Silence2016

“Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.” ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭7‬:‭20‬  What does the title of this movie mean? Like any good piece of art, it is open to many and perhaps all interpretations. Does the silence refer to the last letter from Father Ferreira and the lack of knowledge of what happened to him after? The very thing that sent Rodrigues and Garupe on their journey to Japan in the first place? Is the silence when God does not answer the prayers of Rodrigues and save the other Christians around him from death or torture by the Japanese government? Is it his quiet stubbornness and refusal to apostatize to save those very Christians himself? And is it his final submission and resignation, the quiet private faith he keeps in order to keep others and himself safe? This is a moving story, and it is not one with a clear answer. The obvious answer is why can’t anyone leave everybody the hell alone? We don’t really get an answer to why Christianity could not exist in Japan, just that it cannot. Perhaps because it cannot coexist with something else.  We only see one man’s perspective, and honestly, it is not a very broad one. Despite being pure in his intentions, Rodrigues shows really no desire in learning anything about the Japanese culture beyond what is necessary to preach the faith. There is overall a terrible lack of communication and no desire to understand on either side. Which is stated as much in the film. Obviously, at this point, there are clear lines in the sand. One side is killing and torturing those it deems its opposition, and the other is not. But there have been many times when the opposite has been true, and those who proclaim themselves Christian have, in Christ’s name, destroyed those they perceive as undesirable even to this day.  But without knowledge from outside of the film and given only the context here, the choice Rodrigues is faced with from his perspective is an impossible one. For these people, these fellow Christians, these human beings, does he deny his faith to save their lives at the risk of damning their souls? In this circumstance, what would Jesus do? What would he have you do? And does it matter at all? Is he even there? He has to live with all the lives lost before he apostatized because of his stubbornness. Perhaps that is enough punishment. And that knowledge is what keeps him silent for forty years. Until he dies.  Despite or perhaps because of its subject matter, this movie calls back to Kundun more than it does The Last Temptation. People that preach love and kindness are driven out and killed because of a desire for power. The core tenets here are the same. Is silence a true denial? Is it enough to know your own heart? And to do what is possible for you?  Maybe there is another kind of silence. This movie uses nature sounds in many moments that would otherwise perhaps have music. And just like when you are truly out in nature, you reach a point where you don’t notice it anymore. And it feels genuinely quiet. But something happens or maybe even nothing at all, and you hear it again. The cacophony and the orchestra of nature. Insects, animals, birds. The wind in the trees. The sound of the universe spinning.  “Lord, I fought against your silence.” “I suffered beside you. I was never silent.” “I know.” “But even if God had been silent my whole life, to this very day, everything I do, everything I've done... Speaks of Him.” “It was in the silence that I heard Your voice.” Scorses-a-thon There are two movies left. One I’ve seen and one I haven’t. This has been a long journey but incredibly rewarding. I have seen some of the best movies ever made in the last few months and have been truly moved by them. Scorsese brings humanity to his movies. That is his strength. After these two films, I will probably go on to do another director’s filmography, but I truly doubt they will have a line-up so stacked and so incredibly well made. Scorsese makes masterpieces. Immaculately crafted and placed before the audience like a mirror. You look into his movies and you see yourself. I am genuinely not just happy but excited to revisit any film in his catalogue, maybe even especially the ones that did not click with me.  Thank you.