The Sound of Silence: Spiritual Struggle and Apostasy in Masahiro Shinoda’s Film

Abstract

This article assesses the spiritual journey of a Christian priest in seventeenth-century Japan in Masahiro Shinoda’s 1971 film, Silence. With a specific focus on cinematic elements like soundscapes and themes, it evaluates how the director utilizes filmic features to establish and heighten prevalent motif’s such as religious boundaries and apostasy. Furthermore, it strives to understand how the film reflects its contemporary sociopolitical climate and aims to explore any authorial influences.