Silence

★★★★★ - A Review by Cameron Kanachki

"I pray but I am lost. Am I just praying to silence?" That's an amazing quote from Andrew Garfield in Silence, one of Martin Scorsese's best films. The film is based on the 1966 novel of the same name by Shūsaku Endō. Set in the 17th century, Garfield portrays Father Sebastiaõ Rodrigues, a Portuguese Jesuit priest in Macau. After priest Alessandro Valignano (played by Ciarán Hinds) receives word that Father Cristóvaõ Ferreira (played by Liam Neeson) has renounced Christianity after being tortured, Valignano sends Rodrigues & Father Francisco Garupe (played by Adam Driver) to Japan to find Ferreira. Arriving in Japan, Rodrigues & Garupe find Japanese Christians living underground, hiding from Inquisitor Inoue (played by Issey Ogata), a samurai looking for suspected Christians, whom he tortures & kills in hideous ways unless they renounce Christianity. Rodrigues & Garupe end up being a big help for the Christians in Japan, but they may pay a heavy price for it.

The cast is excellent. Martin Scorsese's direction, as always, is spectacular. The screenplay by Scorsese & Jay Cocks is amazing. The cinematography by Rodrigo Prieto is absolutely stunning. The film editing by Thelma Schoonmaker is brilliant. The costume design & production design by Dante Ferretti are amazing. And the film score by Kathryn Kluge & Kim Allen Kluge is beautiful. This is one of the best films of the year.