The Banshees of Inisherin and Evolving Out of Relationships
By Jaborice Knight
Howdy Audacious viewers, my name's Jaborice Knight and I love movies! For decades, audiences have been captivated by motion pictures and their abilities to express, fantasize, interrogate, and wax philosophical about our world (and others) through the stylized view of mankind. In this series, I'll be taking a close look at noteworthy films and how their particular themes relate to our universal human experience. It is my hope that I can provide interesting insights, aid in some catharsis, or, at the very least, give you guys some dope film recommendations. So, without further ado, let's all go to the lobby!
For our first film, we're taking a look at The Banshees of Inisherin starring Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson as Pádraic and Colm, respectively. Set in the early-1920s on the small fictional Irish isle of Inisherin, Banshees sees the years-long friendship between Pádraic and Colm come to an abrupt end when Colm decides that Pádraic is too 'dull' for his liking. Colm would much prefer to dedicate his time to the arts and songwriting as opposed to indulging Pádraic and his 'dull' affairs. The condensed setting causes even more conflict for the characters; Inisherin is a very small town wherein Colm & Pádraic simply cannot avoid seeing each other, much to Colm's chagrin.
While the immediacy and finality of Colm's decision is played to an absurd and hilarious degree, it is actually indicative of real-world, real-shit experiences. There is no ultimate handbook on how to end relationships with amicability all around, let alone platonic relationships. Platonic relationships often carry as much weight as romantic relationships, and the heartbreak from their dissolution is often just as devastating. For whatever reason, whether it be a midlife crisis or some other existential episode, Colm has decided that the energy he is wasting, for lack of a better term, on Pádraic would be better spent on writing his music. Though the manner he goes about this may seem brusque, there is no inoffensive way for him to tell Pádraic that he basically just doesn't like him anymore. They no longer share the same interests. The friendship is no longer mutually beneficial; as a matter of fact, it has now become a detriment to Colm. I won't spoil it here, but this detriment is symbolized brutally and outrageously in the film.
Colm's choice to discard Pádraic's friendship is reflective of what we modern folks refer to as 'ghosting'. Whereas Colm tells Pádraic directly that he would no longer wish to know his acquaintance, the people of today achieve our disconnection with unfriending, unfollowing, blocking, etc. This makes 'unfriending' someone less stressful, draining and dramatic (for the one initiating the unfriending at least) as there is a sense of distance from the 'unfriended' and the experience itself overall.
The close proximity that Colm & Pádraic have to share following the ghosting adds that much more tension to the situation. Today, especially when so many relationships are cultivated and sustained online, it is common to ghost people and rarely see them or hear from them again, if at all. There are those scenarios, though, wherein the ghosting takes place on more of an emotional level than a physical one. Have you ever had a work relationship sour, yet you still had to see and interact with that coworker everyday? It sucks. You each have to navigate your shared space while essentially pretending like you never mattered to one another as much as you did. Humans are creatures of habit, however, and feelings cemented with time and loving effort on both parts are not so easily forgotten. The harsh reality of the matter, though, is that not all relationships are meant to last forever, no matter how strong the bond may seem.
People evolve throughout their entire lives. The same friends you had at elementary age aren't necessarily going to be the same friends you have in high school, college, midlife, etc. Your goals and interests naturally change and with them so do the people you choose to surround yourself with whom share similar goals and interests. People, being the social beings that we are, define ourselves in part by the people in our lives. If that definition no longer serves who you are or who you want to be, then your left with the crucial decision to either recondition the relationship or rid yourself of it altogether. What makes the conflict in Banshees so successful is that both Colm and Pádraic's viewpoints are valid. You can't fault Colm for wanting out of what he now perceives as a detrimental friendship; but you also can't fault Pádraic for feeling a way about his friend dumping him like trash.
Watching these dueling perspectives on the claustrophobic isle of Inisherin makes for a highly entertaining viewing experience. The majority of us have had to be both the Colm and the Pádraic (be honest, now) in our lifetimes and this simple fact speaks to the universal poignancy of this film. I've only spoken to the inciting incident of the film here, but trust me, it gets real wild from there on out. The Banshees of Inisherin is streaming in HBO Max at the time of this writing. Go feckin' watch it and if you like it, I recommend checking out the 2008 black comedy In Bruges, where Farrell, Gleeson and Banshees director Martin McDonagh teamed up for the first time, with similar cinematic success.
Meet the Writer
Jaborice Knight is an actor / artist / etc. residing in Atlanta, GA. He received his BA in theatre, with a minor in cinema, from the University of Mississippi. Having since appeared in a myriad of stage and screen productions, he is now primarily focusing his energies on creating and cultivating his own artistic endeavors. His areas of interest include film, television, theatre, music, and all things art.
