Mean Streets, The Last Temptation of Christ, Goodfellas- there seems to be a common religious element in many of the iconic director's films. Silence is his final statement on the idea of religiosity and God (some have stated that it ends a thematic trilogy that includes Last Temptation and 1997's Kundun), a longtime passion project based on the novel by Shusaku Endo. Silence is a disturbing 161 minute film about maintaining faith, while also facing torture, persecution, and misery. Those interested in a film with traditional entertainment value need not apply. This is the total opposite of Scorsese's last two films, 2011's Hugo, a wondrous children's fantasy, and 2013's The Wolf of Wall Street, a raunchy, satirical comedic masterpiece. Silence is meditative, quiet, unflinching, and certainly not something that casual viewers will embrace easily.