There aren't many directors, especially in America, who have as peerless a record as Martin Scorsese. His only rival, and I don't think it's much of a competition, would be Clint Eastwood, who has consistently made good and great movies for decades while also being, excuse me, a nonsensical conservative nostalgist in the media and when speaking in general. And to be fair, Scorsese has always had a certain, crucial empathy for matters that disproportionately concern conservatives, such as the freedom that comes with unbridled capitalism and, especially, the nature of religion.

With the possible exception of Kundun, no movie in Scorsese's career has confronted his faith so starkly as Silence, his upcoming, long-gestating film about a pair of Jesuit priests (Adam Driver & Andrew Garfield) who arrive in Japan to find their mentor, played by Liam Neeson. As part of the run-up to the film's release, Scorsese has been making the interview rounds and one of those stops is America Media, where he discussed his faith as a child in New York and how that brought him to make Silence. For fans of the director, this is a treasure trove of anecdotes and personal history from a tremendous artist, but also an exemplary primer for where Silence fits into his oeuvre. You can check out the video interview right below and then, sadly, the impatience to see Silence will creep its way in.

Here's the entire video interview with Scorsese:

Here's the official synopsis for Silence:

Martin Scorsese’s SILENCE tells the story of two Christian missionaries (Andrew Garfield and Adam Driver) who face the ultimate test of faith when they travel to Japan in search of their missing mentor (Liam Neeson) – at a time when Christianity was outlawed and their presence forbidden. The celebrated director’s 28-year journey to bring Shusaku Endo’s 1966 acclaimed novel to life will be in theaters this Christmas.