#151 Not-a-movie-review: The Banshees of Inisherin, directed by Martin McDonagh
Why did I do this to myself?
I was warned.
This movie will make you question a lot of things.
Maybe watch it later when you are in a different space, mentally.
Are you sure you want to watch this, on a Thursday at 10pm after a full day of maddening work and a couple of good cries about everything you’ve lost in the last few years.
Yes, the answer is always yes.
The Banshees of Inisherin is set in a quaint Irish island in 1932 on the backdrop of a civil war.
This dark comedy follows best of friends Pádraic and Colm who are at an impasse because Colm decides that he doesn’t want to be friends with Pádraic anymore because *wait for it* he finds him dull.
Pádraic, of course, is stunned and tries everything he can to: first, wrap his head around what’s going on; next, make things right; and then, refuse to take no for an answer.
Pádraic's persistence only serves to cement Colm's resolve. When Colm lays down a rather dramatic ultimatum that he’ll cut off a finger for every attempt Padraic makes to reconcile their friendship, things take a crazy ass turn.
The movie's depth mirrors its landscape - there's more than meets the eye. But heads up: spoilers ahead! If you haven't watched it yet, maybe bookmark this for later.
Still here? Don't say I didn't warn you.
We will skip the civil war and brothers fighting brothers for lame reasons metaphor for its pretty obvious.
There are other things that make for great conversations with the self and so we will stick to those.
For instance, the tussle between greatness and niceness. Colm cuts ties with Pádraic because he finds him boring, the conversations with him are dull and with whatever little time Colm has left (no, he is not dying - but who isn’t?), he would rather use it to create music.
Pádraic, on the other hand, takes great pride in being a nice guy. When he confronts Colm, saying he thought that's what Colm liked about him - the latter says that no one remembers anyone from any century for their niceness. Ouch!
Niceness doesn’t last. Music, Poetry, Paintings - these are the things that stand the test of time. And so when we speak of music of the 17th century (actually it’s 18th), people remember Mozart and the body of work he left behind.
This makes me wonder:
Are niceness and greatness mutually exclusive?
Is letting go of niceness (for example, not allowing someone to waste your time because you don’t want to be rude to them) necessary to at least have a shot at greatness? (Was Colm really wrong in ending his friendship?)
Is being nice really nice, or just fear of rejection in disguise? (Why did Pádraic keep chasing Colm even after the finger-chopping started?)
Is the fear of being ordinary so intense that we blame others? (Pádraic's dullness wasn't holding Colm back, right?)
Do we spend our lives making excuses instead of accepting our mediocrity? (When Colm finishes his tune and still cuts off his fingers - was it really about Pádraic, or did Colm realize he only had one good tune in him?)
The Banshees of Inisherin is a cautionary tale about the futility of war - but it is also a tale about the war we have within - and once you become aware of it, you cannot move on from it. As Pádraic remarks at the end, “some things there’s no movin’ on from, and I think that’s a good thing.”
I will see you next week with something I have watched/read/heard/felt.
Until then,
Dream on you crazy diamond,
Ree
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See you next Sunday,
Love, Riya
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