My guest today is Blake Altman. Blake is an educator and former scholar of textual studies at Bowling Green State University. One of my favorite pastimes is just saying, “Hey Blake, thoughts on…” and then the title of a movie. We go way back and I always appreciate how Blake’s opinions are so detailed and thoughtful. As a textual scholar, Blake has years of experience analyzing film, media, and literature. His Letterboxd updates are always a delight in the feed.

Blake’s favorite movie is Martin Scorsese’s 2016 religious historical drama Silence. Drawing on the history of Jesuit priests’ ministry to the Hidden Christians of 17th century Japan, Silence tracks Fathers Rodrigues and Garrupe as they travel to Japan to search for their mentor Father Ferrera who is rumored to have apostatized, or publicly renounced the Christian faith. They must travel and worship in complete secrecy, for the price of faith is torture and death. Along their harrowing journey, the young priests are given a true test of faith and the audience is challenged to grapple with the totality of religious persecution, performative religiosity, and the depths of true fate.

After the interview, Evan breaks down what this season has meant to him and what he has learned about the power of film.