With "Silence," filmmaker Martin Scorsese preaches morality without being over-religious

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By Corey Atad

Image courtesy of Paramount Pictures

HOLLYWOOD---Pop culture is often thought of as a secular space, where the dominant religions of the west are at best nominally applied—or, at worst, used for scapegoating. Characters are Christian in that they celebrate Christmas and occasionally attend church, but rarely is religion brought to the fore. Silence is a story that takes on the challenge, as have other works of serious religious thought. To have one of American cinema's great popular directors diving back into that realm is something to be celebrated. It took [Martin] Scorsese 28 years and foreign financing to get a serious, complicated film about religion made in Hollywood, but it's great that he did, and I would hope more filmmakers feel free to follow his lead. [link]