Paramount has released the first Silence trailer online. Martin Scorsese's long-in-development film follows two Jesuit priests (Adam Driver and Andrew Garfield) who go looking for their mentor (Liam Neeson) in 17th Century Japan, a time when outsiders, and especially Christians, were treated with disdain and mistrust. Written by Jay Cocks (Gangs of New York), the film is based on the novel by Shusaku Endo.
It will be interesting to see if Silence can become a player in this year's awards race. It bypassed the festival circuit, although that wasn't a problem for Scorsese's previous film, The Wolf of Wall Street, which racked up five Oscar nominations. In fact, every Scorsese film going back to Gangs of New York (with the exception of Shutter Island) has been nominated for Best Picture, and it wouldn't surprise us to see that streak continue.
This is a pretty incredible trailer that hints at a film that will dive deep into questions of not only religious tolerance, but how religion functions in a societal power structure. While the set-up is two priests looking for their mentor, the film looks like it goes far beyond that premise to show the dangers of ministering the faith to the Japanese people. I also love that this looks like the protagonists will be wrestling with their faith and having it tested in a foreign land. Scorsese films always offer plenty to chew on, and Silence looks like it will be no different. I can't wait to see it.
Check out the Silence trailer below. The film also stars Tadanobu Asano and Ciaran Hinds and opens in theaters on December 23rd.
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.
