A long-time passion project for Scorsese , which he had developed for over 25 years , the film premiered in Rome on November 29 , 2016 , and was released in the United States on December 23 , 2016 . Although a box office failure , it received positive critical response , with both the National Board of Review and American Film Institute selecting '' Silence '' as one of their top ten films of the year . The film also received an Academy Award nomination for Best Cinematography at the 89th Academy Awards
89th Academy Awards
89th Academy Awards
Silence (2016 film)