In the 17th century, two Portuguese Jesuit priests travel to Japan in an attempt to locate their mentor, who is rumored to have committed apostasy, and to propagate Catholicism.
Direction
Scorsese's most personal, least showy masterpiece.
Cinematography
Fog, mud, and coastal light that feels holy and hostile.
Sound
Crickets, waves, and the crushing weight of actual silence.
Director
Martin Scorsese
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Scorsese first read Shusaku Endo's novel in 1989 and considered it his passion project for nearly three decades, financing it himself when studios balked at the religious subject matter.
The film sparked genuine debate in Japan about the Kakure Kirishitan ('hidden Christians') who maintained secret faith for 250 years; some descendants consulted on production.
US
