Which 2016 Scorsese film deals with Jesuit missionaries in Japan? The answer is Silence.
Silence is Martin Scorsese’s 2016 historical drama about two Portuguese Jesuit priests who travel to Japan during the 17th century. Andrew Garfield plays Sebastião Rodrigues and Adam Driver plays Francisco Garupe, two missionaries searching for their former mentor, Cristóvão Ferreira, after hearing that he has renounced Christianity.
The film is based on Shūsaku Endō’s 1966 novel, which explores faith, persecution, doubt, cultural conflict, and the meaning of religious silence. Its Japanese setting reflects the historical suppression of Christianity during the Edo period, when believers could face imprisonment, torture, or death. The missionaries travel through Macau before entering Japan, where Christianity is practiced secretly by local communities.
Silence is sometimes confused with The Mission, a 1986 film about Jesuit missionaries in South America, or with Scorsese’s The Last Temptation of Christ and Kundun, which also engage with religious themes. Silence is the specific Scorsese film centered on Jesuit priests in Japan.
The project was a personal passion for Scorsese for more than two decades before production finally moved forward.