Silence Page #2

Father Ferreira.

VALIGNANO:

I cannot allow that.

GARUPE:

But you can’t allow us to abandon our

mission.

VALIGNANO:

Your mission was to find word of

Ferreira. You have found it. Take this

letter with you and return to

Portugal.

RODRIGUES:

Excuse me, Father, but the letter

relates a terrible history. It says

nothing about Ferreira himself.

Whatever happened to him is still

unknown. All we know of his fate is a

slander. Permit me, Father Valignano,

but I believe our mission still

stands.

CUT TO:

8 EXT. STEPS OF A GREAT CATHEDRAL DAY 8

Valignano walks with the young priests down the steps of the

cathedral. The great cathedral looms behind them. Fog hangs in

the air like clumps of cotton. Outlines of ships in the harbor

can be seen in the distance; occasionally a MAST breaks through

the fog, swaying with the roll of the tide, then disappearing

again.

VALIGNANO:

If I permit you to go on to Japan,

I’d be condemning you. This

Inquisitor... this Inoue...he is

terror itself. He may not be the

devil, but he is just as cunning.

And he was baptized.

(beat)

By me, during my ministry. Do you know

how many Christians the authorities

executed at Shimabara? Thousands.

Tens of thousands. Most beheaded.

RODRIGUES:

Each a martyr.

GARUPE:

We must honor their memory and ask for

their prayers. And we cannot abandon

whoever remains.

Valignano is wavering, swayed by the passion and idealism of

the young men. And they know that.

VALIGNANO:

(a beat; then...)

No, any missionary work in Japan, of

any kind, is now out of the question

for us. The only European ships

permitted to enter port in Japan are

Dutch.

GARUPE:

Can the Dutch...

VALIGNANO:

The Dutch are heretics. Religion is

just a business advantage to them. No,

it is far too dangerous for you.

RODRIGUES:

But how can we neglect a man who

nurtured us in the faith? He shaped

the world for us. (ALT1: He showed us

our calling.)(ALT2: HE formed us as

Jesuits.)

GARUPE:

And even if this slander should be

true, then Father Ferreira is damned.

RODRIGUES:

And we have no choice but to save his

soul, Father.

VALIGNANO:

This is in your hearts, then? Both of

you?

RODRIGUES:

Yes.

GARUPE:

It is. Like our first fervor.(ALT:

Like our first fervor we felt in the

novitiate. We feel it is a call,

Father.)

7A

VALIGNANO:

Then I must trust God has put it

there. He calls you to a great trial.

From the moment you set foot in that

country you step into high danger.

(beat)

(MORE)

8

VALIGNANO (cont'd)

You will be the last to go, you know.

An army of two.

RODRIGUES:

Two to find one. “Satis est, domine,

satis est.” (Our Saint Francis

Xavier’s own words, Father.) “It is

enough.”

CUT TO:

9 EXT. MACAO WATERFRONT DAY 9

Rodrigues and Garupe walk briskly past the crowded docks of the

island waterfront. A misty rain falls. Junks are so closely

moored that their hulls make a scraping, thumping SOUND, like a

muffled cadence.

The Europeans take broad strides: the length of their step, and

their height, makes the Chinese population clogging the street

and congregating around the wharves give way before them. A

CHINESE BUSINESSMAN has to almost trot to keep up.

RODRIGUES (V.O.)

“May 25, 1640. Pax Christi. God be

praised. Father Valignano, as I begin

these lines I cannot be sure that,

when they are done, they will ever

reach you.”

The Chinese Businessman bustles ahead of the priests and

gestures for them to follow him down a narrow alley.

RODRIGUES (V.O.)

“But I want to maintain your

confidence in our mission, and

vindicate your faith in us.”

The Chinese Businessman stands at the entrance to a TAVERN,

gesturing for the Priests to step inside. Rodrigues enters

first, with Garupe close behind him.

RODRIGUES (V.O.)

“Today there was wonderful news. Your

Mr. Chun got us a boat, with twenty-

five Chinese sailors. And he found us

a guide. Our first Japanese.”

CUT TO:

9

10 INT. MACAO WATERFRONT TAVERN DAY 10

As the Chinese Businessman hovers in the background, the two

priests stoop to fit into this dank, low place. Seamen and

traders drink steadily at rough tables. Others pass by with

women, who seem to be holding them up as they pass through the

shadows. There is a MOAN from the corner of the room.

CHINESE BUSINESSMAN

He is not much. You will see.

There is another MOAN. The Chinese Businessman bolts forward

and plunges into this heap of shadows...

...pulling the body of a MAN (KICHIJIRO) into the feeble light.

The disbelieving priests stare at the heap of humanity lying

before them. He is their age, ragged and rough-skinned.

CHINESE BUSINESSMAN (cont'd)

But after almost two months, he is the

only one.

GARUPE:

Are you Japanese?

CHINESE BUSINESSMAN

Yes yes. He was drifting on sea.

Portuguese bring him.

GARUPE:

Are you really Japanese?

RODRIGUES:

Where are you from?

Kichijiro crawls back into the comfort of the shadows. The

Chinese Businessman stops him with a kick. Kichijiro turns on

him, groaning incoherently. The Chinese Businessman takes a

prudent step back.

CHINESE BUSINESSMAN

Answer them, you fool! These are

padres!

(no response)

Kichijiro! You fool! They will take

you home.

GARUPE:

Where is your home?

KICHIJIRO:

Nagasaki.

10

GARUPE:

What’s your work?

CHINESE BUSINESSMAN

He will do what you say.

KICHIJIRO:

Fisherman.

GARUPE:

Nagasaki is on Kyushu.

(Kichijiro eyes him

suspiciously)

Can you tell us about Kyushu?

RODRIGUES:

You know our language.

KICHIJIRO:

Little.

RODRIGUES:

You learned it from the Jesuit padres.

You had to. So you are a Christian.

KICHIJIRO:

No. No Kirishitan.

Kichijiro belches and shrugs.

CHINESE BUSINESSMAN

Good guide for you. And he is

Christian too.

KICHIJIRO:

(snarls)

I am not Kirishitan.

RODRIGUES:

You can tell us.

KICHIJIRO:

Kirishitan die.

(beat)

They die in Nagasaki.

RODRIGUES:

(to Kichijiro)

Listen to me. We have money. Help us

and we can take you home. We can...

Kichijiro abruptly INTERRUPTS Rodrigues, HURLING himself at the

feet of the surprised priests. He grovels, weeping.

11

KICHIJIRO:

I want to go home. Not for money.

Japan is the country of my family.

Please! Take me please! I beg you!

Don’t abandon me here!

The Chinese Businessman stares at the abject Kichijiro.

Rodrigues nods his head slightly in silent assent and Kichijiro

immediately prostrates himself in drunken thanks. The Chinese

Businessman helps Kichijiro up to leave.

CHINESE BUSINESSMAN

You see. He will be very good guide.

He will be good.

As they make their way out, Kichijiro falls drunk onto a table,

knocking into a man (Chinese? Portuguese?). The man pushes

Kichijiro away. Kichijiro tries to stand up when he is pushed

again (attacked?). He cowers and begs. Rodrigues and Garupe

react. The Chinese Businessman tries to protect them. Rodrigues

and Garupe go to Kichijiro on the floor to stop the violence.

They help him up and hand him to the Chinese Businessman.

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