Martin McDonagh has mastered the art of blending black comedy with grim, creating melancholic characters with a penchant for violence and self-destruction. His latest effort, “The Banshees of Inisherin” is no exception. It’s an excellent character study of two men whose lifelong friendship is on the verge of breaking up.
During the Irish Civil War, on a fictitious small Irish isle named Inisherin, Padraic (Collin Ferrell), a milk farmer, discovers that his oldest and possibly his only friend Colm (Brendon Gleeson) wishes to end their friendship, which surprises him. Padraic realizes the day to be April 1st and believes Colm is trying to make him look foolish. But as it turns out, Colm is serious. He dismisses Padraic as dull and tells him that he cannot waste the rest of his life listening to his constant whining, citing an example of Padraic spending two hours talking about the other things he discovered in his little donkey’s (Jenny) shit. Colm believes that life is passing him by and that he must do something meaningful and memorable before he dies, such as compose music on his fiddle. Despite several warnings, Padraic continues to annoy Colm, who ultimately threatens to cut one of his fingers every time Padraic bothers him. Initially, Padraic refuses to take the threat seriously, thinking that Colm would never do such a thing, but things become serious when Colm throws one of his fingers at Padraic’s door.
The good thing about the screenplay is that McDonagh makes us understand both Colm and Padraic’s situations. Padraic is a good and gentle soul, but he does not use his brain very often. One time, after getting into a drunken argument with Colm in a pub, Padraic says that he prefers niceness more than being remembered in the future for some music. On the other hand, Colm only wants to be left alone to do what he likes: compose music. He has had enough of Padraic’s nonsense and pointless talking. We also get mad at both from time to time. ‘Fucking leave him alone, man,’ I yelled at Padraic through my laptop screen. I thought Colm went too far when he cut his finger. But I suppose he sees things differently than the rest. He does it knowing that he must compose music with those same fingers. But it is not just about the music. Despite denying it to the priest during confession, he is in complete despair and has no interest left in anything. At this point in his life, Colm believes that he is entitled to what he desires, which isn’t much other than to be left alone, and he is willing to go to any length to obtain it.
After Colm cuts the cord, Padraic goes into a state of depression. His sister Siobhan (Kerry Condon), with whom he lives, tries to make sense by telling him repeatedly to let Colm go. Siobhan is the sanest of the characters in the film, and she, too, is isolated and lonely on the island. She is looking for a way out and takes a job as a librarian in the city. Padraic tries unsuccessfully to confide in Dominic (Barry Keoghan), a person with little intellect and no manners. Barry Keoghan steals every scene he appears in, especially the heartbreaking one in which he proposes to Siobhan despite knowing the answer. It is a terrific performance, worthy of all the supporting actor awards this season.
Martin McDonagh treats the setting in his movies as if it were a character. They are so important to him that he frequently names his movies after them (In BRUGES, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, MISSOURI, and The Banshees of INISHERIN). These settings always have a significant impact on the actions or decisions of a character. In the case of The Banshees of Inisherin, Inisherin is a lonely town with little to offer. There is so little action there that Dominic’s violent policeman dad gets excited by the prospect of taking part in an execution in the city, regardless of whether the execution is carried out by the national army or the IRA. He is glad to be getting some excitement and money for the gig. The town also has a significant impact on Padraic’s state of mind. After Colm breaks up with him, he is terrified of living alone in joyless Inisherin. He doesn’t know how to fill the void in his life that Colm would leave, which is why he constantly bothers Colm.
Martin McDonagh’s impeccable screenplay is complimented perfectly by Cartel Burwell’s score. The central theme had a menacing sound to it, and at first, I didn’t think it fit the mood of the movie, but I later realized it was a setup for all the horrors to come. Collin Ferrell and Brendon Gleeson are one of the best on-screen pairs in recent years because they complement each other so well. Their chemistry was so strong that I imagined what it would be like if they reconciled and became friends again.
The Banshees of Inisherin movie link: IMDB
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great analysis. It gives me the envy/motivation to watch the movie. Olivier
Thanks Sir.