Martin Scorsese’s Silence: An Epic Exploration of Faith, Doubt and Persecution in Feudal Japan

Martin Scorsese’s Silence, released in 2016 after nearly three decades in development, is a profound period drama set in 1640s Japan. The film follows Jesuit missionaries Sebastião Rodrigues (Andrew Garfield) and Francisco Garupe (Adam Driver) as they travel to Japan in search of their missing mentor, Cristóvão Ferreira (Liam Neeson). There, they encounter the hidden Christian communities known as Kirishitans, who practise their faith in secret under the threat of persecution during the Edo period. As Rodrigues witnesses the Japanese Christians’ adapted practices and faces intense spiritual trials, he begins to question his own beliefs and God’s silence in the face of suffering. Scorsese, working with cinematographer Rodrigo Prieto, employs striking visual techniques like overhead shots and sweeping landscapes to explore themes of faith, colonisation, and divine presence. The film features standout performances, particularly Liam Neeson’s career-best portrayal of a spiritually exhausted Ferreira and Issey Ogata’s menacing inquisitor Inoue. It also highlights strong supporting roles from Japanese actors including Yōsuke Kubozuka, Yoshi Oida, and director Shinya Tsukamoto. Silence delves into complex questions about religious conviction, cultural clash, and whether stepping on a fumi-e is mere formality or true apostasy. Though it oscillates between contemplative and narrative-driven moments, the film remains one of Scorsese’s most ambitious and thoughtful works on spirituality. It is available to stream on Stan in Australia and for rental elsewhere.