Yōsuke Kubozuka

SILENCE: Martin Scorsese's Intimate Epic Is A Monumental Achievement
SILENCE: Martin Scorsese’s Intimate Epic Is A Breathtaking Achievement

Martin Scorsese’s Silence begins with a dark, blank screen, with only the gentle humming of cicadas heard on all sides. It then immediately opens up to an overcast shot overlooking the banks of a river, where numerous people are being strung up and tortured. Such a peaceful moment undercut by extreme violence is very much an indication of what’s to come.