A film with no visible errors, in any aspect of it, is a very rare thing. At the same time, having multiple layers of subtext, and executing it all on the screen with the perfect blend of keeping the narrative clean without any overlapping from subtext that unnecessarily complicates the narrative and also showing the subtext through symbols, metaphors, historical events and other tropes, keeping it hidden beneath the narrative is a very commendable job. Points for Martin McDonagh here. More points can be given to him, he makes the movie too mysterious that it requires a thorough investigation to extract all the ideas out. It engages the viewer's intellect, and makes him excavate through the layers the film has embedded in it. Thus, the viewer can truly participate in the film.
The Banshees of Inisherin come with a variety of layers in it. Philosophical, psychological and historical.
From a historical point of view, the story rhymes with the Irish civil war. When Irishmen who fought for their freedom from the Britishers ended up taking two sides and fighting each other. The bloodshed and conflicts that occurred between the Irish Free State Army led by Michael Collins and Irish Republican Army led by Eamon de Valera. Two people who worked and fought together like brothers split apart and fought amongst themselves.
In the film, the whole story revolves around a conflict between two friends. Padraic Suilleabhan (Collin Farrell) and Colm Doherty (Brendan Gleeson). Padraic becomes shattered and sinks into sadness when his best friend Colm Doherty says he doesn't like him anymore and doesn't want to talk to him anymore. Colm is a violinist, he wants to write tunes and enhance his craft. Make a name for himself as a musician. So, he can't waste time simply chatting aimlessly with Padraic. He wants to do something meaningful with his time. That is, pursuing his art.
Whereas, Padraic is shown as one of life's good guys, "a happy lad", as he proclaims himself. He is kind, nice, slightly naive, and simply good to other people. A pleasant fellow.
The conflict between Padraic and Colm can be seen as a conflict between two differing philosophies.
Colm represents heroism and personal achievement on one side. And Padraic represents kindness and humanity on the contrary.
Colm's ideals of personal achievement, which equates to heroism, can be considered as an equivalent of conquest and domination. Here he conquers through his art. He can make his name written in the books of history. When analyzed from a peculiar perspective, that's a non-violent way of conquest. In conquest, the conqueror gets territory, power and wealth. Here territory and power are substituted with fame, acceptance and praise. Colm could be seen as a metaphor for Eamon de Valera or as an allegory of the Irish Republican Army starting the Irish Civil War.
Whereas, Padraic, the good guy, shows kindness and humanity as I said before. Who likes simply to chat, have fun with his friend, and be a happy lad. But the problem here is the fundamental contradiction between conquest and kindness. Violence and humanity.
Martin McDonagh wrote the psychological layer with pretty good depth. We can see what has happened to both Padraic and Colm emotionally, over the course of time. Colm's hatred turns Padraic into something which he wasn't at the beginning of the film. Not a good and kind guy, but someone of vengeance. Whereas, in Colm, he peaks his violence and causes violence to himself. Which could mean that the toxicity of the grudge and hatred he had against Padraic, and the obsession he had with his aims, make him self-destructive. He is shown as depressed. Which becomes worse over time. In the confession, the priest asks 'How's the despair?'. This probably hints at his depressive mental state and a previous disclosure of it to the priest.
Here we can find the blending of psychological and philosophical layers. It might be showcasing the moral conflicts of the writer.
The dynamism of the two characters' behaviour might be indicative of that. The writer might be telling that conflicts are devastating, for both parties, irrespective of which side they are on.
The depth of the film opens up exciting chances for curious watchers. There are a lot of miscellaneous characters like Dominic Kearney, Mrs McCormick and Siobhan.
The creepiest of all characters is Mrs McCormick played by Sheila Flitton. From her appearance itself, we can understand that she is the Banshee in the film. She stays relaxed, amused and observes. Doesn't scream or portend death. She says it in the calmest manner possible.
She is not portrayed with mystery or horror. But when reflected upon her significance in the film, mysteries do arise. The narrative does not require her presence. The narrative will keep going on even if she is absent from the script. But still, McDonagh gives a subtle relevance to her. Maybe she is the one he sees as designated to understand his fictional island of Inisherin. The whole Island is depressed. Just like Padraic without the company of Colm. And Colm, as I said before, is depressed, but not everyone on the island chops off their fingers like him. Others cover up their sorrows. Officer Kearney says about a 29-year-old fellow who walked into a lake. This could be a hint at the gloom of the whole Island.
Another interesting character is Dominic (Barry Keoghan). A poor fellow he seems to be, dim and dull. The whole Island mocks at him. What makes him relevant in the film, is a serious question. The writer has given much attention to him. He is not a passive character, instead, has significant depth. He constantly tries to be close to the Suilleabhans. Accompanies Padraic oftentimes, comforts him, asks him to forget about Colm and their broken friendship, and steals his father's poteen to drink with him. Goes for dinner at their home. And a very stunning act of proposing to Siobhan. He wants the friendship of Padraic and the love of Siobhan. "I thought you were the nicest of them" he says to Padraic. Like everyone else on the Island, he too is depressed. He wants a bit of company. He chooses the Suilleabhans because they were the best among everyone else.
Now let's come to Siobhan (Kerry Condon). She is talented, well-read, and yearns for a better life. She wants to escape the gloominess of Inisherin. Despite leaving her beloved brother behind, she feels excited about the new place she reached, as evident from the letter she wrote to Padraic. Some analysts have found her to be a metaphor for all those who fled from Ireland during the civil war, escaping from its madness. Siobhan too leaves Inisherin from its madness. It's gloom, grudges and boring life. She is lonely. When Dominic proposed to her, she wasn't disturbed, from seeing her emotions, we can understand she had sympathy for him. Also at the same time, a feeling of relief and joy emerged from knowing that someone was loving her.
To understand how deep these characters are, we must investigate even further. It's anyway a worthwhile quest, to unlock the mysteries of Inisherin. So, I leave that to the readers. You may require countless amounts of re-watches, but it ain't a big deal. The film's craft makes that job easier.
Music and cinematography are exceptional, truly matching the level of quality a film of this magnitude requires. All the actors played their roles in a manner that was beyond perfect. The most exceptional among all was Kerry Condon. She is the star of the film.
All this combined with McDonagh's direction, makes this nothing less than a masterpiece. Perfect, intriguing, thought-provoking, and above all subtly mysterious.
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