Silence (Chinmoku)

In the 16th century, Martin Luther appeared.

He criticized the Roman Church,

savagely attacking the Church and clergy.

The resultant break of the protestants produced...

...a serious religious crisis in Europe.

In 1534, in Spain, Loyola founded the Society of Jesus.

It reflected the crisis in Catholicism.

They fought to rebuild the Church...

...and widened their work beyond Europe.

In 1549, along with the gun,

Francisco Xavier landed on the southern shores of Japan.

30 years later, more than 200 churches,

75 priests and 300.000 believers appeared.

Japan's rulers were

worried about the new religion's rapid spread,

since it came with the gun.

Both examples of Western culture...

...put fear into the hearts of the rulers.

Suppression!

The latter half of the 16th century was...

...a bitter time for Japan's Christians.

Countless Padres and believers were killed.

Some disappeared.

Padre Ferreira also disappeared.

CHINMOKU

Story by Shusaku Endo

Screenplay by Shusaku Endo and Masahiro Shinoda

Photographed by Kazuo Miyagawa

Music by Toru Takemitsu

Starring

David Lampson

Mako Iwamatsu

Don Kenny

Tetsuro Tamba

Yoshiko Mita

Shima Iwashita

Directed by Masahiro Shinoda

Padre...

In Macao, you promised to pay me...

...as soon as we reached Japan, with some extra.

Remember?

I've wanted to ask you...

Are you a Christian, Kichijiro?

Are you really Japanese?

Of course.

I am Japanese.

If the officials come, you don't know me.

Don't forget.

We understand.

Be sure. I'm going now.

Padre! Padre!

Padre! Our hearts are the same as yours.

You must change into these quickly.

You must not be seen.

Please hurry!

Padre!

Shut the door!

Rest here tonight.

At dawn we'll take you to the mountains.

You'll be safe here. No one comes here.

Are there no priests?

No monks?

No priests or monks have come for years.

If we were caught, all would be killed.

We only trust our own village.

Strangers would turn us in right away.

What about prayers?

Baptism and teaching?

We do it all.

We do the best we can, each taking a part.

We've hid and kept on for all these years.

The Padres and monks all left us. They went away.

That sound?

It's rain.

The rainy season has started and it's long.

"Let's be on our way

"To a temple in heaven.

"It is called the Temple of Paradise.

"It is known as the great temple.

"That temple exists in our hearts."

Please listen to me.

Does anybody know where Padre Ferreira has gone?

He came to Japan twenty years ago.

And he preached here.

He went to the capital and to Edo.

We know only he was captured five years ago.

Since that, nothing.

Has anybody here heard anything about him?

In Portugal, when Garrpe and I were children,

he taught us about the lord.

We decided to come here to teach...

Padre Ferreira's teachings.

So we want to know what has happened:

Whether he is alive or has died bravely...

...and gone on to Paradise.

Do you know anything?

How about you?

We warned you.

You must never go outside.

Don't be angry. We just wanted a little sun.

Never go out of here again!

Get in here if something happens.

Please open the door. Don't be afraid.

We, fishermen, haven't seen a Padre for years.

Won't you trust us?

Five days ago...

We watched you from the other mountain.

We heard Padres were in Tomogi Village.

From who?

From Kichijiro, a Christian among us.

Yes, Padre.

But is he a Christian?

He surely is a Christian.

Eight years ago a man reported his family.

They were told to step on a medallion.

The Lord's image was carved on it.

The fumi-e?

His brother and sister refused.

But Kichijiro was terrified.

He said he'd give up the faith.

His brother and sister were burned alive...

...at the stake, the very next day.

And Kichijiro disappeared.

And he showed up again?

And told about us?

He's boasting he brought Padres to Japan.

He's popular in our village.

We don't have Mass or Confessions.

We just say our prayers.

Come to us, Padre!

Please come.

That day the wind was very strong.

They were thrown into the crater of a volcano.

The place was called Hell Valley of Mt. Unzen.

Fathers Ludovico. Johann. Antonio...

Julian, Marta, Michael...

Thomas, and Ignatius.

I remember it all very well.

The pagans cheered as each one fell.

Uneme Takenaka was a real demon.

And Matsukura, too.

They caught Fathers Dominico and John.

Their hands were tied behind them.

Straw mats were wrapped about them and set afire.

As the fire spread, they began to hop around.

The pagans laughed at the mat dancers.

They enjoyed it.

And things have gotten worse.

Being a Christian is even more difficult today.

And Magistrate Inoue is all to blame.

He's the king of the demons.

The leader of the demons.

The islanders were very happy to see you.

They waited a long time for a Padre to come.

Girls even smile at me since I brought you.

Listen to me.

I know what you want to say.

But I've reformed.

So I'm showing you around.

Why did you say you'd give up the faith?

Just a momentary confusion.

I don't feel that way now.

Can you swear that to me?

That you'll keep the faith under any pressure?

I swear!

So please forgive what I've done.

But, Padre, you don't know how they torture us.

That's why you're so angry now.

Some people are strong; others are weak.

The strong bear up and go to heaven.

But a weak man like me...

Padre!

The officials!

In the village?

They've found us.

Us, too?

They don't know about you.

Garrpe?

I'll take you to him.

No time for talk!

It's been reported that there are Christians.

Now give me their names.

For 100 pieces of silver.

Take him!

We'll take him as hostage till you talk!

We'll come back in three days for more hostages.

Think it over.

We didn't tell them about you Padres.

And we never will.

No matter what!

But that means you'll all be taken hostage.

Yes, but we still won't talk.

Rather than that, we should leave Tomogi.

We'll go to Kichijiro's island.

But since they came here, they'll go there, too.

Go farther away.

I'd like to go along, but it's dangerous.

Since you still say no, we must believe you.

But we must find out who is lying.

You all or the informer.