As a VERY casual movie fan, the great thing about Martin Scorsese is that you have no idea what he has in the pressure cooker. The last thing I expected ole Marty to drop is a movie based on Shüsaku Endō’s novel about three Jesuit priests on a mission to save one of their own, even though he’s publicly talked about trying to make this movie for over twenty years. I would have been less surprised by a movie about a cocaine-loving scuba diver who happens upon Keith Richards buried tropical sealab vault of Argentinian amphetamines (cue “Fade To Black” and “Tumblin’ Dice”, two songs that I think have been used in a thousand Scorsese movies).
Silence hits theaters on December 23rd and feels like very obvious Oscar bait for Liam Neeson, Andrew Garfield, Adam Driver, and Ciaran Hinds. If you’re looking for the ultimate read on the project, head over to the New York Times Magazine…
Happy your passion project is finally seeing the light of day, Marty. Hope the samurai scenes are intense.