thank you for the real reply!

I guess the pacing threw me a bit... the first hour and a half is very slow and a lot of the references feel forced (especially the treatment of Japanese Christians vs that of the those prior to Constantine under Roman rule)...

The initial shock of "the fuck?" didn't allow me to catch that subtly- hence the post asking for clarification/explanation.

In that context it makes a great deal more sense- The so far removed from present day setting led me to totally overlook the grey area's that you're saying the film shines in- in that context it makes far more sense- it's just very jarring initially and easy to miss when the historical record overwhelms the subtlety. Perhaps it's something that deserves multiple viewings to appreciate- the brutality of the Japanese is presented as such as that how Garfield's character experiences it... Not in any direct relation to the historical record.

He isn't privy to the context history provides and rather than a historical piece it's a struggle with self set in a particular time. I can dig that viewpoint.

I was just enumerating my initial knee-jerk reaction...

Thank you for your insight, it is appreciated.