Sometimes, or actually many times, the stuff that happens in Hollywood is just unfair. Case in point: Scorsese's masterful "Silence" becoming one of the major box-office bombs of the year. This was a personal project for Marty, so I do believe he is satisfied by what he put out on the screen, but it must hurt knowing people have just not responded as well to the film as you might have anticipated. In time, "Silence" will gets it due. The poor box-office is also due to the fact that the film is just not getting any awards buzz, was completely shut down from the Globes and will likely resort to the same fate when the Oscar nominations get announced next week.
"The forecast is even worse for Silence, which is likewise expanding nationwide this weekend into a total of 747 theaters. The epic historical drama is tipped to earn just $2 million-$3 million for the four days after costing $50 million to make. Silence was financed independently, with Paramount handling distribution and marketing duties. Neither Silence nor Live by Night have generated much awards interest."
Source: THR