What you may need to know:
1. Martin Scorsese is back with his latest Oscar-bait, an adaptation of Shūsaku Endō’s 1966 novel. Silence was previously adapted for the screen in Japan in 1971.
2. As the trailer deftly illustrates, Silence follows two Jesuit priests (Andrew Garfield and Adam Driver) on a dangerous journey through 17th-century Japan seeking their mentor (Liam Neeson), who has apparently renounced the Church. In that period, teaching the Catholic faith was illegal, and Christians were known as Kakure Kirishitan (Hidden Christians).
3. Silence has been in development since 1990, yet another ‘passion project’ for Scorsese. (To be fair, all his films are described as passion projects). On the topic of keeping Silence on his radar all that time, Scorsese had this to say:
“As you get older, ideas go and come. Questions, answers, loss of the answer again and more questions, and this is what really interests me. Yes, the cinema and the people in my life and my family are most important, but ultimately as you get older, there’s got to be more. Much, much more. The very nature of secularism right now is really fascinating to me, but at the same time do you wipe away what could be more enriching in your life?”
4. In 2012, Scorsese was sued by investors who alleged that Scorsese was in breach of contract after pushing back a start date to shoot the film several times since their original deal was signed in 1990. Cecchi Gori Pictures wanted a slice of the profits of each film he had made while Silence was on hold. The case was settled for an undisclosed sum in 2014.
5. The budget for Silence was so tight that everyone, including the A-list cast, Scorsese himself and veteran producer Irwin Winkler, worked for scale. Without superheroes, monsters or spaceships in the script, some studios are jittery about handing over their cash – even when someone like Martin Scorsese is involved.
6. Silence receives its world premiere at the Vatican tomorrow.
7. At first glance, the historical setting makes Silence look like a companion piece to Marty’s poorly-received 1997 drama Kundun. Any excuse.
Verdict: Kun-do.
Release date: Tomorrow (Rome)
This reminds me of Shogun, a book that I really loved. So I’ll look forward to this, thanks again Marty!
Jesuit propaganda, the Jesuits were expelled from Japan for political subversion
http://www.reformation.org/jesuits-in-japan.html
At first the Jesuits were warmly welcomed by the Japanese emperor who was eager for contact with the Western world. The Emperor, Daimyo Nobunaga, welcomed them and actually gave them land in Kyoto:
That love soon turned to hate however when the astute Japanese found out that the “missionaries” were just the vanguard of an invading army
Crusades Asia style and this film is just made up history drivel
+1, spot on Kenny this is pure contrived drivel from the Vatican’s man in Hollywood Marty Knight of Malta Scorsese..
Is it meant, or is it anywhere stated, that it’s meant to be historically accurate?
On IMDb the trivia section says “based on actual historical facts” so it depends on which history book they decided to use; Either way it’s all a load of Hollywood fiction pretending to be non fiction, in other words total codswollop
back to bed Harry
what got up your rectum? have you a boil on it maybe?
Don’t play possum Harry; everyone here knows what you meant with your initial post; a pathetic attempt to poo poo the previous ones
you doth protest too much
Harry doth talk shyte
Pretty much all Holywood ‘based on a true story’ films are taken with a pinch of salt with the knowledge that artistic license has been taken to make the story more entertaining, with the exception of anything vaguely religious and then it becomes VATICAN PROPOGANDA
Lies are lies you can decorate it anyway you want, this film is going to be 2 hours of disinformation with music playing along in the background
If I wanted that I’d dig out my wedding video.
Jesus, I bet you’re great craic in the pub. Did you get all high and mighty for the likes of Titanic and Catch Me If You Can? Maybe Micahel Collins was really FG propaganda to make them the real civil war party, not FF who came from evil Dev.
Man, that gave me a good laugh Bertie, cheers :)
Is ‘Jay Cocks’ some Jesuit priest’s pen name?
Liam Neeson hollywoods new Captain America
Saw this trailer the other day and wished I could have those two minutes of my life back.
Avoiding this like this plague.
Don’t think I can be bothered with Marty anymore since that repugnant Wolf of Wall Street drivel.
He is washed up now alright; all the Hollywood new wave directors of the late 70s are re past it and now about as new wave as rte
If he’d cut an hour out of WoWSt, it would have been a lot more entertaining.
OP here.
Time will be kind to The Wolf of Wall Street imo. Lots of people miss the fact that the excessive runtime is part of the story. Belfort’s life was too much of everything: drugs, money, sex. So it stands to reason that a film about him, as disgraceful and unlikeable individual as he is, would be “too much” aswell.
It’s an perfect blend of form and content on Scorsese’s part and proof – in my opinion – he’s still on top of his game.
You think it was an accident, or a bad decision? He was *trying* to p*ss off the audience.
Driver and Garfield are so achingly hip right now with their beards and manbuns. They probably have skinny jeans and a typewriter under their robes.
Cool Ra’s Al Ghul origin story. I wonder if Batman makes an appearance?