“なぜ弱きわれらが苦しむのかー”
遠藤周作の小説「沈黙」を、巨匠マーティン・スコセッシが映画化したヒューマンドラマ。キリシタンの弾圧が行われていた江戸初期の日本に渡ってきたポルトガル人宣教師の目を通し、人間にとって大切なものか、人間の弱さとは何かを描き出した。17世紀、キリスト教が禁じられた日本で棄教したとされる師の真相を確かめるため、日本を目指す若き宣教師のロドリゴとガルペ。2人は旅の途上のマカオで出会ったキチジローという日本人を案内役に、やがて長崎へとたどり着き、厳しい弾圧を受けながら自らの信仰心と向き合っていく。
製作費: $46,000,000 (69億円)
興行収入: $23,834,809 (36億円)
推定収支: $-22,165,191 (-33億円)
※製作費・興行収入はTMDBのデータを参照しています。収支は(興行収入 - 製作費)で算出したFindKey独自の推定値であり、広告宣伝費や諸経費は含まれません (1ドル=150円換算)。
FindKeyのエディトリアルチームがこの作品の深層や歴史を解説しています。
監督: マーティン・スコセッシ
脚本: ジェイ・コックス / 遠藤周作 / マーティン・スコセッシ
音楽: Kathryn Kluge / Kim Allen Kluge
制作: ヴィットリオ・チェッキ・ゴーリ / Barbara De Fina / ランドール・エメット
撮影監督: ロドリゴ・プリエト
制作会社: Waypoint Entertainment / Cappa Defina Productions / CatchPlay / Fábrica de Cine / SharpSword Films / Sikelia Productions / EFO Films
**_Great filmmaking, cast and locations, but strangely inert (overlong) story_** Released in late 2016 and directed by Martin Scorsese based on the novel by Shûsaku Endô, "Silence" chronicles events in 1640 when two Jesuit priests (Andrew Garfield & Adam Driver) journey to Japan to check on the persecuted church and find out what happened to their mentor, whom it is rumored fell from the faith (Liam Neeson). Issei Ogata is on hand as the sadistic, but seemingly reasonable Japanese inquisitor. The Jesuits were a society of Catholic missionaries started in 1540 in response to the spreading evangelism of the Protestant reformers. They were an essential part of the Roman counter-Reformation. With this in mind, the seeming Christianity portrayed in the movie is decidedly Catholic in nature, with the requisite unbiblical stuff, like confessions to priests, icons, rosary beads, etc. In tone and theme, "Silence" is reminiscent of movies like the excellent "Black Robe" (1991), the solid "The Mission" (1986) and the surprisingly great "Black Death" (see my review). There are also elements of "The Bridge on the River Kwai" (1957). If you appreciate any of these films you might appreciate "Silence," but it didn't work for me. Sure, Scorsese is a great auteur and so the filmmaking is top-of-the-line – the cinematography, the cast, the costuming, locations and score. Unfortunately, the story's not compelling and I never connected with the main character, despite Garfield's quality performance. There's some worthy mindfood (or spiritfood) to glean from the proceedings, however, like: Why does God allow the excruciating persecution of His faithful? Why is He silent? IS He silent? Can a believer be restored after cowardly denying the Lord in the face of torture/death? Can a Christian hide their faith while living in a thoroughly hostile culture? But I didn't buy for a second that the Japanese couldn't conceive of a Deity that transcends physical nature, like the sun, sea or mountain. While the idea may have been alien to their communal mindset at the time, it's absurd to think that no individual man or woman could discern the obvious (see Psalm 19:1 & Romans 1:20). Although I'm sorta glad I saw it, "Silence" is curiously dull and overlong; and so I never care to see it again. There are far superior movies that tackle similar topics. Those who give it the highest possible rating must be fanatical devotees of Scorsese. The movie runs 161 minutes and was shot in Taiwan and the Cathedral Of Saint Paul In Macau, China. GRADE: C-
