira: [narrating] 1633. Pax Christi. Praised be God. Although for ust there is little peace in this land now. I never knew Japan when it was a country of light, but I have never known it to be as dark as it is now. All our progress has ended in new persecution, new repression, new suffering. They use ladles filled with holes so the drops would come out slowly, and the pain would be prolonged. Each small splash of the water was like a burning coal. The Governor of Nagasaki took four friars...
[...]
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Crazy Credits

For the Japanese Christians and their pastors Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam See more »

Connections

Referenced in Filmbarátok Podcast: Episode #1.118 (2017) See more »

Soundtracks

Slow Taikos
Written and performed by Antoine Binant and Yutaka Nakamura
Courtesy of Blue Pie Records USA and Sound For Production
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User Reviews

 
Will take some time to process
16 January 2017 | by See all my reviews

There's a reasonable argument to say that SILENCE is one of Martin Scorsese's better movies. The talk is that it was a passion project of his for decades, finally being released in all it's artistic endeavors and mysteries. I suppose someone else could argue the opposite: that this is a story full of brutality and despair without the signature style of the aged director. I think I'm falling right on the middle on this one. This is surely one of the year's most powerful stories, and yet I have to admit it left me cold.

The story follows two priests from Portugal (Andrew Garfield and Adam Driver) who venture into hostile Japanese country in search of their mentor, Father Ferreira (Liam Neeson), who has abandoned his Christian faith. Some chalk it up to mere rumors. These two young ministers take the journey to find out for themselves.

What begins as a fairly traditional story ventures into the heart of Japan in the 16th Century with a sharp attention to both detail and horror. This is less a story of a search for one man as it is an odyssey into the despair found in conflicting religious beliefs. Father Rodrigues (Andrew Garfield) holds hope that Ferreira is alive while also working to convert as many locals under cover of darkness. Upon landing on the shores of Japan (smuggled in on small fishing boats from China), he encounters villages of faithful Christians who worship in secret. For them, the arrival of Rodrigues and Father Garupe (Driver) is confirmation of their beliefs. Through language barriers, it seems that God is always present.

As we delve further into the country towards Nagasaki (where Ferreira is said to be held), the two priest break off on separate journeys. Rodrigues, though oftentimes alone, is shadowed by a Japanese recluse named Kichijiro, a drunk who once betrayed his faith in order to spare his life (he witnessed the execution of his entire family) but returns to the faith time again in order to make Confession and amends with the Lord. Rodrigues continues to absolve him, and yet this is the slow unraveling of an aspect of this story: do the Japanese really comprehend the religion in the same way Westerners do?

There are three people who make this movie better than average: Andrew Garfield surely gives one of the year's best performances as a man trapped in his own personal Hell, forced to grapple between martyrdom and eternal damnation. It's a strong year for Garfield, getting accolades and Oscar buzz for his other leading role in 'Hacksaw Ridge.' Trust me, this is the better performance. Second is the skill of Martin Scorsese, who slowly paints a portrait of a time long forgot with such attention to tone. It's a horrifying and at times morbid story to sit through, but there was never a moment I found myself any less than fully-focused and contemplative.

Third is a surprise, a breakthrough performance by a Japanese actor named Issey Ogata who gives without a doubt one of the year's most memorable performances. Throughout the film the Christians living in Japan are routinely inspected by samurai officials who intend to hunt down and capture any found citizens in violation of the law. One such official is Inoue Masashige (Ogata) who treats the job with a certain flair. Constantly waving a fan and with an ear to ear smile, this is a performance that steps above the rest of the cast by perfectly encapsulating the braggadocious nature of Japanese law without missing a beat. It's a winking devil performance that I hope the Oscars won't look over.

'Silence' is at times hard to palpate and yet rewards the audience for it's patience. Whether or not this film can be interpreted as being pro or anti-Catholic is maybe not the ultimate message of this film. While the final act delves into a horrifyingly-dark arena, consider the final shot before the credits begin to role (I won't spoil it). In such a brutal era with antiquated customs, isn't there still hope left to be found?


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