Silent Night - A Tale of Revenge Shrouded in Silence
I am sure there are hundreds of different answers to the question, what is the meaning of life? And each answer will contain reflections of everyone's own life story. For a father, for example, the meaning of life can largely be measured by his children. If they are healthy and happy, that will make him happy enough.
Brian (played by Joel Kinnaman), accidentally caught in the crossfire of a gang shootout on Christmas Eve, loses his beloved son, is severely wounded himself and loses his voice after treatment. From that moment on, it was not difficult to understand that the 2023 film Silent Night was about revenge.
As in every revenge movie, the rebellion and the subsequent acceptance processes play an important role in the development of the story. But the story of Silent Night differs from these and similar examples. The father prepares himself for revenge, first his mind and then his body, after losing his voice. Throughout all these stages and the process of taking revenge, the film turns into a silent production with no dialog, which makes it stand out.
The last time I watched this kind of silence was the 2014 film Plemya. Although the story was quite different, the fact that the movie was made by real people who had lost their hearing and speech was interesting and I was not bored even though the whole time was in silence.
What stands out in Silent Night is the father's feeling of revenge for his lost child. I admit that it is quite difficult for him to project the love and revenge he feels for his child due to the loss of his ability to speak. Joel Kinnaman gives an excellent acting performance in such a difficult role. I'm not sure I would have watched the movie to the end if it wasn't for his outstanding performance.
The movie can be criticized and found boring because of the silence that the main protagonist has due to the loss of his voice as well as the slow pace of the story, but personally I was more interested in the fact that it was different. Maybe I like movies that take place in silence. lol
The character Brian gives up everything because of the revenge he wants to take. This giving up, in my opinion, is perfectly portrayed and reflected to the audience. Being in a similar situation and acting in a similar way can be inevitable for most of us. If I put myself in his shoes, would I be able to give up everything and focus only on revenge? My answer would definitely be yes.
I recommend watching Silent Night conditionally, and I say conditionally if you are interested in the story of revenge that unfolds in silence. I can say that it was a successful example in terms of showing that people do not hesitate to create their own justice when they do not trust the law. I wish everyone who will watch it a good time and thank you for reading.