Martin Scorsese spent over 25 years bringing his passion project Silence to the screen
In short: A harrowing exploration of faith and apostasy in 17th-century Japan, Silence was a decades-long obsession for Martin Scorsese. Despite critical acclaim and intense preparation from its lead actors, the film struggled at the box office, ultimately becoming a financial disappointment after a long, difficult road to production.
Based on the 1966 novel by Shūsaku Endō, Silence follows two Jesuit priests who travel to Japan to locate their mentor, Cristóvão Ferreira, who has reportedly renounced his faith. The narrative depicts the brutal persecution of Christians during the Edo period, forcing the protagonists to confront the silence of God amidst suffering. Scorsese, who first read the novel in 1989, viewed the film as a natural successor to his other religious-themed works, such as The Last Temptation of Christ.
The film's production was marked by persistent setbacks, including legal disputes with Cecchi Gori Pictures and a cycle of development that spanned more than two decades. When filming finally commenced in Taiwan in 2015, the budget was so constrained that the director and cast, including Andrew Garfield and Adam Driver, worked for minimum scale. The production was also marred by a tragic accident at CMPC Studios, where a ceiling collapse resulted in one death and two injuries.
To ensure historical and spiritual accuracy, the actors underwent rigorous preparation, including a seven-day silent retreat and extensive research with Jesuit scholar James Martin. Garfield famously lost forty pounds for the role, while Driver shed nearly fifty. Despite these efforts and a positive reception from critics—who praised the film’s emotional resonance and cinematography—it failed to find a broad audience, grossing only $24 million against a budget of up to $50 million.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: Silence (2016 film)
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