Emily Parker reviews the film about the persecution of Christians in Japan, during the era known as the 'Kakure Kirishitan', meaning 'Hidden Christians'.

Silence

Set in 17th-century Japan, two Portuguese Jesuit priests (Andrew Garfield and Adam Driver) travel to Japan during the time of violence and persecution to Christians. Their mission was to locate their mentor (Liam Neeson) who had committed apostasy and renounced his faith after being tortured. Based on the 1966 novel by Japanese writer, Shusaku Endo, this epic drama takes place at a point in history known as the 'Kakure Kirishitan' which means 'Hidden Christians'. This followed the Shimbara Rebellion in 1637 to 1638 which was an uprising in Southern Japan of Japanese Roman Catholics against the Tokuhagawa shogunate, who were the last feudal Japanese military government.

Directed by the celebrated Martin Scorsese and co-written alongside Jay Cock, Silence is the latest Scorsese masterpiece. The story takes you on a harrowing, demanding and fascinating journey, dealing with the themes of endurance of the human spirit and faith. Scorsese isn't a stranger to this style of film having directed 'The Last Temptation of Christ' and there are parts where you take a wander along memory lane.

I need to warn of the violence in the very vivid torture scenes, which are rife throughout the film. From beheadings, live burnings, drowning, and hard hitting torture; there isn't much detail spared from these scenes. It is beautifully shot though and the sets are realistic in setting the scene and showing the culture of the day.

Liam Neeson's character, Father Cristóvão Ferreira, is not in the movie as much as you might expect. Similar to Disney's Sleeping Beauty, he is there at the start and the end. Adam Driver's character as Father Francisco Garrpe and Andrew Garfield's Father Sebastião Rodrigues are their most emotive performances to date. Garfield's performance stands out the most of the three, especially in key torture scenes. Garfield and Driver are consistent in portraying the struggle that a lot of Christians face in hard circumstances, when it feels like God is silent. Their characters will leave you questioning, if you were in their shoes, how far would you go for your faith and belief in Jesus Christ?

Walking out of the cinema, I was reminded that even though this was based on a time in one country's history, persecution still happens to this day to Christians. It challenges you to think about how you can act and pray for the persecuted church of today. According to Christian Solidarity Worldwide, three quarters of the world's population lives in countries with severe restrictions on religious freedom. Christians are being harassed in more countries worldwide than any other religion. Christians face persecution in more than 60 countries including Eritrea, Syria, Pakistan, Sudan and Iran. It's a timely reminder as this film is released at the start of a new year, to remember the persecuted church as you go into 2017.

Damaris Media create free film resources for community groups, to discuss the major themes in a film. The resources for the Silence include 3 parts for group reflection. The first on hearing God's voice and staying connected to him when you're out of your comfort zone. The second on general film chat and watching the film from a cinematic experience and the final area is on hearing God's people and how to talk, act and pray on behalf of the persecuted church. This creative interactive guide is the perfect film companion to go that one step further into the themes and story. You can download the Silence resources, including exclusive videos and a discussion guide. silence.damarismedia.com CR

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.