OK. OK. The last time director Martin Scorsese made a film about religion it didn’t work out all that well but this film called “Silence” looks promising.
Indie Wire reports:
It’s an adaptation of Shusaku Endo’s book about two 17th century Jesuit priests who face violence and persecution when they travel to Japan to locate their mentor and to spread the gospel of Christianity. At one time, Daniel Day-Lewis, Benicio Del Toro and Gael Garcia Bernal were being rounded up to star, but that never panned out, and it’s not clear if they’ll return or if Scorsese will re-cast. The script was penned by Jay Cocks (“The Age of Innocence,” “The Gangs of New York”) and foreign rights will be up for grabs at Cannes, where Scorsese may appear.
Scorsese is one of the great directors of our time and I hope and pray that this could be a great movie.
Let’s hope.
Anyone read the book the movie’s based on? Rick Garnett of Notre Dame Law said it’s one of his favorite books and I respect him so I’ll order it for my Nook.
April 22, 2013 at 9:40 pm
"Silence" is a very great novel. All of Endo's novels are good, and "Silence" is generally considered his best. Endo was educated by Jesuits, and is often called the Graham Greene of Japan. He also hosted a late night talk show, so although a serious writer, Endo was not serious about everything. Endo's understanding of martyrdom departs from the traditional view, and some may find it unsettling.
April 22, 2013 at 10:32 pm
Heavily sourced by my wife for her book on teen saints in regard to the context of the Japanese Martyrs. Well worth a read.
April 22, 2013 at 11:42 pm
The novel was already made into a film in Japan, so this will be a remake.
April 23, 2013 at 1:03 am
No, "Silence" is most certainly not a good novel,, not if you are Catholic. Endo was investigating Hinduism and reincarnation by the time he died, and "Silence" has two Jesuits utterly baffled – I mean, utterly, completely baffled – by the question of whether it is a good idea to do something morally evil if good might come out of it. Right. Like the Jesuits had never been to college. Oh, and the Jesuit ends up giving up Catholicism to live as a Japanese, with a woman, as well.
Scorsese HATES Catholicism has always been my take on him after the "Last Temptation" movie.
April 23, 2013 at 1:13 am
Shusaku Endo was a great Japanese Catholic novelist in the years after WWII. For a real treat, try "Deep River", about a Japanese monk who winds up in India. Terrific.
April 23, 2013 at 3:59 pm
Hi, all. This is for Inigo_Hicks : Can you briefly describe Endo's views on martyrdom, or perhaps just what about it makes it all unsettling? Or can you tell me where I could find out more about it? It's interesting to me. Thanks! (You can reply via message on facebook at the link attached to my name, or e-mail me at credodomine@facebook.com)
April 23, 2013 at 4:07 pm
It is a good read. Inigo is right, very unsettling. (Anonymous, it’s called a “Spoiler Alert”). My basic take from the book was a reinforcement that martyrdom is a super natural undertaking, some got it and some don’t. We should all use Saints as guides through life, but scoundrels also come in handy.
April 23, 2013 at 6:51 pm
To Johan,
As Anonymous points out, to say too much about Endo's views on martyrdom as presented in Silence would spoil the book. I believe Endo has said his intention was to make Christianity more intelligible to Japanese.
April 24, 2013 at 9:09 am
The Japanese film "Chinmoku" came out in 1971 and is available on dvd. Well worth a look if you have a strong Catholic faith…