SILENCE

Martin Scorsese has wanted to make "Silence" for a very long time, (he secured the rights to Shusaku Endo's novel 28 years ago), and now that he has I am happy to report that this is one of his greatest films and one of the finest films to deal with religion and spirituality ever made. It is the story of Father Rodrigues, (a magnificent Andrew Garfield, virtually never off the screen), one of two Jesuit priests, (the other is played by Adam Driver), smuggled into a 17th century Japan in which Christians, and priests in particular, are being put to death. They are there to find their former spiritual mentor Father Ferreira, (Liam Neeson in a small but commanding role), who it is rumoured has denied his faith.

This is a long film, (almost three hours), and concentrates almost entirely on Father Rodrigues, who is portrayed here as a Christ figure complete with his own personal Judas, (a superb Yosuke Kubozuka). Will he find Father Ferreira and will he deny his own faith or suffer martyrdom? The film never deviates from this central theme and Scorsese and his cast, (there's great work, too, from Issei Ogata in Oscar-worthy form and Tadanobu Asano among his tormentors), never slackens their grip. This is Scorsese at his most austere, art-house rather than multiplex Scorsese with no concessions to his audience. It is absolutely not to be missed.