“Our Lord was not silent”: soundtrack and adaptation in Martin Scorsese’s Silence

Sh?saku End? s 1966 novel Silence tells the story of two Portuguese Jesuit priests who travel to Japan during the seventeenth century. Inspired by historical events, the novel depicts the persecution of Christians by the Japanese government and the persistence of the underground church. Through the narrative, End? presents theological questions about faith, doubt, and the translation of religions across cultures. For his film adaptation, Martin Scorsese opted for a score focused on environmental sounds because of their prominence in the novel. The resulting score by Kathryn and Kim Allen Kluge takes a minimalist approach to the traditionally musical elements. Most prominent in the score, however, are sounds like cicada noises, rainfall, ocean waves, and wind, which some might consider sound effects rather than music. The filmmakers worked directly from the novel, exploring how these sounds contribute to the theological elements of End? s story.

The result is a soundtrack that adapts the subtext of the novel while also expanding upon it. By orchestrating a soundtrack that highlights key literary symbols, the filmmakers simultaneously adapt, engage with, and underscore the story s psychological and spiritual conflict. Analyzing Silence from this angle requires a methodology that treats the score as being integrated with all film sound while also considering the role of source material in all filmmaking decisions.

Two case studies provide an overview of how the story s development is reflected in the soundtrack. In the water crucifixion scene, water sounds develop the spiritual ambiguities of story, while the incorporation of hymnody serves as a form of resistance and echoes historical practices. In the fumie scene, the incorporation of literal silence, cicadas, and spiritual song conclude the film s discussion of God s silence.