Set in the 17th century, Silence tells the story of two priests (played by Andrew Garfield & Adam Driver). Their mission is to seek and find their missing mentor “Ferreira” (played by Liam Neeson) and travel to Japan. Our two priests also hear many rumours about Ferreria. Has he been captured? Has he lost his faith and is now rejected, God? Is he still alive?  

It should come to no surprise to any movie lover in the world when I say I totally love what comes to life when Martin Scorsese is behind the camera. Scorsese once again delivers a film with stunning visuals and excellent pacing that shows his passion for movies. While visually we have somewhat of a repeat of what Scorsese usually produces, the man lifts his game in his storytelling. This is a deeper (and heavier) level than anything he has achieved so far.

Make no mistake, Silence is a very (very!) dramatic film. Our two priests are very confident with their beliefs and faith as Christians but as they go on the mission to seek their missing mentor, faith becomes tested not just for our two leads, but many others that they encounter throughout the film’s duration.

Being a Christian myself, there were many time where I personally felt heavy-hearted. Don’t worry I’m not going to preach at you, but Christian or not, many of us in the world believe in something or at least have thought about it. This film will even question the audience itself ‘How far would you go based on what you believe in life?’ Would you even die for it? Would you die for someone else around you based on it? Like I said, this film is dramatic!

The film’s casting is superb. Andrew Garfield in particular (best known recently from Hacksaw Ridge and Amazing Spider-Man) delivers a jaw-dropping performance. With Hacksaw Ridge last year and now this film, Andrew Garfield has proven to the world that he, not just a lazy actor and a pretty face.  

Overall, Silence is a film that isn’t for everyone. This is a film that takes its time with stunning visuals, slow pace and the bonus of jaw-dropping performances. The heavy-hearted plot is challenging and will either leave you feeling thankful… or fearful. For me personally, I am impressed that once again Martin Scorsese deliveries another masterpiece (did I mention the man is now 74 years old!). It is very unlikely that many viewers will reach the same point view in regards to this film, which in itself, is pretty rare in today’s cinema.

8.6/10

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Review Written by Peter Walkden