Why Scorsese's 'Silence' Is So Different From Most 'Faith-Based' Films

"'Faith-based film' is the label typically used to describe movies with an agenda: Some, like 2016's Risen, exist to proselytize, while others, like 2014's God's Not Dead, seek to make a narrow argument about politics or culture. For some audiences, this kind of work may be satisfying, and that's fine. But ultimately, movies in this genre usually aren't designed to complicate or challenge people's worldviews; they're not created to deepen people's understanding of themselves and the world. Silen