Silence
Directed by Martin Scorsese
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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- CubaneFebruary 6, 2026It's an important story that is based on real events, but I think the ideal number of times to see this movie is zero. It is a beautifully shot and masterfully acted descent into abject misery that tortures the viewer with the extreme runtime while it tortures every main character for literal hours. The extent to which Christians were persecuted in Japan is contemptible. But rest assured Portugal wasn't sending missionaries there to save anyone, they were trying to exert soft power over another potential vassal state to turn belief into subjugation and profit. I only pity the priests for being too naive to see they were being used.
- Joe GDecember 14, 2025Like all Scorsese films, this is beautifully shot. And like many Scorsese films, it is bloated—filled with scenes that could be trimmed or removed entirely to make a stronger, more impactful work. There is an awkward imbalance throughout: between historical accuracy, dialects and accents, and characters who waver back and forth in belief and conviction. While this may be more natural and true to life, this is still a film telling a story, and that indulgence works against its central question—the silence of an absent God. There are moments of undeniable brilliance. The image of the crucifix accompanied only by the sound of a cricket is haunting and perfectly composed. The film repeatedly raises powerful questions: the value of religious totems versus faith itself, whether faith should outweigh one’s life, what it means to teach peasants about an afterlife defined by suffering and death, and whether confession serves anyone beyond those seeking absolution without change. Scenes between Liam Neeson and Andrew Garfield that interrogate morality, spirituality, and belief are compelling and feel like the beginnings of a deeper conversation—one the entire film should have committed to. Too often, however, the dialogue lacks the insight or force those questions demand, or is weakened by two hours of narrative wavering. The final forty-five minutes are where the film’s ideas finally coalesce, and they carry the most weight. That stretch would have been far more effective had the middle not dragged so heavily before it. A film rich in intention and craft, but one that mistakes endurance for profundity.
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Silence Trivia
Silence was released on December 23, 2016.
Silence was directed by Martin Scorsese.
Silence has a runtime of 2h 41m.
Silence was produced by Vittorio Cecchi Gori, Barbara De Fina, Randall Emmett, Irwin Winkler, Emma Tillinger Koskoff, Martin Scorsese, Gastón Pavlovich.
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.
The key characters in Silence are Rodrigues (Andrew Garfield), Garupe (Adam Driver), Ferreira (Liam Neeson).
Silence is rated R.
Silence is a Drama, History film.
Silence has an audience rating of 7 out of 10.
Silence had a budget of $46M.
Silence has made $23.8M at the box office.