It is time we examined Silence, a story revolving around Christian missionaries who secretly travel to Edo period Japan and who find themselves tested under the weight of intense religious persecution. This video will function somewhat different than my usual reviews as we will examine the story of Silence and its deeper meanings, both how it is portrayed in the book and 2016 film.
The original novel "Silence" was written in 1966 by Shusaku Endo.
The film adaption I chose to review for this video was directed by Martin Scorsese.
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"Spirit of Fire" by Jesse Gallagher
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This Scorsese movie is one of few that haunts me constantly. The word silence takes on so many meanings throughout the story. I can sympathize with the motivations of every character, but it's just so heavy.
that very reason is why I rate Silence as one of Scorsese's best, it honestly doesn't hide its themes under a pretense and I really appreciate it for doing so. Ended up crying after watching it
I went to see Silence at the cinema with one of my best friends. I'd been studying the phenomenon of Christianity in japan at the time as a non religious person, my friend knew little about Japanese history but is a Christian. It was super interesting going for a drink afterwards and discussing this amazing film, both of us having a different perspective and being able to share with each other some of the details that the other had missed. I informed him of the accuracy and context of many of the historical aspects whilst he enlightened me on the philosophical concepts and subtleties that had largely gone over my head. What a spectacular film
i absolutely loved the movie. the history, set design, writing, costuming. im not religious but even i felt that its message of faith to be moving.
The religion part is what ruined the movie for me. Other than that, I agree with you
@@treasonouspigeonpeckers957the religion in the religious movie about religious persecutions bothered you. Huh.
For the media of the Sengoku period, I also recommend the Japanese animation Hyougemono! Unlike ordinary media in the Sengoku period, it mainly deals with the cultural and historical aspects of Japan.
As a Japanese person who was born in a Catholic family, and one of her ancestors was a Daimyo of Hirado domain near Nagasaki, I found the movie really thought provoking. I watched this movie in a movie theater in Tokyo 6 years ago. This is one of those movies you should watch in a big movie theater. As he mentioned in the video, there are no music from the start till the end. Instead, you can hear the sound of crickets, birds, wind, etc. so that you can feel the humidity of a hut you are staying, in the mountainous area of Kyushu in 17th century.
Hey my maternal grandmother is descended from samurai of Hirado Domain, but we don't if it was Daimyo or Samurai. Her Maiden name is Matsuura. Does that ring a bell?
@@user-sr6zb4vv1m The head of Matsura family had been the Lord of Hirado domain since the battle of Sekigahara to the end of Edo period, so yes, your ancestor must have been a Daimyo. ( The great-grandfather of my great-grandfather is Matsura Kiyoshi (Matsura Seizan) , the 9th lord of Hirado domain.) Matsura clan had been there, on the northwestern edge of Kyushu since the 11th century. They had a unique nature due to its geopolitical location. Many of them took part in the battle against Mongol empire in the 13th century. And probably some of the members of the clan were involved in “Wakou”, a kind of multi-ethnic pirate activities in East China Sea in the 14th -16th century.
@@rukathehamsteratwork8896 Cool, we don't know much about our history since our grandmother keeps it under wraps so we'd have to go to Japan and visit the museum there but thanks for telling me, there might even be a chance that we are related since my grandmother has tried so hard to bury everything about family on her side, we only found out a few years back that I have a half aunt from 50 years ago. Thanks :)
Keep the faith alive in Japan, its priceless ✝️❤️
It was an enriching experience. Both the book and movie made to question and ask difficult questions of myself. As a Catholic, it made my walk with Christ much stronger.
Makes me wonder how much different Japan could have been if the Sengoku ended with the establishment of Oda Shogunate. Considering how Oda was the only one of the three unifiers who was “okay” with Western/Christian influences (but could be because it gave him a lot of guns).
It was guns
Wasn‘t Tokugawa Ieyasu also pretty fascinated and interested in Western topics and science? He had an english captain as samurai and councellor etc.. I think it was his son who outlawed christianity and pushed isolation.
with Oda I think he would have turned on the Church the second they started making demands of him. It was always an arraingment of convinience.
@@LorenzoginoIt was in part, of course, but Oda Nobunaga was himself an interesting person. He apparently liked to wear Western clothing, which is something he must've done out of personal tastes.
think of Christianity in Africa, they would mold CHRIST in their own image as we(Africans) did, for us patriarchal, traditional and old testament but for Asia, legalistic, convicted and conformist.
The Japanese having a poor interpretation of the faith was actually big sticking point for the church after the Meiji restoration with many of the "Christians" actually just worshipping their ancestors who were Christians and continuing their practices not themselves actually using the rosary for example how it is meant to be used.
A beautiful yet brutal movie it just occurred to me that in some ways it shows martyrdom to be a selfish act as it was fear of a damaged reputation within the church that drove a desire for a martyrs death. Also reminded me of reading about the Imjin War and the author claiming that a considerable portion of the Samurai forces deployed were Christian converts.
Martyrs and self sacrifice and being an example for others in piety are kind of central to Christianity and are its greatest differences with most other prominent religions...
@@usonumabeach300 none of those are unique to Christianity and if you do something that results in others being harmed, as in the movie, because you fear for your own soul that seems selfish.
@@mrmr446well Muslims for example who do it for carnal pleasures I don’t think are in the same category if that’s what you’re insinuating. Also, no. It was the Buddhists that were killing the Christian martyrs, not the priests.
@@usonumabeach300bs
I believe that this is what faith movies should truly be about. They should not point at an entire group of people and call them the villains of the story like so many others do and depict the challenges of holding on to your faith despite your suffering. Not only that but the evolution a person goes through in their lives when it comes to shifting perspectives and constant change. As a former Christian I hope to see more Christian movies that are more self aware and not just one sided ego boosting victimizing propaganda.
Agreed. This movie would have been good had they not had Jesus tell him to apostasize him. I
@@treasonouspigeonpeckers957 I think you dropped your fedora whilst you were tipping it, sir. But you have a good grip on that katana at least.
Never was a fan of Andrew Garfield but this movie changed my mind about him as an actor, what a wonderfully captivating performance. That scene where Rodrigues telling Mokichi that it is okay to trample the fumi-e was exceptionally performed, him trying to appear convincing and resolute while at the same time hiding his shame for telling Mokichi to commit what is essentially blasphemy with just a few lines and close-up that could "betray" his acting. For me this film offers a fresh take on the contemplation of faith and act of faith. Rodrigues' eagerness to offer himself as a sacrifice in place of the tortured Japanese is seen as his attempt to emulate Jesus' own Passion. While it has the appearance of selflessness, i.e., what can be more selfless than offering one's own life for others, it also reveals an internalized illusion of grandeur that he has on the basis of the strength of his faith. That his death would be the salvation of Christianity in Japan is reinforced in his belief that his journey up to his capture, mirrors the tribulation faced by Jesus Christ, so much so that he saw vision of Christ in his reflection. When this opportunity for sacrifice is denied to him by the inquisitor, it fills Rodrigues with anguish and doubts as he was unable to see the distinction between his ego and his faith. His pathetic helplessness and failure to bring salvation to suffering Japanese Christians were juxtaposed with the stoicism of Mokichi and Garupe in their final moments.
Terrific review. One of the most thought-provoking movies I've ever seen, and I don't mean that as a trope. It genuinely inspired me to read and reflect on proselytization, religion, christianity, and Japanese culture, and that's quite an achievement. And the performances were incredible.
Academics debate today how much of Christianity was understood in the Sengoku and early Edo periods. When the Jesuits arrived, they had to use words from Buddhism, Shinto, Confucianism, Daoism, and the like to try to explain Christian concepts. But, those words already had very different and specific meanings in Japan. The movie is very well done. There are numerous stand out scenes in it. It might be too long and too talky for some people. But I think you have a genuine interest in Japanese history, then this movie would be fine without it being action packed. There is plenty of drama and tension.
I've been waiting years for this review
Welp. Seems I have a movie to watch. Good work on the examination and review my boi, your production quality has come a long way!
Saw this movie once and still think about it sometimes, truly haunting and unforgettable.
I loved this movie. As an ex-Christian myself I thought it was really powerful about the struggle of what to do about one's faith in response to the seeming silence from God and non-intervention in suffering, as well as how different times can lead to people having very different lives. At one point Kichijiro asks why he couldn't have been born and died before the Tokugawa shogunate when Christianity wasn't outlawed and he as a weak man could have just lived his life without having constantly choose between his faith and his life, and how ultimately in the end despite his man apostasies and betrayals he does end up dying for his faith. Additionally the Ferreira/Rodrigues discussion about the Japanese Christians dying for a lie/the arrogance of the priests just preaching Christianity without making sure they were using the right terms (something the Interprator also castigates Rodrigues for the imperiousness and arrogance of the priests coming to Japan w/out understanding the customs and culture thinking it was beneath them) is really fascinating. Was it really out of concern for the Japanese people's souls or merely self aggrandizement at being a savior and a leader that motivated the missionaries (and is the same today etc when you think about the guy who went to Sentinel Islands to preach Christianity, or whether all mission trips would better serve the poor communities by sending money to hire construction workers to build infrastructure rather than have it be done by teens and college students with no experience etc). And what makes the priests so arrogantly sure that even if the Japanese Christians did not have the same idea about Christ they did that God would not honor their faith regardless in light of their incorrect instruction/fervent devotion? I think the movie asks a lot of very difficult questions about the relationship of one's notion of faith to the realities of the world that we were brought up in and the world that develops for us to live in. I obviously have my own conclusions about the questions that reinforce my own present athiesm, but as someone who still has family and friends who are devout in faith I can see the struggles in this movie leading them to have opposing conclusions that reinforce their faith, and I think that makes the questions this movie forces you to confront really worthwhile.
The fact you used the word "arrogantly" when saying "how did these preists know they had the same Jesus in mind or if God honored their faith" just proves youre not seeking for a real answer and youre here to mock. And for this Im glad you deconverted because youre an embarrasment, but for that one person reading the comments thats actually sincere, unlike OP who is a dog of satan (Proverbs 26:5 and Matthew 7:6 so dont cry like a baby because im insulting you. You dont like it? Stay an ex Christian. Im not going to let you mock God and his Saints and let you get away with it without you being mocked in-turn), heres the answer Nowhere in the Bible does it say that you need to have perfect theology for you to be a Christian or for your faith to be honored by God, in fact it says the opposite in Acts 17:30-31 Saint Paul says that God judges you by your circumstances and judges you righteously, which would apply to Christians who have an incorrect theological view of God. Especially since it takes in a time where the Bible is not widely accesible.
I think you’re making a lot of assumptions about the myriads of people that had the faith to go to their deaths for the faith they held on to so strongly. And the priests that also gave their lives to instill in the people the message of hope, truth and love of Christ. It wasn’t the “arrogance” of the priests that led them on their mission (you’re oddly spouting the same propaganda the Buddhists were spouting). You must’ve missed the first half of the movie where the people were genuinely faithful believers who died for what they believed in. Something you as an “ex Christian” should ponder a bit more on in our modern and soft society where it’s easy to fan away at faith and belief. We should all admire the martyrs of Japan, same as all martyrs all over the world, from the past and from today.
So you admire the martyrs of 9/11?
@@Nava9380 they weren’t martyrs, they were terrorists.
Thanks I really appreciate the video
Japan seems to have always had a strange relationship with Christianity. Back in the Edo period, Christians were treated like they were in the (pre-Constantine) Roman Empire, being the victims of cruel persecution. That is probably odd to hear from most people, since at the same time, Europeans were persecuting native religions in other placed in the world and forcing Christianity on them. Based on how I've seen Christianity portrayed in modern Japanese pop culture, I doubt that even most modern Japanese understand the religion. I've heard that only 2% of the country identifies as Christian. It's funny to see how it seems to be seen as exotic by the Japanese while westerners find Christianity pretty mundane.
I was wondering if you were ever going to cover this movie, I’m glad you did. I went to see it in theaters when it came out and I thought it was good although I’ll probably never watch it again. The biggest take away for me was how it made so much sense that the Japanese of the time period Coming from a Shinto background very likely would not understand Christianity as those from the west understood it as their conception of “God/s” is vastly different
15:46 I can't explain this properly but the Philippines welcomed Catholicism from Spain before but overtime we got exploited and got subjugated eventually for over 300 years. This is probably why Japan back then made a lot of effort to chase off foreign influence.
Catholicism was imposed on the Philippines as a justification for subjugation. The pervading logic was that the world belongs to God and kings are his proxies so increasing one's territory is done as long as its inhabitants are saved through conversion. Such a system is extremely foreign and incompatible with Japan's mindset stemming from a mix of Confucianist and Buddhist influences and the role of the individual to the state. Thus, it is seen as a politically subversive belief and a pretense for eventual colonization.
The conversation with Inoue Chikugo no kami Masashige was a great explanation of the japanese opinion of the attempted western influence of the churches. i loved this movie and Inoue was my favorite character. there is a small interesting book online in pdf format about him and his position in the government at the time. (this pdf can be found on his wiki article in the external sources if you want to check it out) thanks for the video.
The book started a serious crisis of Faith in myself (I am a Catholic Christian). At the end I was able to restore my Faith in a deeper and stronger way.
How did you restore your faith deeper and stronger in the end, if you don’t mind explaining. I run a movie night sometimes for my church and I thought this would be a good movie to show, but was told it was basically about a person who just gave up on their belief in God. Thank you very much if you reply.
Same. The book restored my faith much deeper way.
@@mattbradshaw7007 I'm curious why somebody told you it was about a person who gave up on their belief because the film quite obviously affirmed the meaning of faith.
@@Qwerty-db1js it was someone who maybe just assumed that the movie wouldn’t end in a faith affirming way.
@@mattbradshaw7007 Have you seen the film? I'm just curious.
Great reviews and great content on this channel! Can you do a film review of “Sword of Doom” directed by Kihachi Okamoto? It’s always been one of my favorite samurai movies, but I feel it doesn’t get much appreciation
such a briliant review on the story!! never heard about this movie/book, thank you shogunate i'll be sure to check this out!!
I love the inquisitor's part.
This movie is wildly underrated and seldom seen but is one of Scorsese's best. He just quietly made one of the most poignant and insightful films of all time, and everyone just kinda.... forgot about it immediately.
Thank you so much for this video. It is indeed an amazing movie. For me there is one moment where I really got goosebumps. When he finally apostatizes you hear in the background a rooster three times. The first time I wasn't even sure I had really heard it and I thought: did I just dream this? Was it realy there? So I rewound and there it was. Just like with Peter. It really got me. I'm not even sure if it was really there or if Padre Rodrigues just heard it in his mind. But such a small detail, such a big impact.
This movie is one of my favorites, so powerful. I went to Japan a few years ago (I'm a Christian) on a mission trip to serve a small church. It was such a trip, how Japan is like ~0.1% Christian (something like that), knowing this historical context of how the Japanese were successful in resisting the attempts of evangelism. The people were very nice but cold, and unlike in America, they weren't immediately offended by us Christians and our conversations, but we're quite interested; albeit still cold to the message. A lot of the Japanese people who attended the church and related events usually just wanted to socialize and/or learn English, which the Church was more than willing to facilitate freely, as long as they had a chance to hear the Gospel!
Really like this review! Glad you brought up the Christian wars of colonization and assimilation. I initially thought the movie had an anti Japanese bent but this was a great analysis of it. It shows that there can be a syncretic form of religion instead of the strict dogmatic Christianity of the time.
It's a brilliant film, an all around gem.
I remember watching this movie years ago. Haunting stuff but it’s a great watch
I saw this movie 7 times
I think about this movie from time to time. It certainly lingers with you…
Could you make this also for the legend and butterfly kubi ,hansan rising dragon noryang deadly sea
Japanese also did a similar persecution to the Buddhist's and various Buddhist schools of thought. Eventually it came to be accepted, and later utilized.
And they tried to undermine Buddhism in Japan, prior to WWII, but they only got so far because it was so integrated into their culture.
Just an awesome movie.... And one must have extreme sympathy for those who were killed for their beliefs. The Tokugawa shogunate certainly had many nasty tortures and executions...
According to a book I read (Deux destroyed) the historical Inoue ended up with around 10,000 koku in holding making him a very minor daimyo.
I find the Judas character has some deeper layer to him, where he can be a temptation, or maybe Christ is working through him, I don't remember anymore what my assessment was at the time
Thankyou for validating the god in all of us…the “silence” in all of us
The comment section is reddit moment
Lol so true
This is some great analysis. I've seen others' takes that don't even scratch the surface. As a Catholic I experienced a range of emotions and identified with many of the characters, especially Kichijiro who, like all of us believers, cowardly betray Christ and seek his forgiveness repeatedly, which Christ gives but not without the great suffering he experienced on the cross. I believe that Rodrigues was hearing Ferreira in his head when he was about to step on the fume-i. It sounded like Liam Neeson's voice. Ferreira was the only one who could understand Rodriguez's inner turmoil, so he was the one to ultimately convince him. Tangentially, even though Japan and the far east had trouble understanding Christianity/Logos and relied on their pantheistic worldview I don't believe that made their faith any less sincere. They knew the missionaries were not divine beings and weren't dying for them. I need to do more research on Japanese Christianity though.
says the one that is slave of semite god.
@azuaraikrezeul1677 jesus isn't a semite god, he is part of a pagan trinity and is a indo European god in the veil of Hashem.
@@sadvenom7826 bwahahahaha love your mental gymnastics.you deserve gold
@@azuaraikrezeul1677 you know that in the new testament, the name of God isn't mentioned once? He's called father, Zues, and other things, but not even once is his name spoken. Also consider that in latin, greek and other European languages, God's name is whatever God was in the highest position in their old pantheon.
@@sadvenom7826 lol mental gymnastics as usual.gotta love that jewish talent of yours.
Wonderful video. As a Catholic, the concepts present in the book and movie strengthened my faith. The cultural elites of Japan in that time wanted Christianity weak, vassalized, divided, and unsure of itself. I feel in much the same way that the cultural elites of our day and age want a Christianity that is much the same way. Weak, unsure, divided, one that is subordinate and does not challenge the established norms. Again, thank you for the video!
I think that the movie is a brilliant display of the inherent internal struggle of faith. What resonated with me is that the movie focuses on the idea that true Christianity is not the repetition of rituals and obsession over icons, but instead the embodiment of the true tenants and pursuit of a christ-like life.
I gotta read that.
I'm not religious, and never will be, but this film is really provoking, and interesting nonetheless.
Honestly I think Silence is Scorsese's best film. It's incredibly powerful, perfectly shot, perfectly cast and acted, and perfectly edited. Like, Scorsese has always consistently made great films, but none ever affected as much as Silence did. It's also just a very interesting story about a time period most westerners and Americans in particular don't know much about, so there's a lot of fascination learning about the real historical power and culture dynamics at play in its fictional depiction. That said, there's a bit too much apologia in this video for my taste. Sure, Christians have done some questionable to even bad things in the past. But that doesn't make the repression of Christians any more forgivable, and that bit about how it's "understandable" is beginning to border on justifying the extreme persecution the Tokugawa government was performing on them. I agree it's understandable, of course it is, but it's still extremely harsh. Also, it always bothers me when people act like the Crusades are some sort of unpardonable "crime" of Christianity. I know this is a channel focused on historical Japan, but the historical context of the crusades are basically 300 years of nearly unchecked Muslim aggression against the Christian world being pushed back by 120-150 years of Christian aggression against the Muslim world. The Crusades didn't "just happen" out of nowhere, so acting like they're a crime that Christianity begat unheeded, which is what is being implied when they're put into lists of much more obviously objectionable incidents.That's some apologia from myself I suppose, though. Which is why I guess I understand that one man's apologia is just another man's context.
The reason why the crusades are reprehensed is because they did not succeed. The crusades ended up destroying the byzantine roman empire and now from Constantinople to carthage Islam is predominant. The only good thing that happened from the crusades is the final realization that the west wasn't gonna connect with the east, and so they traveled around africa, and even further west to the new world. But that was by mistake.
"So, you don't want to turn your back on your God, eh?! Well, we're gonna beat you up until you decide to renounce that God of yours?! Aha! You don't wanna abandon your God, ha! All right, we shall tie you up by the feet and lower you down a pit loaded with feces and dirt and the only way you get out of the pit is simple, RENOUNCE THAT GOD OF YOURS!" - the gist of the Japanese authorities' persecution against the Christians Also, one of the most notable individuals who died to uphold his faith in God in Japan is Lorenzo Ruiz, a Filipino missionary who was persecuted in Japan yet he refused and he died as a valiant defender of the Christian faith. As a result, Lorenzo Ruiz became the first saint of the Philippine nation and would remain so until Pedro Calungsod ended up becoming a saint as well as a result of his martyrdom all in the name of the Lord, Jesus Christ.
Sometimes we must step on and give up our idols to recognize they they are just idols.
Powerful movie! Never underestimate the deceptions of the evil one. His malice has no bounds
The inquisitor was the best character, I loved him.
Everytime someone asks me what my favorite Scorcese movie is I use to say Silence. But I swear I have never ever met anyone else that has ever watched it. I always get blank stares. Of course I end up saying GoodFellas because that’s what everyone that asks that question expects, like a script. Silence is probably the most profound Scorcese movie. Its what separates casual fans of his work from real ones that really go deep into the catalog.
I'm not a Christian myself,and i only watched the movie but seriously it touches a very important subject of , what if that silence we receive from god to our prayers is because we're not praying to him at all and simply we just pray to feel good about ourselves, and for the movie itself, it was as if Martin Scorsese got possessed by Akira Kurosawa, there are scenes in the movie you could swear it was by Kurosawa himself, proving how much of a loss the world of cinema would have if Martin Scorsese or Thelma Schumacher passed away, great video as usual
Kylo Ren and Spiderman with the legendary Liam Neeson aka Ra’s Al-Ghul all in one film.
Please Review Sanadamaru Series(2016)
The movie looks fascinating. I feel like the message can speak to everyone no matter what your beliefs are.
Garfield started doing more religious roles in film after his Spider-Man series was cancelled, and it seems like his career has fallen off after doing so. Liam neeson has always been a bit more Hollywood mainstream woke, and Driver has been pretty hot in Hollywood after his big break with Star Wars, Scorsese has a weird relationship with Christianity in film. I thought the movie was interesting, but couldn't tell if it was pro or anti Christian.
It wasn’t pro or anti Christian. I feel like it just explained what happened and left it up to interpretation.
In short. The Bakufu outlawed Christianity because whom it bring. The Europeans. Had the christianity was bring by, Chinese or Korean to Japan. They might accept or at least, won't really outlawed it
I take issue with the idea that Japanese converts "didn't understand" Christianity, and that this lack of "understanding" not only makes their conversion somehow suspect, but shows that the entire missionary experience in Japan (and, frankly, everywhere else) is a meaningless disaster. Children, the mentally disabled, those who lack a pretty significant fluency in one or more European languages, obviously infants at the breast, and even many adults (including those who have been raised in the Faith their entire lives) have little understanding or a complete misunderstanding of significant elements of Christianity. Does this mean they will be "unsaved," or be denied entrance into Paradise? Nonsense! That smacks of a quasi-Gnostic elitism that is completely at odds with the message of Jesus. He gathers children to Himself and says that the Kingdom of Heaven is made of such, and we are even to emulate them! Not everyone is gifted with a high-minded mysticism. To assume that Salvation requires it is balderdash. Loved this thoughtful and emotionally nuanced review. I have not seen the movie because even the trailer's momentary scenes of torture convinced me that I'd trample an icon in a hot second to spare those poor people even a savage hairbrushing.
I have never understood why so many Japanese fervently adopted Christianity, when they had a number of more ‘acceptable’ religions to go with? In particular the Japanese of that era had easy access to Pure Land Buddhism which is similar in outline to Christian practice: Follow the Buddhist precepts, which are a lot like the Christian ten commandments, to remain a good person. Regularly chant or recite the nenbutsu (the name of Amitabha Buddha), which is very much like saying a prayer. And if you do both of these you will be reincarnated in Amitabha’s Western Paradise, known as the Pure Land, which is the ideal place to prepare yourself to enter nirvana next time you pass away. Two kinds of heaven? So, when I look for the bigger differences between Pure Land & Christianity, mainly what I see in Christianity is an absolute, creator God who was willing to sacrifice his own Son for to offer salvation to mankind, and Christ’s commitment to see it through. The Christian approach of sacrificing oneself for one’s faith is more concrete than letting go of your desire to put an end to suffering (the Third Noble Truth of Buddhism). Perhaps they viewed it as a more direct means of salvation? But I’m only guessing as to how the Japanese of that time would have seen it. If there are any references that discuss why the how the Japanese of that time became so committed to a foreign religion to sacrifice their lives for it, I would like to read what they have to say. Let me be clear. I am not criticizing them for adopting Christianity! I just wonder what motivated them to favor it over their other alternatives. And many religions go through periods of declining reverence, usually followed by renewal, so that may have weakened their belief in their previous religion.
An interesting detail from the movie is that Liam Neeson’s character used the name Dainichi when referring to how early Jesuits communicated their concept of the Christian God. Dainichi is the name used for both Vairocana (the dharmakaya or “true form” of the Gautama Buddha) and for Amaterasu in a syncretic sense. In all likelihood, early converts may have viewed Catholicism as a new type of Buddhism, and the Catholic version of “Dainichi” as another facet of the existing concept. This also lent itself to a clever pun in the film, as Ferreira later points to the sun when explaining this to Rodrigues, referring to it both as the “Son of God” (meaning Jesus) and the “Sun of God” (meaning Amaterasu). The original book goes into even further detail on the theology behind the discussion, noting that because the “converts” had no real understanding of the Trinity or any actual Catholic rites, their martyrdom would have been rejected by the Vatican and were instead only dying to fulfill Rodrigues’ self-gratification.
@@TheKalihiMan Great observations! Vairocana Buddha is as close to God as you’re going to find in Buddhism, and Amaterasu was the primary goddess of the Shinto religion. So, as you suggest, the early converts may have viewed Catholicism as a new type of synthesis between Buddhism and Shintoism. As an ancient religion Shintoism stressed sacrifices to the Gods. They might have seen Catholicism as elevating the practice of sacrifice to a higher level, since their supreme God sacrificed his own Son’s mortal life for the salvation to mankind, They might have even seen sacrificing themselves for the Catholic Church as a direct means of leaving the karmic cycle of rebirth, and entering nirvana! One thing that supports the latter idea is the Tsurushi torture/execution method developed by the Japanese (being suspended upside down in a narrow pit), shown in the movie. Unlike crucifixion that puts the martyr on display, ‘the pit’ hides them from sight. It attempts to denigrate rather than make an example of the martyr. So, it seems that, although the Japanese initially used crucifixion, it wasn’t working for them, and they needed to take a different approach. Granted, this remains a theory with rather scanty evidence to support it.
@@TheKalihiManThen I would ask was there a more accurate way to portray the Christian and western idea of God to the Japanese or did the jesuits really just use the best they had
Great video, first and foremost. There is one point which I do want to mention. I do not believe you made it with malice, and from an outsider view it could very well be that way. A comment you made, I strongly disagree. When you mention the Native schools in North America, these were staffed by Catholic AND Protestant religious figures. Thats is true, but in provinces like Quebec until the 60s the education system was run by the church, because all of the money came from the church. Without any government involvement. That being said, these native schools and the native lands were and are still today under federal jurisdiction. I have seen in Canada how the federal government openly and vigorously criticizes and blames catholics solely for the residential school. Thats how it is taught in school in canada. However, the last residential school was closed in Canada in 1996. So, while writing the constitution and through the entire hippie wave that openly supported the government of Pierre Trudeau, who ruled Canada for some 16 ish years, nothing was done about the schools; the native lands; nor were the natives aided to improve their quality of life through much of the reservations. So I personally disagree with the blaming of Christians, and especially Roman Catholics, for a GOVERNMENT policy. Catholicism is still the predominant religion of most natives in Canada, and it was during covid that you had people supporting the current government burn a church... even though it was serving a natives reservation.
Stamping out christianity in Nihon was more about politics and power.
Yes, indeed and that's true for about every conflict concerning Japan (save for the Mongols invasions) but people don't seem to want to accept this. They want to make it about "honour and culture".
@@saymyname2417 yes
@@user-pr8gx3vb9h - I wish people would be more realistic and stop romanticising history!
Considering the (spanish) inquisition and the thirty years war are happening right now against fellow Christians, not to mention the news and Muslims, I can understand the Tokugawas disfavor
The spanish inquisition happened due to 800 years of Muslim occupation, and no more than 1k+ people were executed, the thirty years war was started by the protestants
Japanese people be like: Foreign religions will and shoud never take root in Japan. Hey have you heard about -Chan- Zen Buddhism.
Yep, it is very much a syncretic culture.
Asian systems blend together much better, over time. Than overseas monotheistic. The 2 largest still don't get along with each other. History shows, there is too much risks
Japan had such a fetishism on China that I have the feeling they didn't even perceive Buddhism (which originates from India) as foreign and still don't. As for Shinto that's such a made-up thing and I am not even sure if it can be called a religion. Maybe the Japanese find any form of faith that's demanding something of them suspicious. Especially those in charge because faith easily gets in the way of power.
It's all about getting the timing right.
Speaking from an Orthodox perspective. Simply stepping on an icon is nothing. Christians are not idolaters, we dont believe holy images are inhabbited by any spirit. An icon is is just material made to represent something Holy. Not Holy in itself. As long as he did not Apostasize in his heart. He has not actually become an Apostate. Even verbally renouncing Christ is not Apostasy unless you in your heart want to. The caviate is that. If he had done this to save himself from death or pain. He would have become a heretic and commit apostasy. However given his intentions were to save others. He can repent for that. Following the example of Christ. They would need to martyr themselves to save the people being tormented. Which is to say "kill us both and free the people in the pits"
I don't know much about Christianity in Japan all Know there was a time where Christian Samurai were crucified.
First(question mark)
The book SIlence is better than Shogun. It was written by an actual Japanese author, unlike Shogun, who tries to make a western person the hero...
This is a really good Christian movie, this makes God's not dead look like a straw man movie
Excellent flick!! A must see movie! 5 Stars!
I don't know why people are saying this film reaffirmed their faith. It's a profoundly anti-christian story. Edit: You're right. It's the most christian movie ever. I had completely forgotten how christians love pain, delusional thoughts and useless pursuits, which are the main themes of this story.
I haven't seen the film but it should surprise me very much if Hellyweird had put out a pro-Christian film. Still, it may have the effect of strengthening the faith. Involuntarily. But that can happen sometimes NOT understanding the message 😅.
Endo Shusaku was a devout Catholic. The “mud swamp” metaphor relating to the difficulty of bringing Christianity into Japan was a metaphor that Mr. Endo used himself.
The novel it is based on was written by a Japanese Christian.
It depends on every different perspective and experience of religion from every watcher, its a very deep movie in what being religious or being cristian means, for me its just to accept that there are more religions, not to impose but to accept its also very cristian, at the same time very buddinst, as it al in one at the end. sorry my english
From 20:55 min onwards it is quite clear that this deceptive thing is about the total destruction and corruption of a Christian by the means of what we would call MK Ultra today. 23.00 min Rodriguez hearing the voice of Christ to then step on the fumie speaks for itself. And to claim that this action together with joining in oppressing and prosecuting fellow Christians is okay with the faith and still Christian is not only twisting light and dark. It's downright Anti-Christian.
Hated the movie, felt like it was advertised as thriller with religious undertones but was more or less the opposite. Only good parts were the from that one peasant who knew how to take advantage of the situation over and over and the ending. The sets, scenery, costumes, and acting were good aswell.
This is pure unadulterated modernism, the ultimate distortion of Christianity of which you accuse the Church.
Terrible. Jesus would never tell you to apostatize him under any circumstance. I can only imagine how bad the Temptation of Christ is just from the title alone
Oh man, this is such a miss of a movie to me. I love the historical aspect of it but I feel as though the movie doesn't have much to say beyond religious persecution and devotion of individuals happened. It's so sad because the production, sets, costumes, performances are all great but it's a movie where it feels like it was in service to nothing except Scorcese getting a paid vacation to Taiwan (where it was filmed). Adam Driver's character felt pointless, also he dies rather quickly, 20 seconds underwater, it's like he forgot to take a breath lol. I understand that he was supposed to be a mirror of Spiderman's character, in terms of both of them being extremely devoted to their religion and experiencing elevated deity status with how the Japanese people beg Spiderman & Darth Vader 2.0 to perform religious ceremonies for them. What I point to as being the worst offender of this film is how they end up debating the validity of Christianity in Japan with just throwing metaphors at one another. Calling Japan a swamp where roots cannot take hold. That's like debating if gods can see the future. It's just debating an amorphous topic which can't be rooted in reality because you can't verify if the statements being made are true or false.
I wouldn't say I like this movie because: 1-Iiam Neeson's time in the film was almost nothing 2-when I compare its buildings to Japanese movies such as Yojimbo or Ryomaden this looks fake 3-movies mostly splitted between good guys that are Christians and bad guys which are non-Christians so the way shows some characters is generic 4-movie shows what Tokugawa did to Christians so makes them martyrs but not even once said what clergies did to Japanese such as destroying Jinjas and even killing people while as Hiseyoshi said once in his letter, never before such acts seen or did hear in Japan before. 5. I live in Iran a country filled with propaganda, especially religious kind, and this movie from beginning to the end is identical to them. in conclusion, I do not think any non-western people (especially Americans) like this movie as I did not see anyone (but one) likes it in Iran, India, or China so I believe liking this movie really need to be a Christian in heart (even if you call yourself Atheist).
“There are more things in Heaven and Earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy.” ~ "Hamlet," Act I, Scene 5 Perhaps some day Christians will stop invading other cultures with theirs.
Christians: Persecute and torture/Inquisition heretics/heathens everywhere they find power Christians: woah, Japanese tortured a missionary
Anyone who does such things cannot technically be called a "Christian". The only killing a real Christian has ever been involved with is when they themselves were killed for the faith. That's why every disciple and many of the early saints were tortured, imprisoned and martyred for their faith. Whatever conquests and abuse happened in the name of Christianity cannot be justified by the actual religion in any way whatsoever. That's why the New testament constantly warns about people preaching another Jesus because even during the time of the apostles evil people had crept in to take advantage of the movement. At one point they could get away with it because nobody could fact check them on what their religion teaches, but now the Bible is available to everyone so they can't take advantage of their ignorance. This is the difference between religions like Islam who's religion actually teaches the violent spread of their religion and legal killing of anyone who is an apostate or even insults Muhammad, and Christianity which teaches you to even love your enemies and be willing to die for the faith. It's one thing for your religion to actually promote and teach the things you're accusing it of, but it's another thing when it actually teaches the opposite and someone is dishonestly using it for selfish gain.
God is within and all around. Just step on the damn fumi-e!!! “Love is the religion and the universe, it’s book.” Your dogma IS the flaw!
Anyone who says "He'd say step on the fumie" knows nothing about Christ, lol.
A recent (and surprisingly funny) movie called "Tonde Saitama" (Fly Saitama) had a scene that reminded Japan of its past with the Fumie. However, in this movie (remember it was a very non serious comedy) a main character was asked to to step on a famous product from Saitama... Note the church in the background. kzhead.info/sun/ipxtgZuup56Yna8/bejne.html
Not exactly a date night movie to enjoy with pop corn