Why The Banshees of Inisherin is the Best Movie of 2022

all this Huxley writes in Brave New World words can be like x-rays if you use them properly they'll go through anything you read and you're pierced the same can be said about movies although there are very few movies every year that have this x-ray piercing ability the ability to enhance your understanding of yourself and those around you the bantries of initi Sharon is one of these rare movies Martin McDonough has never made a bad film in a big part of his successful history is his ability to strike a dark comedic tone that doesn't drown out the deeper themes of the story his characters make you laugh one minute and then a few scenes later you're deeply considering their choices and how they compare to your own for example the orange juice scene in Three Billboards stuck in my mind for weeks after I first saw it so sorry for what trying you out the window but as much as I enjoy mcdonough's first three movies I think banshees event is his best work yet I had the pleasure of watching its North American debut at Toronto Film Festival and I knew immediately after I left the theater that would be the standout movie of 2022 and that was after watching movies like All Quiet on the Western Front and the fablemens which I expect will win best picture the multilated characters and their relationships are what make Banshee special I know every character in this movie I felt like every character at one point or another and I'm going to talk about them at length but I want to briefly mention the structural Brilliance of mcdonough's film banches is a simple movie the story is a little more than a platonic breakup and it doesn't waste any time getting into the central conflict in the very first minute of the movie Patrick goes to calm's house and is rejected for an afternoon pint I think many writers would have been tempted to establish the environment and some backstory for the central characters but McDonough throws us right into the action which creates a great tempo for the entire movie I also appreciate how banshees isn't broken into chapters the story has fable-like qualities that invite that structural gimmick but keeping it simple was the right choice modern movies way overuse that tool it's one of my biggest pet peeves nowadays now the first place to start when discussing the themes of the Banshees of energy is the setting the story takes place in 1923 during the Irish Civil War and this backdrop is used as a metaphor for the conflict between column and Podrick yesterday they were on the same side and the next day they're not the conflict is also relevant given column's existential dilemma he's on an island where nothing happens but a major event in Irish history is happening just a few miles away he's looking from the outside at something terrible yes but also historically significant looking in from the outside is a constant image in banshees it's easy to lose count of how many shots there are of characters peering into Windows along with the religious symbols it's the most common visual Motif for the movie fundamentally the movie is about how people behave when they feel like an outsider Podrick is content with his simple life on inner Sharon but when calm abandons their friendship he feels isolated his only companion becomes Dominic the strangest person in town who's desperate for love that will never find him and both characters are not shy about their frustration then there's Siobhan who I think is the most interesting character like her brother and Dominic she's desperate for companionship but conceals that truth the people of the island know her as the assertive older sister who doesn't go out that much and that's it that's the image she has only calm recognizes that behind that perception she's a sensitive woman who's running low on Hope column sees her pain because he feels something very similar unlike the other three main characters calm is widely admired on the island people are desperate for his attention but despite that he feels like an outsider to the life he desires he doesn't want to shoot the breeze with Podrick about horseshit he wants to leave a legacy he wants his name to live on and the story is built around his decision to pursue that desire when it comes to column's decision the conversation could easily be monopolized by the question of Legacy versus morality and this same debate happens in Whiplash with Neiman playing the role of column or it's not exactly my idea of success I'd rather die drunk broke at 34 and have people at a dinner table talk about me then live to be rich and sober at 90 and nobody remember who I was so the argument is nobody's remembered for just being a good person so there's limited value in being nice and compassionate better to be despised while you're alive but remembered when you're gone podrick's drunken response is brilliant he tells calm that he will always remember the kindness of his parents and his sister and it's really touching the following day to hear Siobhan happily recount his rebuttal given how the other people on the island perceive her their sibling relationship is probably the most interesting I've seen since hell or high water complete opposite ends of the spectrum but they both feel incredibly authentic I think the conversation eventually becomes theological and whether you believe our actions have eternal meaning or not a debate that will go on until the end of time but column's Choice also asks questions about responsibility which was my most important takeaway it's better to be humble than self-centered obviously especially when it comes to friends and family you shouldn't want to be the family member or friend that is completely undependable and incapable of having important conversations but the relationships that Patrick has with column and Siobhan examine how you find a balance between what's good for others and what's good for yourself podrick's life would be better with column and his sister in the picture in fact he collapses fairly quickly psychologically and morally when they leave so does that mean what column and Siobhan did was wrong as a friend and as a sibling did they have a responsibility to be present for podrick's well-being it's easier to defend Siobhan's departure despite having more responsibilities to project as his sister she loves her brother a lot and tries her best to make his dilemma with column easier that isn't something she has to do because he is an adult but you can tell she wants to ease his burden any way she can she does all of this in spite of her own unhappiness and loneliness which is a testament to her love because most people in that situation would unleash their frustrations on whoever's closest and it's also worth mentioning the Wardrobe chosen for Siobhan because it connects to this conversation column's house has very distinct colors it has a red door and a yellow interior Siobhan's two jackets are also yellow and red I believe the colors represent the two potential outcomes for both characters red being anxiety and possibly death the suicidal imagery in column's house would support that and yellow is Hope and Optimus Siobhan wears a yellow jacket during her departure when she gets a chance to leave it's a Now or Never decision maybe even a life or death decision and she rightly does what's best for her even though Podrick is not in a stable place when she leaves she had nothing to prove she was a decent caring person who needed a fresh start at almost any cost decision to divorce himself in Podrick is trickier to judge compared to Siobhan it can come off as somewhat conceited he's depressed he wants to spend his time more productively but he continues to talk with other people in the pub so why can't he just spend a little time with Podrick talking about mundane stuff it doesn't seem like too much to ask Patrick's reaction does devolve into Insanity especially once the fingers start coming off you just want him to leave the man alone but imagine seeing your best friend having a chat with the policeman who abuses his son but not you that could drive someone mad I think a part of calm's initial cruelty is just an attempt to rip off the bandage so to speak but I also believe that Podrick sort of becomes a representation of his wasted life and that column places some of his frustrations on him as a result which again is something that Siobhan does not do the question for the audience is how do you know when hurting someone to do something you think will improve your own life is justifiable if your friend's car breaks down and needs a ride it'd be wrong to say well I haven't had dinner yet call someone else but if you're driving to a job interview and get the same request you probably shouldn't be expected to abandon the job we have a responsibility to our friends and family but also ourselves in finding the right balance can be very hard especially when the choices are as big as they are for Siobhan and involve people we care about having the right motivations is important and I believe we usually can sense what our true motivations are but it isn't always enough to prevent bad outcomes the Thematic Brilliance doesn't end with a responsibility balance just like mcdonough's previous film banshee's touches on when we should let things go and when we shouldn't Project's final conclusion is some things there is no moving on from and that's a good thing in other words sometimes people make unforgivable choices that necessitate a response choices that can't be lessened by time an entire separate video could be made on that statement Brendan Gleason Colin Farrell and Carrie Condon are all fantastic but Barry kyogan also makes a fantastic character out of Dominic who could have been mere comedic relief in the hands of a lesser actor his scene was Siobhan towards the end of the movie is one of the most painful rejections I've seen in a long long time in his timing during that scene is perfect the way he removes his cap as he walks away it's heartbreaking stuff he's not a kid as you'd expect given his father but you want him to find a glimmer of hope like Siobhan does but sadly the Banshee collects his soul before the glimmer appears there's a bergman-esque existentialism in banshees we have the island the silence The Bleak ending and an eagerness to explore life's bigger questions people are messy relationships are messy and the Banshees of innocent is a study in how we can navigate the messiness there's not a Golden Rule at the end of the road there's now one piece of wisdom that could have achieved happiness for all of our characters and maybe that's part of the point but McDonough gives the audience a great deal to consider and he serves up the questions with great comedy at a satisfying pace banshees of inner Sharon will not be anywhere near the top of the box office charts when the year ends but it's the movie I'll remember and I cannot wait to watch it again if you enjoyed this video make sure to like And subscribe on your way out and if you have any thoughts on the Banshees of an assurance and a scene or quote that had a big impact on you leave that in the comments as well thanks so much for stopping by guys I really appreciate it stay safe and have a fantastic rest your day I will talk to you soon

Channel: Life Is A Story

Views: 268,419

Keywords: banshees of inisherin, the banshees of inisherin movie review, the banshees of inisherin review, banshees of inisherin analysis, banshees of inisherin film analysis, banshees of inisherin explained, banshees of inisherin ending explained, banshees of inisherin best picture, best movie of 2022, best movie of 2022 banshees

Id: HbqWtZZlTBw

Length: 10min 24sec (624 seconds)

Published: Sun Dec 04 2022

Reddit Comments

[u/badger-biscuits]

Ah stop

[u/junkieporn]

Not even best irish film of the year.

[u/whiskeyphile]

Not even close... I watched it (and know the analogy it's trying so desperately to represent), and I would rather watch "The Guard" another 5 times before even thinking about watching this again. The Wind That Shakes The Barley, Into The West, even The Commitments, and many others are much better IMHO. Don't get me wrong, it's decent, but not even close to "the best".

[u/biggellymonster]

Not even close.

[u/Due-Kiwi8693]

It's boring nonsenve, great acting and beautiful scenery though

[u/PhobosTacoMan]

No.

[u/Buerrr]

Accelerator is clearly the best.

[u/Bill_Badbody]

No.

I've watched it once, and that's enough for me.

[u/Important_Farmer924]

It's not even Martin McDonagh's best film.