Silence [Blu-ray] [2017]

In this comment, the writer discusses a film that explores the themes of faith, torture, and silence. They mention how Christians in Japan are tortured for three hours as a metaphor for biblical events like the temptation of Jesus and the crucifixion. The main dilemma presented is whether renouncing one's faith to save someone's life would result in forfeiting eternal life. The comment also highlights the prevalent theme of silence throughout the film.

The writer acknowledges that this question may be important for viewers with religious beliefs but might not resonate as much with atheists. They note that while the time period is well portrayed and the acting is decent, they find it lacking in entertainment value due to its dry and heavy-handed approach.

Revised:

This comment delves into a thought-provoking film that examines faith, torture, and silence through metaphoric representations of biblical stories. It focuses on Christians in Japan enduring three hours of torment as symbolic parallels to Jesus' temptations and crucifixion. The central dilemma revolves around sacrificing one's faith to save another's mortal life at the potential cost of their eternal salvation.

Silence emerges as a prominent theme throughout; from God's apparent absence when priests seek solace, to their own refusal to utter a Japanese word meaning 'I submit,' echoing Jesus' cry on the cross questioning his abandonment by his father. While this exploration may deeply resonate with religious viewers, it may hold less significance for atheists.

The comment acknowledges effective portrayal of the historical setting and satisfactory acting performances but notes that as entertainment, it can feel somewhat dry and heavy-handed.

This film is a welcome change of pace and thought provoking. Scorsese's direction is masterful as always. I was hoping for more sophisticated theological debates between the priest and inquisitor, but I found the priests to be inept at defending their beliefs. It was disappointing that I, with limited knowledge of 16th century metaphysical disputes, could outperform a Jesuit in this regard. The film didn't deliver anything particularly powerful in examining faith and human weakness. However, it is still an enjoyable 3 hours of film, despite the torture scenes. The beautifully shot historical context adds to its appeal.

I found the film to be quite sad and emotionally challenging to watch. However, its message about faith was simple and easy to understand. The film suggests that if we view everything as different expressions of faith in God and with a divine connection, we can see the bigger picture and learn to tolerate and accept all beliefs. It emphasizes that there is only one God who is the father of all souls, the unseen creator of everything. This perspective allows us to accept all faiths as truth, including Buddhism, Islam, Christianity, Judaism, and worship of other deities. Despite their differences, we are all children of God. The film focuses on missionaries facing difficult times abroad. Although I didn't watch it entirely, it seems that the main character initially visited Japan but eventually evolved his beliefs towards accepting that everyone is a child of God with their own unique viewpoint. It encourages us to look at life from different angles like observing a tree; each person's perspective may differ but they are neither completely right nor wrong. Therefore, there is no need for violence or hatred because God loves us all unconditionally.