Director and producer of 'Silence' Martin Scorsese reflects on his exploration of religion in a vast fraction of his movies. For someone who has in the past described himself as a 'lapsed Catholic', he has always been fascinated enough to include Catholicism in his movies.

Martin ScorseseMartin Scorsese opens up about the prominence of Catholicism in his films 

'My interest in all things Catholic, those elements have showed up in my other films; 'Mean Streets', 'Taxi Driver' to a certain extent, 'Raging Bull' certainly', he explains. 'In many pictures, but I think I approached it from different ways, the idea of the tenets or beliefs of Christianity in the everyday life that we lead.'

As for where his idea for his new movie 'Silence' first came from, he's been working on it since he released 'The Last Temptation Of Christ' in 1988 after he was given the book of the same name by the Episcopal Archbishop of New York at the Cathedral of Saint John the Divine, Paul Moore.

Watch the trailer for 'Silence' here:


 

'He was a supporter of the film I had just made, 'The Last Temptation of Christ', after seeing the film and so he talked to us - a serious discussion - about those elements in that particular film, and those arguments, those concepts, those questions', Scorsese added. 'Then he said: 'I have a book for you that you should take a look at. It takes the very essence of what you were trying for in your other films and goes deeper'.'

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The director also confessed that the movie reflects an idea that had had since he was young, about a young man who has a calling to become a priest but has to overcome the challenges posed by his ego along the way. It was something that resonated strongly with him. 'I studied for the priesthood, didn't make it', he said. 'I realised early on that it wasn't my calling; it's certainly a vocation but it wasn't mine.'

'Silence' is out in theatres now.