The TRUE Meaning of The Banshees of Inisherin
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- čas přidán 19. 06. 2024
- In this video, I will discuss the meaning behind Martin McDonagh's latest film "The Banshees of Inisherin".
Channel theme music by @followthefiddledavidbathen6012
0:00 Meaning of the title
0:35 Who is the Banshee?
1:06 The film's hero
2:02 Cinematography
2:41 Ben Davis
#trending #hbomax #movie - Krátké a kreslené filmy
Okay. Glad to hear another view. I think the camera angles occur because the movie was tightening up near the end. I DO believe this is a terrific movie about existentialism, angst and lack of direction. I identify with the lead character as the lead character in Metamorphosis. Wakes up one day and his entire world has changed. And no reason in that. The banshees have always been our inner voices bubbling up despair and directionalism. Don't be an island stuck on an island, grab free will and move on like his sister did.
Great interpretation!
Lol just another pompous dumb dumb trying to sound eloquent and insightful.
This for sure and then on top of that is its relation to the civil war. Awesome experience
It kinda is explained tho. Guy wants to compose and not be exposed to dummy. Think it would be way cooler if no explanation wouldve been presented
From Queens NY here. My father grew up on a small farm in Tubbercurry, Sligo, and often talked about hearing the Banshee at night when someone died. The most heartrendering wail. And he’s a retired FDNY Officer, so not much scared him. But that sound, he never forgot
Incredible. thanks for sharing Dianne!
Unreal! I hope so too!😂
Just foxes. Im in Ballymote, and they are calling out for mating this time of year. That's what folks thought were banshees. Foxes at night. We hear them fairly regularly. It sometimes sounds like a child screaming. Horrific sound.
Ta an madra rua ag caint.!
Here is why Colm really cut his fingers off:
So, from what we can gather, Colm is already in despair before the story begins, as the final conversation between him and the priest reveals. Most likely he is dying, hence his preoccupation with legacy. But besides music there are others things he seem interested in, as we see by the objects in his house - puppets (manipulation, narrative, characters) and theater masks (acting, deceiving, shadow self).
Using this information, we can picture two scenarios, one where Colm was acting to be a nice person but in reality was using Pádraic as a puppet friend all along just to to entertain himself. The idea of a coming death created an urgency in him to leave a musical legacy, followed by the decisions to end his distraction play time with Pádraic and to let go the mask of niceness. So what unfolds is the loss of his reputation and the unveiling of his true selfish and manipulative nature.
On a deeper and noble second scenario, his legacy would be to leave behind a free and mature human being. In this case the real manipulation of Pádraic by the puppet master Colm started after he knew he was going to die. And the selfishness and craziness performed was just the acting needed to complete his final play. Here, Colm sacrifices himself in order to provide the means (freedom) for his friend to reach his potential. (This sounds like too much of a philosophical stretch, but the director Martin McDonagh already have done this in his film ‘In Bruges’, with the same pair of actors.)
In the first scenario Colm wants to get some peace before dying to create his musical legacy and to get that needs to set his puppet friend Pádraic go - note that the strings of the puppeteer makes him also tied to his puppet - he is also not free. So, he need to end this co-dependent dynamic fast, and at all costs, even by cutting his own fingers off (giving away his manipulative power as a puppeteer) - a painful action which Colm does without demonstrating it, showing how conscious (and desperate) he is of his intentions regarding setting himself free and in the process, Pádraic too.
Pádraic is just a toy in the hands of a puppeteer and is not in control of his own narrative, at least during the beginning. He also does not know who he really is. By setting Pádraic free of the controlling strings, Colm gives Pádraic his agency back, and as a consequence, allows him to discover other facets of his ‘self’ that would reveal the shadows behind the mask of being nice (note the scene when he puts a mask while visiting Colm’s house and later when he brakes his image on the mirror - the new him). Colm even says that he likes Pádraic better now that he is behaving more freely.
But Pádraic, like a son who doesn’t understands why his father is abruptly cutting ties with him, feels abandoned and angry (growing up, loss of innocence), and still tries to set things back to the old dynamics when his puppeteer had all the power and his life as a puppet was simpler (the scene where Pádraic says that Colm can use whatever powers he has to stop him form burning his house). But when the donkey dies, things get out of plan, and Pádraic burns Colm’s house - a demonstration that now he also has the power to affect the fate of others, even to decide who lives or dies.
There is a real banshee in the story, the old lady that announces the coming of death, she is the one that uses the stick-hook. In old time stage plays the stick-hook was used to get characters out of the stage when their time was up, and it is the same within this story. But here there is another Puppet Master controlling the lives of all characters: GOD. HE is the one really deciding who lives and dies - even the most innocent ones, like the donkey and Dominic (note that Dominic is the one who find the Banshee's hook and asks about its purpose). They (we) are all HIS characters and the island (Earth) is GOD's stage.
Siobhán, the sister, is the one character that can see from a certain distance the ongoing repetitive drama of the play and decides to leave (she was not really participating in it). Different from Colm who now sees Pádraic as a problem and takes a dramatic selfish decision to abandon him (I don’t need you anymore, go away), she also cut ‘ties’ with his brother but in a way that would be good for both to grow up - leaving because there is a higher purpose (I have to go, but still love you). Note the scene in which she is leaving the village in the boat, she is hanging on a rope, her own string that connects her to the sky, wind and sea (Nature is God’s hands) - she is still a puppet in the hands of God’s will, but her character is now needed in a different play.
At the end of this scenario, Colm is just a man, selfish but not an unemphatic sociopath, as he still shows care for Pádraic. Siobhan, is caring but is not a saint, just a down to earth smart woman who just wants better things for her. Colm was using Pádraic as an entertainment (we all use other people to diverge from our own misery) but his planned decision to cut ties created an unplanned opportunity to Pádraic to growth individually. And Pádraic was up to the challenge and responded accordingly, as he was dull but sharp, sensitive but strong. Dominic is the curious naive but annoying child that no one has time to pay attention. The donkey is nature, the innocent collateral in any man's conflict. And the banshee, a reminder that we are all just characters in God's cosmic play.
.....
Sacrificial love.
If in the first scenario Pádraic grows into a more mature man due to the unplanned consequences of selfish decisions made by Colm, in this second one he goes to the same process of individual growth but this time by consequence of a meticulous masterplan idealized by his friend.
Knowing he is about to die Colm wants to "teach" Pádraic a last 'lesson'. Something that would break the dynamics that are set and possibly push Pádraic to grow up and stand for himself. As he knows that Pádraic has this inner potential. Maybe like a father would do to its son if he knows he was about to die and wanted to 'prepare' him for the 'real' world beforehand.
Remember the things that Colm likes: music, puppeteering and acting. And he has lots of time to create his final play. Note that they live in an island, away from the war, protected from conflicts. But conflicts are what make us grow. Within fixed and stable dynamics there are no room for change, and Colm knows that. And so, being a puppet master, a composer, and an actor he initiates a well elaborated conflict with Pádraic which would then create the needed situations that would pushes him to face his shadow sides such as dependence, fear, angriness, jealously, hate, loneliness and others. Colm would become a selfish, rude and egotistical man only preoccupied by his creative musical legacy. Or at least would act as such.
The hardline boundaries and the finger cutting threats made by Colm puts Pádraic in a new challenging position of choices, with new real bloodily cause-consequences dynamics (like in a real war). Colm would rather cut his fingers off (sacrifice his creative power) just to liberate his friend by a means of a lesson of hard consequences as Pádraic's growth (responsibility) and his realization of free will (choice, judgement) was more important than any other thing that he could have use for his hand. Also note that Colm didn’t let himself die in the burning house (he as well could have, as he knew he was about to die anyways), but he didn’t want his death on Pádraic consciousness - that would make him a somber man, and that was not his intention.
His real legacy would be a stronger, more independent and more mature Pádraic.
At the end, loneliness, lost and sadness become part of Pádraic's life. But he still has a good heart - he would still takes care of the dog of his enemy, anytime. And, as Pádraic himself wisely concludes, at the final scene at the beach:
- “Some things there are no moving on from”…”and I think that’s a good thing.”
"So, maybe this is a metaphor about God and mankind - a puppet master whom, for the love for his creation, was willing to cut his connection (sacrifice his existence) in order to give free will to his puppets even though they might use it to hate him in the end - the fall from the paradise tale."
If you like to go even deeper, there is also a christian-catholic mythological theme in this Irish story. Just like Pacraic, Adam and Eve (man) got expelled from paradise (protected place) for eating the forbidden fruit of knowledge. God (the master puppeteer) set an explicit boundary but man crossed and lost his place in heaven - the loss of innocence of man. Now they will have to growth by means of their own choices and consequences. God sacrifices himself in order to give free will to his loved creation. Man gains knowledge (but at the cost of his divine connection) and the power to influence his own life and the life of others (nature is also affected).
Thank you for reading.
Also made a video about this comment: czcams.com/video/RADx2N2hHoY/video.html
Thank you so much for this I wrote about four paragraphs and asked why both scenarios can't be simultaneously occurring as a through line to the plot at once? But somehow my phone deleted the comment before I could post it.
You've made me want to rewatch a movie I've already enjoyed. And have made me enjoy the movie even more. And I genuinely did really enjoy this one of all the best picture nominees of 2023 (ive yet only to see Tár- triangle of sadness was equally stimulating imo) !
Makes sense that you've filmed a video of your theory and I'm interested to view that next.
Also really want to rewatch the scene where Siobhan is leaving on the boat because I didn't notice the imagery but if it functions as you described them going to be quite impressed further.
My only point of contention would be I never believed Colm was dying.
I forgot if it was whoever or the priest you asked him but when he said he was not I totally believed it for some reason, this of course could be function / conviction of the actor and not in the subtext however...
Still I do believe God is the puppet Master pulling the strings on us all
That corn is trying to desperately push a man he deemed needed to grow up and had gotten time to get to know. Still, cruelly,
Also indulging in his shadow side and being a puppeteer and using him for his own amusement as entertainment... So I kind of do believe both scenarios are concurrent themes.
If this is not possible for whatever reason I am missing, should you happen to read this and no, I would very much appreciate it if you could take the time to write and explain , as this does seem to be, to me, the rare movie in need, or actually deserving further review.
Thanks Again!
So insightful!
@@jaysharpESQ Hi Jay. Thank you for your reply. As you, I will have to watch the movie once more in order to better answer your questions. About the scene with Siobhan in the sailboat, I admit that I kinda pushed the envelope on that metaphor. In my video I took it off. A sailboat might be a sort of a big object that is 'controlled/manipulated' using ropes, like a huge puppet. But the metaphor I made was a little too much of a romantic moment on my part. About Colm not dying, I agree with you. Although I said 'most likely' he is dying based on his behavior and other clues, I cannot assume he is dying. Instead I would say he is somehow 'contemplating' death a lot (he is old enough to be worry about it) and hence his despair and legacy preoccupation. Even his musical masterpiece is about the Banshees (the announcer of death) and he planned to play it on his and/or Padraic funerals. The whole movie is a beautiful contemplation on death, lost and growth (you can see Padraic going through the 5 stages of lost: denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance...real growth only comes after those). And regarding the both proposed scenarios, I think on both there was indeed manipulation. But in one it was used as a merely distraction (egotistical) and in the other it was used as a mean for the liberation of his friend (altruistic). Since they are opposing movements, It might be on or another. Both could have happen, but not at the same time. But let me watch it again and come back to you. Have you seen In bruges?
TLD FUCKING READ🎉
Is very interesting to learn how in movies the light and camera position move along the story. Most of us don't prest attention to those details consciously.
Now I will start considering this things while watching my daily dose of korean dramas.
Thank you for an amazing video once again.
Thank you my friend! Yes exactly, I love the relationship between the story and cinematography
Your analysis, as always, is impeccable. It’s really cool to get a glimpse inside the world of cinematography- it’s so involved, but when done correctly, feels completely natural and seamless. Great job!
Thank you my friend! Exactly, one of the many things I love about the artform
The shot through the window pane and extra seat on the cliff are nicely meta, pulling up a chair for the audience to spy on the two's confrontation on the beach after the house torching.
Hi! If you are interested in another take on the reason Colm cut off his fingers: czcams.com/video/RADx2N2hHoY/video.html
The color of the film changes when Pairacs view and feelings change.
The playwright and screen play author Martin McDonagh has had plays refused on London's West End in recent times because they weren't woke enough in terms of language. He suggested that theatres are becoming “a dangerous place” for writers - the Oscar winning screenwriter also revealed that several theatre companies had recently rejected his plays because he wouldn’t agree to them sanitising his language to make it more palatable to ‘progressive’ audiences. He also complained that state-sponsored censorship of authors was getting worse. This movie was nominated for nine Oscars and his 2008 short film Six Shooter won an Oscar. How long will this madness last?
Wow, didn’t know about the rejection from West End
Great video. I watch paranormal caught on camera show, where they talk about all sorts of spirits caught in security cameras and they talk about shadow people, banshees, even gins. Thanks for the video.
Thanks! That stuff is always fun to watch 😂
Thanks to your 'Classic Monsters' series, I know what key light means! Haven't watched this one but the bits you've shown here has certainly piqued my interest, and its got Brendan Gleeson in it. Again, I enjoy finding out this sort of behind-the-scenes stuff, thanks!
Thank you I’m glad you enjoyed the series!
I think you’ll enjoy the film, Brendan is great as always!
It's a masterpiece of a film.
Fecking good. You nailed it.
Martin McDonagh is a legendary screenwriter. I can highly recommend all his work.
I now read your name and understand why you are talking about the cameraman.
Anyhow, awards are rigged. This was art.
He really is great!
If Mc. Cormick is a Banshee, then it is the best depiction of a Bean Sí in media.
What a wonderful thought provoking movie however you interpret it.
Hi! If you are interested in another take on this movie: czcams.com/video/RADx2N2hHoY/video.html
Haven't heard of this one, but it looks interesting and really well done. I'll put that on my list - thanks!!
I think you’d enjoy it!
@@Ericthecameraman Okay - I did watch this tonight and wow... thank you! The blending of cinematography/audio and character/narrative with the little hints of foreshadowing from the crone, was near perfect! It definitely created an atmosphere of pervasive emptiness and bleakness (which I noticed in one scene in particular that would normally elicit a more emotional response - don't what to say which one so as not to spoil it though). And having the Irish Civil War in the background, in parallel to the story, further reinforced the whole "why are we doing this?" feeling.
Thanks again, and out of curiosity, are you open to doing analyses of movies requested by your subscribers?
@@RJres I’mglad you liked it! Totally agree it really was so well done especially with the civil war backdrop, which definitely has some interesting parallels with the story.
Absolutely man!
@@Ericthecameraman Alright - I would love to see/hear your thoughts on Rob Roy (1995). It's one of my favourite movies ever (I put it on the same level as Last of the Mohicans), but it was greatly overshadowed by Braveheart at the time (even though a completely different story/time/vibe). Rob Roy just draws you in so intensely to the characters and you really feel what they're going through, even managing to create a sense of pathos at the end for a completely reprehensible villain. (And that final confrontation at the end... just wow!). I'd really like to know what you think (for good or bad) on that one with your professional take :)
@@RJres Rob Roy is fantastic, great pick!
Siobhán - there's a lot of affection for this name in some places. SheyVaughen I reckon is close enough. Some may prefer SheVohn. Nice commentary.
Thanks!
Shu vawn. Shu start of shut. Vawn like lawn.
Are those Celtic names?
@@sergionada1 irish names
What a weird turn from a good interpretation of the movie to an (also good) talk about the cinematography of the film. I wanted to hear more from both points! So.... what about the banshee in the film? What do you think it means? Is somebody going to die (except the guy who fell in the lake)? Is Colin´s character going to die? Or Brendan´s?
Thank you! With the Banshee, going off her prediction to Padraic (Colin Farrell) - “there will be two deaths by the end of the month, possibly a third”. The two were literal - Dominic, and Padraics donkey, and the possible third being the metaphoric death of Padraic and colms friendship
@@Ericthecameraman Interesting... I had not thought about the donkey. I loved this film, I´ve read about it being "Oscar bait", but I think it´s a great film.
@ same here, and it grew on me more and more the longer I thought about it
Hi! If you are interested in another take on the reason Colm cut off his fingers: czcams.com/video/RADx2N2hHoY/video.html
Ow boy, what a pile of BS you re all selling! Watch the movie, with your brains and your heart, ear and eye, and you won’t have any ridiculous questions
so who was the person on the cliff? dominick or the old witch lady
The old lady
"Aye. There's plenty of double S.H. on Inisherin"
Anyone else notice the face of Mrs.McCormick or the titular "banshee" illuminated on the wall at 2:15 ?
Nice video! Irish guy here who as a young boy had a 90 year old great grandmother from a small village in Cork in the south of the country and she was full of the old folklore and stories. However the banshee was generally not an old woman. It was quite the opposite, usually a young woman with very long hair. The story is that when you see her, she is often combing her long tresses and if you see her you are finished. Other variations have her throwing her hair comb at you as a sign of your impending demise, often accompanied by a terrible scream. There may be stories of an old woman but that's not the normal legend that we all know.
Hey Brian, that’s fascinating, almost a bit more eerie that she would be young!
@@Ericthecameraman Yes indeed!! All the better to draw you in! LOL
Growing up in CORK ( born '81) I remember being told many stories of the Banhsee too. Do you remember the one about if some one through water on her, her shadow would stay on the wall !? we had a ' shadow on wall ' near us that we all thought was the banshee. Also, if you ever saw a comb on the side of the road, you'd never touch it cause it was hers' ( The Banshee).
Tbh, I believe there's truth in the banshee, 'someone ' definatley visits us before our loved ones die.
Shiobhán, in Irish, the bh has a V sound, the accent over the á is called a fada and makes the long sound = SHEE VAWN.
before you ask, I'm Irish from Cork and an Irish speaker, Also a believer in the Banshee
In other dialects the bh could make a W sound too, right?
@@mercianthane2503 Hi, you may very well be right, not only does the bh have a V sound so does mh, like in the girls name, Niamh, some Irish say Neeeve and us in Cork say, Nee-uv. And the list goes on when that rule 'doesn't' apply. Oh the Irish language.
May I ask, do you have Irish heritage? Or are you Irish yourself?
@@marieO07
I have Irish heritage throught my father here in Mexico. My grandma used to tell us that her dad came from Ireland fleeing from a "religious war".
I think such "religious" war is the Irish Civil War, correct?
@@mercianthane2503 Not quite, the civil war was fought as a result of the Anglo-Irish treaty which granted Britain control over 6 counties, the other 26 becoming the republic and the religious war known as the troubles came after between protestants and Catholics in the British region. Your great grandfather seemed to have jumped out of the frying pan and into the fire on that one, rough times on both sides of the family there but it makes you tough by nature I guess and proud either way.
Have you seen one of these banshee's, just curious.
it is just a film about boring lifes, loneliness, depression.
tragic, loss. pretty normal tbh.
you dont have to be on a small island, you can have that everywhere.
good movie ofc.
I can't help but think there's an allegory here. Could Padraig and Colm's situation reflect what was happening off the island between the IRA and the Irish Free State supporters during the brutal Irish civil war? I don't know enough of the history to be sure.
Absolutely a lot of parallels in the story, good observation!
Good analysis. But Siobhán is pronounced 'Shiv-vaugh-awhn'. The 'a' is elongated.
It's about loneliness and isolation. It's literally spelled out for you in the movie when Siobhán says it to Padraic and then in the end leaves the island.
The movie reminds me of The Shinning. The isolation created madness. The beauty of the island is superficial. Almost everyone on the island is unlikable except for the sister, who sees the problem and escaped. ... It's hard to watch a mentally ill person cut off his fingers and there is no medical help, but , the movie is kinda a dark adult fable or fairy tale.
Shavin
It's a feckin Banshee
I can't decide if I loved this movie or hated it. Poor Donkey.
Looking at these comments, it appears that no one knows how to pronounce the sister’s name. To them I say who cares.
do you know why dominic died?
There’s a few theories that the movie hints at, probably the most obvious one being his father killed him in a drunken rage, but looking at where he was at emotionally in the film-disillusioned with padraik and rejected by Siobhan, it seems self inflicted
I assumed he commited suicide (following mrs McCormack waving him into the water). When Paoric visited the shop Dominic's dad told the news lady that a 29 year old killed himself in the lake, foreshadowing his sons death. So either he commited suicide or the cop dumps people he kills into the lake after beating Dominic up
The old lady
Shiv-on
It's an allegory of the Irish Civil War
I reckon banshees came from wild cats in heat
Siobhan is pronounced Shi-vawn
Spoilers:
Didn’t the old lady say that two people would die soon? But only one died?
Well, Dominik and the animal died
Did you even watch the movie? Then why can't you pronounce 'Siobhan' properly?
Siobhan is pronounced shiv on
Stress on the second syllable
You completely butchered the sisters name at 1:05 😂 it’s pronounced shevhon 😂
I will NEVER understand how this movie about extreme isolation, self mutilation, suicide, depression is a comedy????
The entire movie seems to have been an allegory for the Irish civil war. Colm's self-mutilation rather than capitulation seems an obvious metaphor for a civil war.
It is the young lad that actually dies which is probably allegorical as is burning down his house.
The name Pádraic means "of the patrician class" and "súilleabháin" means descendent and so he is the decedent of the ruling classes. So he must represent the Irish Free State side of the civil war. Only Colm attends the Catholic Church so perhaps he represents the IRA. Colm means Dove so maybe peace?
And the donkey represents the British - just joking relax.
I'm probably not smart enough or informed enough to understand what represents what but that's my guess.
I really think it is all very allegorical.
Oh Colm's surname is Doherty well the Doherty Rebellion is a previous attempt to throw out the English. Am I reaching? Probably.
Nice interpretations! That’s what I love about this movie, it’s open to the many different ways of reading it
Excellently made film but too depressing for me to watch attentively or with close enough interest to appreciate the cinematography
Fair enough, it is just a bit depressing 😂
Nice work man. You've butchered every name and place name lol but nice vid
Thanks! 😂
Who's "Shovvan"? 😂😂 I think you mean Sher-von.
Ok calm down
Theres no r, lads, it's said like this, SHEE VAWN = Shiobhán, a bh has a V sound in irish and the fada ( accent over the á, makes it a long sound )
@@marieO07 Then even Irish people are mispronouncing it, because I often hear Shuh-von, Shee-von, Shuh-vorn and Shee-vorn. But I think we can all agree it's defo not Shovvan.
@@garrybaldy327 when you say Irish people, do you mean Irish people from Ireland or people who are claiming their Irish heritage?
Also, do you know that in Ireland we have 4 types of dialects, each representing our provinces ,
Munster Irish, Connaught Irish, Leinster Irish and Ulster Irish, maybe that explains why you here a difference, as previously said in from Cork so mine is Munster Irish.
* There's definatley no one putting in a R in there though, that's a funny one .
Can't agree th say it's definitely Not Shee von though, it's similar to Shee vawn.
Of interest ,where are you from ?
Why some obscure human being thinks that an explanation of this film is necessary is probably beyond the scope of most people to understand. WE ALL SAW THE FILM.
Pronunciation: Shuvorn
Cheap and super-obvious allegory with good aesthetics, decent performances and... nothing more, really. Another typical example of massively overrated pretentious cinema. It's sad that some people pre-programmed themselves to "love it" just because it's McDonagh's. Spare us.
This is the worst movie I’ve ever seen in my entire life …. By far the worst movie of the 21st century