Silence (1971 film)
| Silence | |
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Original Japanese poster
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| Directed by | Masahiro Shinoda |
| Written by |
Shūsaku Endō Masahiro Shinoda |
| Starring |
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| Music by | Tōru Takemitsu |
| Cinematography | Kazuo Miyagawa |
| Distributed by | Toho |
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Release date
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Running time
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129 minutes |
| Country | Japan |
| Language | Japanese English |
Silence (Japanese: 沈黙, translit. Chinmoku) is a 1971 Japanese drama film directed by Masahiro Shinoda, based on the novel of the same name by Shūsaku Endō. The film's themes analyze the conflict of human nature versus divine requirements and their compatibility, life's purpose, the interplay of emotional needs, suffering, and contentment. The storytelling device the film uses is circumstantial and depicts the struggles of life, allegorical presentation, and Christian theology. Most of the film's dialogue is in Japanese, though it has short sequences in English. It was entered into the 1972 Cannes Film Festival.
In the 17th century, two Portuguese Jesuit priests, Rodrigo and Garrpe, travel to Japan to proselytize, where Christianity is officially banned. They also search for their mentor, Ferreira, with whom they lost contact five years prior and presume is imprisoned. Rodrigo is patronizing and Garrpe is cautious. Rodrigo and Garrpe are overwhelmed with the welcome they receive in Japan, but occasionally wish for some comfort food from home.
They travel to the village of Kichijiro, the man who smuggled them into Japan from China. Returning, they hear the officials have arrived to capture the priests. After many of the hidden believers are taken prisoner, the priests decide to leave, but Rodrigo and Garrpe become separated. Kichijiro finds Rodrigo and joins with him; he confesses to Rodrigo he is a weak person and his family was slaughtered for being Christians. Nagasaki Magistrate Inoue's men capture Rodrigo and throw 300 pieces of silver at Kichijiro (reminiscent of Judas Iscariot). He spends the money on a prostitute.
Inoue's men imprison Rodrigo and put him on trial. Later, he and other prisoners in the cell are shown Inoue's men punishing a Christian Samurai family where in the end the wife Kiku recants her faith and her husband is dragged away to be executed. Kichijiro, who is troubled, sneaks into the holding cell, asks Rodrigo to forgive him. He says he betrayed Rodrigo because everyone shamed him for recanting his faith and despises anyone who reminds him of it.
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