Silence – Martin Scorsese’s cinematic adaptation of Shusaku Endo’s novel, is gearing up for release. In the past, the auteur has stated many times that Silence was the movie that he really wanted to make. Now, twenty eight years after Scorsese first read the Japanese author’s book, the film will release in theatres December 23.
A harrowing tale of two young Catholic priests who travel to feudal Japan in search of their mentor and spread the gospel to the people of the country. Set in the 17th century, Silence is a movie to watch out for this Oscar season. The trailer of the film, which was released yesterday, hints that the film is nothing short of a stunning epic.
Starring Adam Driver and Andrew Garfield in the lead roles as the two young priests who have to go through torture and brutality in the Japanese jungles, Silence combines elements of violence and spirituality – a mix that recurs in Scorsese’s works like Taxi Driver and Kundun.
Silence was bankrolled by Paramount Pictures. Scorsese didn’t take a director’s fee for Silence, according to reports. The film’s principal actors, Driver, Garfield, and Neeson, also worked for a pay lower than their usual quote. The total budget of the film is over $47 million. The crew filmed in Taiwan for eight months with over 750 people.
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According to Deadline, the film will be screened in Rome at the end of November to 400 Jesuit priests. The screening will be arranged by Rev. James J. Martin, a U.S.-based Jesuit who worked as an adviser on the film. It is speculated that Pope Francis himself might watch the film at the screening.
This is not the first time Scorsese is making a movie on Christianity. His 1988 film The Last Temptation Of Christ, based on Nikos Kazantzakis’ adaptation of the New Testament, had launched a lot of controversies. At least 600 people protested outside Universal Studios, which produced the movie, after it was released.
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