The Banshees of Inisherin (5 Stars)

This is one of the favourites to win the Best Film Oscar at the 2023 Academy Awards. I can see why. It's an intense drama that takes place in a small community, arguably a community that's too small to contain such a large drama.

Colm (Brendan Gleeson) and Padraic (Colin Farrell) are two men who live on a small island on the Irish coast. In the picture above they're standing on the beach gazing at the mainland, which means it's not far away, a couple of miles at most. But however close they are, their lives are far removed from the activities on the mainland. It's 1923, and the Irish Civil War is raging, but not on the island. Nobody on the island, least of all Colm and Padraic, understand what the fighting is about. Everyone on the island gets on with everyone else. Colm and Padraic go to the pub every day at 2 pm, presumably staying till late. Doesn't anyone work? Probably not.

One day Colm decides he doesn't want to be Padraic's friend any more. Basically, Colm wants to achieve something in his life. He doesn't want to be forgotten when he dies. Instead of spending every day in meaningless conversations with Padraic, he wants to write a song that will be sung after his death. That's a noble goal, but Padraic doesn't understand it. He has no aspirations of being anything more than a poor man who lived and died on a small island. He wants to spend his time drinking with his friend.

So Padraic pesters Colm. He keeps going to him and asking why they can't be friends any more. Colm resorts to drastic measures. He says that every time Padraic speaks to him he'll cut off one of his own fingers.

Is the film a comedy? There are scenes that make people laugh, but I wouldn't call it a comedy, not even a dark comedy. It's more of a tragedy. While the Civil War is being fought on the grand stage, Colm and Padraic are arguing in a smaller environment.

Despite the calm life on the island, there doesn't seem to be any true happiness. We don't see any married couples. Colm lives alone, while Padraic lives with his sister in a house that's so small that they have to share a bedroom. It's possible that the other men on the island are married, but we never see them with their wives. It's a community of lonely people who live side by side.

I don't know whether the film has a deeper meaning. I need to watch it again. Even if it doesn't have a deeper meaning, I enjoy it for the atmosphere alone. And the scenery is beautiful. Ireland is a country I've always wanted to visit, but it's too late now. I should have gone while I was younger.