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Spiritual quest at its best

Last Updated 17 February 2017, 19:34 IST

Silence
English (A) Cast: Andrew Garfield, Adam Driver, Liam Neeson,  Issei Ogata
Director: Martin Scorsese

Silence, set in the 17th century, is a long movie based on the lives of two Jesuit priests — Sebastiao Rodrigues (Garfield) and Francisco Garrpe (Driver) — who went to Japan to locate their lost mentor Father Ferreira (Neeson). With the Tokugawa shogunate outlawing Catholicism, Rodrigues and Garrpe soon realise that the situation is more miserable than what Father Ferreira described in his letter.

Garrpe is captured and Rodrigues discovers that keeping his faith is not an easy thing in the face of sufferings and in a world surrounded by wretchedness and betrayals.

This religious epic, despite being based on Christian missionaries, is clearly applicable to all those who hold on to their faith. It touches crucial issues like God’s silence in the face of sufferings and whether prayers are really answered.

Director Martin Scorsese tends to get gory at times, but he successfully uses those images to capture the pain one has to go through in order to remain true to one’s faith. It is a truly masterful drama.

Garfield is also at his best these days. He had already proved his worth as a man who went to war while refusing to pick up a rifle in Mel Gibson’s latest flick Hacksaw Ridge.

He may not look like an actor who can carry an entire film on his shoulders, but his eyes magically reveal the genuine pain of the priest he portrays. In addition, Japanese star Ogata adds much weight to his role as an inquisitor who is sly and cunning — representing the ‘other’ world view pretty well. Neeson and Driver also contribute their best in this drama that’s so powerful in terms of substance and cinematic art.

Silence, being a Hollywood production, is characterised by its grandeur, but it never deviates from the core idea that keeping faith is not that easy. Scorsese’s cinematic genius ensures that this soul-searching journey is a unique experience for his fans.

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(Published 17 February 2017, 19:34 IST)

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