Is Life Like a Black Tragic Comedy...Personal Review of The Banshees of Inisherin

Who has had the experience of seeing The Banshees of Inisherin? Has it changed your viewpoint of life like me?

The other night I watched it that has now suffused my thinking above and beyond the story line of two lifelong friends thrown into conflict when the older man ends their relationship, with alarming consequences for both of them. The dialogue was brisk with quick reactions some dialectical. There were the old tired vintages of quiet home life, daily walk-about routines and a neighborhood pub as cultural center with no violence except what was self inflicted.

And the ending, like life, had more questions than answers.

But, now, I’m facing bothersome questions about our society.

How would anybody behave if their live was based on an isolated island within a biased, closed community where every move can be traced and every word hurtful? Perhaps there’s a familiar overtone already.

How invaluable would communication be if limited to a few people? How would friendship scale as the most important attribute with whom to share thoughts and being, boring as they might be? What happens if friendship was denied without reason and hampered release from routine?

Where does jealousy fit if watching others act like friends, even dishonest ones, that perhaps could be fixed with more dishonesty?

Then, there’s the matter of what kind of person you are from the inside out. Perhaps being “nice” isn’t good enough in other’s eyes whose own aspirations are to be normal, yet expecting more from others. What does it take to stop being “nice” in the public view such as getting revenge by telling a lie to gain back a friend?

Aging is a perennial battle for everyone. What if getting older means more fair bluster facing dreams unfulfilled within a limited time span? What if assumed wasted conversations only amount to less time to prove some artistic legacy attainable or not?

What sacrifices would you make to preserve that lament of personal passage of time even if it meant destroying another person’s faith? Perhaps even over-sacrificing to prove your will power while handicapping your own ability to be successful. I have definitely shared those frames of mind.

Don’t forget the animals in your life. They are the solid existence of your daily affairs, the sanctity of mutual caring and an antithesis to loneliness. Is it possible to bury a pet who died selfishly and forget it existed?

What about moments of poignant love longing for any partnership that might grow without which hope dies.

And so begins the many analogies to present society…

Is our society that much different then the island of Inisherin in 1920's?

We don’t live on an isolated island; instead, we are surrounded by countless inhabitants on the world wide internet within set boundaries of “likes” and links. But how do we measure value with our online communication? Where does trusting friendship exist in good and bad times?

The potential for many “friends” is extreme but which ones can make a life difference? What are the reasons that strangers contact us with a virtual emoji? Just how deep are the layers of isolation or misunderstanding in the biggest and loudest of crowds if the average “nice” person might be considered “dull,” comparatively speaking.

It might be said that humanity is even more exposed today. One’s problems carry more weight to more corners with greater distrust and false words. Perhaps it’s easier for “niceness” to turn into self-pressured destruction. There is still a visceral drive to be constantly productive in order to matter but on a more competitive virtual stage. Friendships become commodities to broker. Where does sadness or loneliness go for relief?

Even romantic ideals are picture-perfect screen shots without the river to feel its currents.

In the end, everyone seems to suffer … physically, mentally and spiritually while the old spectre like a banshee warns that death can happen around the next corner. If the worst thing that happens is a severed finger, then it’s more care-free than tragic. Sometimes you just have to walk away.

Nothing in life is certain. Hope can sometimes be as simple as meeting an old friend for a pint in the neighbourhood pub. Loneliness abates, chatting about common threads is welcome, “be nice” matters.

BIGGEST TAKE AWAY — Beware of Age as an existential threat for some people. Allow their space for their private reasons without hurt feelings. It’s the end of a cycle expression that needs time to also exist.

All in all, The Banshees of Inisherins is an amazing movie, a true artistic legacy by an extraordinary production and acting team. I might add that I watched it in my own home so that I’d not get very upset in a public theatre where some people might find some kind of “comedy” in the “tragedy.” I didn’t laugh once trying to connect to the story. Nor did I cry.

It’s taking in life — one twist, one emotion, one moment at a time to the best of our ability with honor where a true friend is a treasure.

I wonder what you thought.

Annemarie

With love for the miniature donkey, Jenny, whom God was asked to also care for.