The Director's Chair > Martin Scorsese

Silence

<< < (2/6) > >>

Gold Trumpet:
We just jinxed this movie getting made.

Gamblour.:
Time for a title change, because Saw genius James Wann is on it: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0455760/

theyarelegion:
Thelma Schoonmaker interview
http://www.timeout.com/film/news/659.html

Snipet about "Silence":

Do you have any idea what you will be doing next?

A movie called 'Silence', which is based on a great Japanese novel about 16th century Portuguese missionaries in Japan. It's something very close to Scorsese's heart – he's wanted to make it for many years but he's never really had the time to write the script and get it funded. But we're all hoping that this time it's going to happen, and it looks like we're going to shoot it in New Zealand as well. That will be very exciting, and I think I will have to do a lot of research for that one!

MacGuffin:
‘Silence’ is golden for Scorsese
Source: Production Weekly

Martin Scorsese is aiming to make his next film “Silence,” an adaptation of the novel by Japanese writer Shusaku Endo, the project is likely to shoot in Vancouver next summer. This is a long-gestating project for Scorsese, who together with Jay Cocks wrote a first draft of a screenplay around a decade ago. He had originally intended to direct it after “Gangs of New York” but instead decided to make “The Departed.”

“Silence” is set in sixteenth century Japan, where Portuguese missionaries must contend with traders from rival European nations and the persecution of Christians by Japanese feudal lords. The feudal lords want to drive Christianity out of Japan, and try to do so by torturing priests into apostasy, denying their faith. This is done symbolically by stepping on a “fumie,” a Christian image, like a picture of Mary or a crucifix. Two Portuguese priests, Sebastian Rodrigues and Francis Garrpe, make a dangerous journey to Japan, both to locate and comfort Japanese converts, and to discover the truth about a supposed apostate priest, Ferreira.

MacGuffin:
Scorsese says he wants a break from Hollywood

Despite the big early success of his new film "The Departed," Martin Scorsese plans to take a break from Hollywood blockbusters and focus on the adaptation of a Japanese novel for his next work, he said on Sunday.

Scorsese won the only standing ovation so far at the Rome Film Festival with the screening of his modern-day cops versus mobsters thriller starring Jack Nicholson, Leonardo DiCaprio and Matt Damon.

The film, a $90 million remake of the Hong Kong drama "Infernal Affairs," scored the best opening in Scorsese's career at the U.S. box office last weekend, and has been touted as a likely Oscar contender.

Scorsese said he had had no particular problems with Warner Bros. Pictures, the studio behind the film, but that he was finding it harder and harder to work on big productions, and felt Hollywood studios restricted the creativity of directors.

"I think I am finding that when there are very big budgets there is less risk that can be taken," Scorsese told reporters in Rome after a press screening of his film.

He said Warner had been supportive and patient as he shot "an experimental film like 'The Departed', which we only finished three weeks ago."

"But I don't know how much longer that can hold out, with regard to what kind of movie they -- the major studios -- would like to make and the kind of film I'd like to make."

His next project could not be more different from the crime stories he is renowned for. It's an adaptation of Shusaku Endo's novel "Silence" and tells the story of two 17th century Portuguese missionaries.

"It's a small-scale, lower-budget film. I have wanted to do it for 15 years," he said.

But Scorsese said that if he came across another script like "The Departed" and could rely on the same type of budget and freedom to do things his own way, he would not say no.

"I'd be tempted, because it's like a disease. It's like a drug."

Navigation

[0] Message Index

[#] Next page

[*] Previous page