Erica Joy B.

Escopete | AM11

Silence
Summary
1633, Father Ferreira (Liam Neeson) watched Japanese Christians being tortured by other

Japanese because of their faith. Their bodies were tied in wooden posts while being charred with Commented [H1]:
Commented [H2R1]:
water from hot steam. Father Valignano read the last letter from Father Ferreira and delivered the

news that Ferreira had converted into a Buddhist and is now living as a Japanese with a wife.

Ferreira’s two mentees, Father Rodrigues (Andrew Garfield) and Father Garupe (Adam Driver),

did not want to believe this news and considered it as a false rumor. The two priests pleaded for

Father Valignano to let them go to Japan and find out the truth. Unfortunately, Christians were

being killed or tortured in Japan to sway them to surrender their faith.

The two Jesuits met a Japanese man, Kichijiro, who proclaimed himself as non-Christian.

Kichijiro helped the two Jesuits sneak into Japan. Then, some Christians found Father Rodrigues

and Father Garupe and safely hid them in a safe house in Tomogi. The Jesuits were strictly told

not to open the door for anyone and not to go outside since it is unsafe. For a long time, during the

night, the two Jesuits held masses and confessions inside the hut even if mostly they do not

understand their language. Given the language barrier, the two Jesuits were still pleased to guide

them and represent the image of Christianity and its God. Crucifixes made out of grass and the

beads of a rosary were also given to the Japanese Christians, but Kichijiro refused to accept one.

When Father Rodrigues went after to Kochijiro, Kichijiro told Father Rodrigues how he survived

and that his family did not. Father Rodrigues gave him words of faith and comfort and accepted

Kichijiro's confession of sins.

Later, the two Jesuit priests got agitated and decided to go outside. Shortly, Father Garupe

noticed two Japanese men watching them. The two priests rushed back to the hut and hid under

the floor. Soon after, they heard knocking at the door, and Father Rodrigues went to open it even
if Father Garupe told him not to. The two Japanese strangers turned out to be Christians who want

the two priests' guidance in their village, Goto. Even with uncertainty, Father Rodrigues still agreed

to become the priest in Goto.

When Father Rodrigues returned to Tomogi, Japanese non-Christians took some of the

villagers as hostages to persuade them. After, three villagers will be taken again, but the two will

be volunteers. The villagers wanted Kichijiro to be the third one since he is not from Tomogi, and

he will not be punished roughly. Father Rodrigues told them to trample on the image of Christ if

they were asked to do it. The three were brought then to an official and told them to step on the

image of Christ. The three men did, but the official still doubted them. So, the official took out a

crucifix and asked them to spit on it and say that the Blessed Ever-Virgin is a whore. The two

villagers were not able to do so, but Kichijiro quickly succeeded. As a punishment, the men were

hung in a crucifix near an ocean where they would slowly drown during high tide.

Unsettled with this happening, Father Rodrigues questioned the silence of God. Father

Rodrigues went back to Goto, while Father Garupe journeyed to Hirado. Rodrigues eventually

found the village a mess and abandoned. He felt doubtful and uneasy. When Rodrigues found

Kichijiro, they took rest in a hut. Then, Kichijiro said that the officials are willing to give 300

pieces of silver for Rodrigues and that they should be careful.

In the morning, Kochijiro took Rodrigues in a stream for water. Feeling exhausted,

Rodrigues looked at his reflection in the water and saw Christ. He laughed hysterically, then

realized he was being surrounded by officials. The Japanese threw silver coins on the way of

Kichijiro, and he asked for Rodrigues’ forgiveness.

Father Rodrigues asked the captive Christians why they are calm when they are about to

die. The woman replied that if they die, they will go to paradise — a place with no hunger and no
taxes. Inoue came and told Rodrigues that the freedom of the Christians depends on him. Father

Rodrigues just need to show them that he is denying his faith. Shortly, Father Rodrigues was

thrown in a small cage where he argued with an interpreter. Father Rodrigues said that their

Buddha died and he was not the creator, but the interpreter argued that only Christians see it that

way, and that Buddha is a being which men can become.

Father Rodrigues was brought in a village where Christians were kept in a small hut. Within

their peaceful stay, he mentored the Japanese Christians and listened to their confessions. Later

on, he was summoned by the Japanese higher officials, and told him that the doctrine he is bringing

may be true in Portugal and Spain, but it is of no use and value in Japan. On the contrary, Father

Rodrigues told them headstrong that what Christians have is the truth. Kichijiro showed up when

Rodrigues was in his cage and shouted that he never took the silver coins. Father Rodrigues visited

the hut where the Christians are and he helped Kichijiro confess again. One morning, Christians

were told to trample on the image of God, comforted that it was just for formality. Though assured,

it was only Kichijiro again who was quick to trample. After, one of the Christians who were unable

to do so was decapitated in front of Father Rodrigues.

Father Rodrigues was taken to Nagasaki and questioned an official about why he was being

treated well. Briefly, he saw Father Garupe on the beach. There were also the Christians he knew

that were being rolled inside the straw mats. They were pushed and drowned to the sea. Rodrigues

shouted that these Christians converted, but the Japanese replied that they are just peasants. What

matters more for them is to have someone significant, like Father Garupe, apostatize. Father

Garupe was drowned too when he tried to help them. Because of grief, Rodrigues questioned God.

Days passed, Rodrigues, at last, met Father Ferreira. Father Ferreira was now known as

Sawano Chuan. Sawano Chuan has been writing about astronomy, and a book denouncing
Christianity. Just like the other Japanese officials, Ferreira was also convincing Rodrigues to

apostatize because Christianity has no chance to flourish in Japan. He also told Rodrigues about

how the Japanese hanged him upside down, with a small laceration behind his ear. He also said

that Japanese Christians have unclear and distorted knowledge about Christianity.

After what has happened and said, Rodrigues still refused to apostatize. When he was in

his cell, he was being distracted from praying by a horrible sound and screaming. He told the

guards to stop it, but Ferreira told him that it was made by five Christians hanging in the pit. Yet

Rodrigues was still being stubborn, so Ferreira told him that Christ would have apostatized to save

them. When the image of Christ was brought in front of Rodrigues, he stared at it and heard His

voice saying that it's alright, encouraging him to step on the image and that He understands

Rodrigues's pain, so Rodrigues stomp on the image.

Apostatized, Rodrigues was given a new name, Okada San'emon. He, alongside with

Ferreira, examines objects and artifacts that may be bearing hidden Christian symbol. Rodrigues

also took over the possessions, including the wife and the child, of a dead man. The government

has demanded repeated vows of apostasy from Rodrigues. Kichijiro asked to be absolved of his

sins again, but Rodrigues accepted the confession. The inquisitor insisted to have continuous

examinations of suspected Christians, it was then found out that Kichijiro was carrying a religious

image inside an amulet. He was then taken away.

When Rodrigues died, he was being watched closely. Only his wife can be near his dead

body. In the end, the Japanese gave him a burial in a Buddhist manner. While he was being burned,

he was seen to be holding a small crucifix.

 Reflection
Erica Joy B. Escopete | AM11

The movie Silence was very challenging yet interesting to watch because of its theme and

long duration. Overall, the movie was thought-provoking, especially for me as a Filipino because

religion was also used by the Spaniards (the West) to gain influence and authority in the

Philippines. The movie also insinuated culture or truth relativism, and the importance of respect

to the differences we have from one another.

In the movie, the West, represented by the Jesuit priests, was trying to sway Japanese (East

or Orient) to be part of Christianity for a long time — from St. Francis who guided and introduced

Christianity to the Japanese to Father Rodrigues who was still mentoring them despite of the order

of Inoue-sama to kill and torture Christians in Japan. The situation in the movie shows orientalism

and the Orient, Japan, was trying to deflect this.

There were arguments in the middle to succeeding part of the movie about two different

religions, Buddhism and Christianity. It was said that Buddha teaches what one can become, that

he was the highest form of being — reaching perfection. In the contrary, Rodrigues replied that

Buddha is immortal and that he is not the creator, unlike God. The Japanese Officials also told

Rodrigues that Christianity does not have value in Japan. In addition, they said that Christianity is

like a tree that flourishes in only one part of the Earth and if planted in another, it will decay. The

tree of Christianity decays in Japan, however, Rodrigues adamantly said that what Christianity has

is the truth and if what is true in Portugal is not true in Japan, then it is not true. These two

arguments show that the West was trying to restructure Japan’s faith and “give them the salvation

they need”, not giving importance to relative cultures. Rodrigues mentioned the truth in the second
argument. This abandoned the idea of truth relativism, meaning that there is no higher “truth” than

the other.

The first two arguments made me further realize that major religion differs in each country

may be for the reason that the convenience they feel within that religion is greater or that they

think it is the best way to help them fulfill their desires. Some of us feel that our heart belongs to

religion A for example, and some may find religion A lacking so they will find another religion

that they think will best gratify them.

The last argument before Rodrigues apostatized was with Ferreira. Ferreira said “we find

our original nature in Japan. Perhaps it’s what’s meant by finding God.” Ferreira, being a person

who had a perspective in the lens of both Christianity and Buddhism, had a better grasp of which

religion may be “truer”, bit still, he was not sure. This assured me that it does not matter what I

do, whether I follow the superior or not, because what matters most is what my heart believes in

and follow it even in the smallest way, and where I find most convenient and comfortable.

Just like in the movie, orientalism was also done by the West to the Philippines (East). The

differences are that the Philippines did not have power to derail from the West’s teachings, and it

was not only through religion that Philippines was dominated. Imagining the opposite, what if our

ancestors were not naïve and powerless enough to be conquered? What kind of God would we be

praising? What kind of religious customs would we be sharing? What type of relics would we be

having in each of our homes? Would it be better? Or not?

The movie gave me a perspective to think better, to respect the different religions more.

Since none of us know which belief is entirely true, what we can only do is to hold on to our current

beliefs, and appreciate those who are little and most different from us.