LAUSR

O’Brien often moves from specific movie scenes to Scorsese’s biography to scholars’ quotes to thematic allusions to references to other Scorsese films to Bible passages to Dante’s cantos, sometimes all within the same paragraph; it’s often difficult to discern the logical links or train of thought. Still, there is a plethora of insightful quotes and references, indicating a well-researched publication, albeit weighed far more towards film studies than theology or Dante scholarship. In this, the book’s greatest contribution is O’Brien’s treatment of Silence as a film scholar. Even as explicit nods to Silence are woven throughout, the final chapter contains a rich, in-depth analysis of both the film’s narrative content and formal aesthetic, such as the film’s sound design, mise en scène and cinematography. O’Brien’s focused reading of Father Rodrigues’ apostasy as kenosis (pp. 180–91) is exceptional, and reflects what film theology can offer if it takes both cinema and theology seriously. Indeed, theologians and ministers would greatly benefit from reading O’Brien’s book in conjunction with a viewing of Silence.