The friendship is basically the Partition of Ireland played out on a personal level. The date of 1st April was the date when the hard border was erected between Northern Ireland and The Republic of Ireland. Colm cutting off his fingers is illustrative of how family and friends were separated and how Ireland had to sacrifice 6 counties for peace. . Siobhán leaving for the mainland is reminiscent of people's exodus from Ireland. Pádraic holding the grudge even though Colm wants to say it's over is like The Friday Agreement keeping Ireland separate. There are more parallels in the film which fit
Yes, I understood the movie to be a commentary on the Partition of Ireland, as well as you did. I fully get the concept of friendship in the movie but without the Civil War aspect, the ending does not make sense. The ongoing conflict reflecting the 100 years of partition.
Films being received lukewarm here in Ireland (as per usual with McDonagh's work) which is funny considering it's the only film in the last 50 years to analyse Ireland's history in an interesting way.
Thanks for the interpretation. I guess this film is only plausible & relevant for Irish people with a knowledge of history. For a typical movie-goer or someone who lives in a different country, no one will think of the Partition of Ireland when they watch this movie.
I think him cutting his own fingers off was a way to blame someone else for the failure he was scared of coming regardless of his own efforts and talent.
Exactly, I think this too. He uses Padraic as a scapegoat so he doesn’t have to face failure anymore. How could he be judged for not making any more meaningful art in the future when Padraic “caused” him to lose his fingers?
@@HelloSpyMyLie Correct, not just a good movie, it made for undoubtably one of the best films of the year. Makes you examine your own relationships with 'friends' who are just content to just let time pass and whether that is really a friend at all. Looks like this one went over your head
@@HelloSpyMyLie Definitely not for everyone. If I don't think a lot about a movie after I saw then that means I didn't really like it/it had no impact. I feel if movies like this aren't supported the only mid-budget films we'll be seeing will be Glass Onion type of movies on Netflix, which was awful.
I saw it last night. It's a masterpiece. A quietly moving, devastatingly depressing, beautiful masterpiece. Proof to Hollywood that all you need to make an excellent film is a good script, superb actors, excellent direction and then for taste some poignant music and somewhat spooky atmosphere and you have this shinning diamond of a film.
"A good script", and shure that Shakespeare fella wasn't a bad storyteller either... McDonagh may be the best playwright of our time. Actors are top class alright - however, I think they were working with top end art.
"All you need," as if it were that easy to come up with a great script, come across great actors and get them to work for you, and to excellently direct a movie.
@catherineomahony3143 ■ Yes ! Me, too ! I don't know if I can see this film again to get a better grip. ( I could always go and get more popcorn, before that scene. )
According to what I've heard in my family, it was expected in this period for an Irish sister (especially the youngest sister) to remain unmarried to take care of any unmarried brothers. On her deathbed (in the 1950s) my Irish grandmother gave my Irish American mother permission not to follow this custom. The video implies that Siobhan took care of her brother out of love, but it was also obligation that she had to overcome to liberate herself.
This is kind of an upside down interpretation :) (no offense meant to you or your family). An unmarried woman had little means of providing any life for herself. On the Aran islands this movie mirrors, a man could fish, a man could farm, a man could gather and sell kelp. Aside from joining the church, that was about it. The land was all rented so you had to earn a living to pay for that. The only paying job (legal of course) that I know of in the region for women was to be a school teacher. This was rare as most people at the time never went to school and could not read (mind boggling to us today, but about 90 percent of wedding records around 1900 have people sign with an X mark- -because they can't even write their own name). For this reason unmarried women stayed with their parents, and after the parents died with a brother. As you suggest, this helped unmarried brothers as the sister could manage the house while he worked, but it was definitely a mutually beneficial arrangement. In the movie, Siobhan has an unusual out (the normal way was to get married). That's incredibly rare. She actually has a way to pay for a life while many Irish at the time (from the 1860s right up into the Civil War shown here, then on into the Depression years a decade later) literally had to leave Ireland to not die.
For me, a key insight of the movie was about "purity" and "downfall". Both Padraic and Dominic were "pure" in the sense that they were innocent (nice, dull). This reflected by their affinity for animals, which are also pure. But when each is confronted with rejection, they take very different paths. Padraic becomes dark and mean, but Dominic chooses to escape life rather than become dark. For whatever reason, this aspect of the movie hit me hard. There were so many scenes related to animals in the house - and this for me was always a reminder of the purity of animals.
True, but to me seems the only explanation. The only other plausible one would be murder by his father. But why would a policeman with complete impunity on the island do that. Also, a policeman would know better than to toss a body in the water. It just doesn't add up for me.
On the same day I watched this film, my boyfriend said he didn't love me anymore. He simply continued being happy, but I wasn't part of his happiness anymore. "But you loved me yesterday ?" The incomprehension, denial, distress, anger, despair, resignation. You start questioning who you are. All the emotions I went through were so beautifully depicted in the film, with great accuracy. It truly blew me away.
I’m sorry 💛 but beautiful you got to experience this. It’s such a great parallel to the breakdown of a romantic relationship. It can seem as strange and inconceivable as Colm suddenly not wanting to get a pint with his friend one day.
I don’t have a particular line or scene to cite (the entire script was quotable), but I did want to point out that Colin Farrell’s little face expressions throughout the film are brilliant. What an amazing actor. He says so much with his face, without using words, and I REALLY noticed it in this film. Also, I thought you might mention that this is the first time (I believe) that C. Farrell and B. Keoghan have shared the screen since Killing Of A Sacred Deer. I thought the chemistry between the two of them was incredible in that film as well. I’m hoping we see them paired up again down the road.
Colin is a fine actor but OMG, this movie is never going to be remembered as a good one. It's so gross. If he wins its because they feel sorry for him being saddled with this role.
This is one of the most powerful, beautiful, gut-wrenchingly sad movies I have ever seen. It was so painful I almost couldn't finish it, but I came back to it the next day after I had calmed down. I can't stop thinking about it. My heart bled for everyone's pain and inability to do any healing of these relationships on any level.
I watched "In Bruge" for the first time the other day and was blown away how good it was the same night I kept the train rolling and immediately watched this movie afterwards and it was such a joyfull night of cinema that I have not experienced in too long.
It's so sad it won't be given it's proper recognition, I just finished it and I feel like I've been hit by an existential train and I absolutely love it
Also the religious reference of the virgin Mary statue which divides the 2 roads between the Padraic and Colm is an allegory for the civil war. It's a split of the 2 sides of the conflict both based on the same religious figure.
An absolute gem of a movie. The cinematography is breathtaking, the cast and acting is simply brilliant, the Westcoast of Ireland feels like an extra character but the story is so, so sad and left me heavily depressed..
So true. Once the movie ends and the credit roles I'm like - let's go. For Banshees, I was just sitting there like WOW. This movie had me feeling so many emotions and I was just blown away by how such a simplistic movie could be so layered, so emotional, so beautiful and so very sad.
I haven’t been able to stop thinking about this film ever since I saw it. I have watched and re-watched the reviews on UA-cam and, like you, I can’t wait to see it again. Everything about the film is superb - the story, the setting, the superlative portrayals. It was certainly the best and most moving film I saw in 2022 and it deserves all the award nominations that have already been made.
My daughter and me absolutely loved this movie. We laughed, we cried. Definitely related to things. Ireland of course was as beautiful and wild as always ❤
Having just seen the movie, I have some observations. Taking place in 1923, the locations are starkly beautiful. The narrator of this video deftly covers some of the finer points of the film. ( The allusion to the Civil War mirrored by the characters.) The sparse but piercing script was delightfully poignant. When Pádraic came around the corner of his house, I thought he would see Colm lying there. It was heartbreaking to see it was Jenny. The scene with Dominic and Siobhán was quietly shattering. When he softly says, " Well, there goes that dream. " it's crippling. A movie with many facets, it lingers long after viewing.
I think it's a sign of good art when the audience and critics all have different interpretations and feelings about it. I love things that make me think and this movie certainly does. I watched it twice and thought the acting and cinematography were superb.
Your take away about Padraic being right about not forgiving Colm is strange to me. I don’t believe Martin is endorsing any action committed by any character except for Siobhan. I believe Martin is simply depicting the Irish conflict through the metaphor of friendships. I also think the policeman representing the law and abusing his child holds a significant amount of weight in this metaphor too.
That’s interesting bout the Irish conflict depiction. I’m ignorant to a lot of this. I think simultaneously its also depicting a grappling and crisis of faith.
We watched the movie last night. I really had no expectations as I knew nothing about it. A few minutes into the movie, we were all sitting there, watching, and saying "Wow". And it kept on and on. It had those great comedic moments and it had those heart rendering moments. It made you really think about the movie afterwards. Not many movies have you thinking about them the next day in an attempt to really figure things out. You want to figure it out. I hope the actors win awards. They were all great.
Great commentary. I just finished the film itself earlier today. Fantastic cinematography, it makes me wish to live there. Great characters, performances, story. Bravo!
This is one of the best movies I have seen in a very long time! I watched it, then had to go back and watch "Billboards.." It was beautiful and so very sad!
As a big McDonah fan I really enjoyed this movie. I think it about loneliness and feeling betrayed on the one hand and disappointment of life on the other hand. It’s what you feel when you watch it, but also the film is about humanity, the Farrell’s character got believed in violence when his friend became ex-friend. There is no hope for him, but the end is optimistic
A spectacular film! I guess what makes films win so many awards is the focus on themes and character emotions rather than plot. Was very impressed by it.
The plot is still an important aspect of a film. This movie has a dull, impotent, and inconsequential plot. Character emotions become undermined in my opinion when it is not supported by a strong plot.
@laverdadescatolica5 everything everywhere all at once was good, but you really can’t compare it to the pace of this movie. However, I believe when you are saying this film was boring, you meant that you couldn’t invest your attention to the character development.
@laverdadescatolica5 haven’t seen it yet but plan to soon. And I believe there were a few meanings. I the main one is that every decision has consequences, even if you make them for yourself or others. Others could be battling depression or that the environment around you shapes your decisions through emotions and perspective of the future (legacy, hope, impact, generosity.) I thought this film was very well layered.
Genuine masterpiece of a film. A masterclass in acting with all the characters but, I must say that Kerry Condon (Siobhan Sullheiban) (sp?) is getting herself an Oscar. If she doesn’t we should all cut off our fingers.
Even tho I live far away from Ireland, this movie hits so close to home. I'm from Brazil's northeast, Teresina, state of Piauí. For many reasons the existentialism of this story feels so much like living in Teresina. The feeling that so many things are happening outside and you're stuck in a place where so little happens. At the same time there's this soul crushing fear of leaving your loved ones behind, which made me sympathize so much with Padraic. Even the type of humour is so much closer to ours. This and so much more made me really love this movie. It's a punch in the guts.
This is a savage movie, it can't leave you unmoved. It strips away a lot of bullshit and brings things down to their most raw honesty. Such is possible in an environment where there is little going on and therefore the distractions most of us get caught up in aren't as available. So you fall into being and feeling how it really is. And we see that in the character padraic as all his props are stripped away that distract him from himself. Colm chooses a very unkind way to withdraw himself from Padraic. But there is a difference too between kindness and niceness that I think the movie differentiates. In a sense Colm still shows padraic some deep kindnesses even when banishing him. Punching the policeman, giving Padraic a ride home, being deeply sorry about the little donkey. It's more than he doesn't want to be untrue to himself any longer. And as the commentator points out in this, sees padraic (unfairly) as the symbol for the time he has wasted. But in a sense, the deeper kindness in life can be to help people stand on their own two feet. Really experience where they are so they can evolve and not be dependent. But kindness also picks its timing and pace and Colm chooses a more brutal approach. There are so many densely packed themes through this movie. I've just touched on the surface. It is quite brilliant and the acting is exceptional. I'd like to watch this one again, even though I found it disturbing.
Absolutely brilliant ! Colin Farrel,Kerry Condon, Barry Keoghan and Brendan Gleeson give top performance of their careers. Can you split the Oscar 4ways?
Have seen this movie twice trying to get my mind around the relationship between these Padraic, Colm and this island. Stunning film, best I have seen in a very long time.
I recently went to the Cinema to watch this film and brought two friends with me. I thought this film was fantastic but my friends didn't really like it, I know that it probably comes up to taste but I am still disappointed that they didn't appreciate this phenomenal work of art.
You need to appreciate and respect that their preferences differ from yours. You don't. Sorry, but your choices and opinions are not superior to those of theirs.
I love this movie so much. I have watched it multiple times and love it more each time. The acting is phenomenal, the scenery is gorgeous, and the plot is so engaging. Total antithesis of the typical formulaic stuff churned out by Hollywood.
@constantina ■ Hollywood is a multi-billion-dollar business ! Films like this are pretty-much for people who just want, at least, some intelligent dialogue. I've seen some movies from Hollywood that had the same dialogue in totally "different" box-office receipts.
As an Irish person it's hard not to get emotional seeing this movie get worldwide recognition and appraisal. Yes it is very much a tongue-in-cheek representation of the country that very much leans into stereotype, but it's a good kind of stereotype in that it reveals honesty rather than obscures it. Representation of Irish culture through cinema will now have a distinct frame of reference, before Banshees and after Banshees. I find it difficult to articulate just how lovely it is for others to see how we are, even if it's an exaggeration. It feels like you've let someone into your home, in a way. One can only hope we've been a good host.
Loved it. Had much to say about the different groups and factions in Irish life and life in general. Much to say about conflict and clash between people. Much to say about the fear of failure and the fear of the end of things. It also had me thinking about how our own acts of self absorption or selfishness can not just effect others but damage and change them too. It was also bloody funny, beautifully acted and filmed. Great.
This movie evoked the leftover trauma of the famine. The insanity of pain and inflection of pain on one’s self …… The Whole of Ireland went insane after the famine….. I was born in 1957 ……. Growing up was insane
I'm Irish living in Germany for the past 40 years - where I recognised that my class is perhaps a more real and a stronger influence on who I am than my nationality - but I once went into an intense meditative state trying to pinpoint what exactly my Irishness consisted of - and found myself slowly but surely (and quite unexpectedly!) arriving at a very clear view of how the trauma of the famine influenced my parents and grandparents in a very primal way, in the values each generation passed on to the next
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 treats 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. Made a post out of this comment, here is the more polished version with a few more paragraphs and images: shorturl.at/gxCZ8 Also made a video about this comment: ua-cam.com/video/RADx2N2hHoY/v-deo.html ...
Thank you for this. You answered my question. I thought about Colm's place a lot after watching it. The mask, the puppets. I considered that he was dying and had once led an interesting life. What made me sad was how sacrificial he was to his own hands as a musician. I play the cello and violin and it disturbed me. In any case. This makes sense.
I disagree with a few things. When the fingers idea was created for the script, it was an impulsive decision not planned or tied to the previous part of the story in its creation, so deceptive puppeteering has to be thrown out. The final scenes show the purpose. Colm really was just bored of Padraic but was able to create his legacy song with a potential fix hanging in the air, the "anytime" from. Padraic and "thanks for watching my dog" from Colm. It was symbolism for the Civil War happening outside of the island. Specifically the Irish Civil War. Sometimes one group just doesn't care about the other anymore. Look at how world War 1 started. It can be abrupt and without reason. The lense to be looking through is the Irish Civil War, initially. It's not just about that but I don't know why you skipped that entirely my dude. I like some of what you said and can agree with some, especially about the Banshee. But can't about God. There is no God in the script. There are people that have the personality and beliefs of a devout catholic in the film, Colm's finger cutting for example, punishing himself to teach a lesson to the other. And I agree about Colm's despair because it's admitted he had it before and it comes back when he kills an innocent(donkey).
I went to see it earlier this week with three friends. I didn’t know anything about it beforehand. To my astonishment, none of my friends cared for it much. They seemed to realize it was a serious, brilliant film, but couldn’t seem to understand why. They mostly saw the contradictions in the story, as if that were a flaw, and the bizarre behavior of the characters, but resisted asking why. One of them even mentioned things like, “I’ve never been attracted to Ireland.” Wtf? I was almost speechless about this, since I thought it was the best, most moving film I’d seen in a long time. I admit, however, the whole thing about the fingers made me squirm. It struck me as a bit much, but I could see what it meant alright. This review is very good-I wish I could have expressed my thoughts about the film to my friends as well as is done here.
Hated the movie. Found it contrived, did not appreciate the grim humor, did not love the Irish scenery or the cinematography. I think I'm the only person in the world, but there you are. Did appreciate Siobhan's character and story.
Interesting how people react to it so differently. I loved it for its commentary on interpersonal dynamics in a small isolated village, its comment on the dark side of Irish culture, and for its gorgeous cinematography and brilliant dialogue. My girlfriend hated it because of what she saw as a fatal flaw -- that Jenny the donkey appeared to have vomited Colm's fingers. Donkeys, like horses, cannot vomit.
I definitely agree that this was the best movie of 2022- more precisely the best written movie of 2022. "Top Gun Maverick" pulled us out of our COVID slumber, but Banshees made us think and gave us our minds back. McDonagh created a masterpiece.
That’s an excellent way of putting it! Maverick made me excited to go back to the theater again and I love movies like TBOI that make you dig deep and think
The movie is all about powerless, how we all handle and process disappointment, tragedy and grief. Some people depart, some people give others the finger and some simply die. Some people are able to move on, others can't. Sometimes when it happens to a country (9/11), the country might lash out at another and go to war. Martin McDonagh's movie is brilliant with incredible performances.
Banshees is not about an island off Ireland. It's about the modern day. With the Internet, we almost exclusively interact with people through a screen. We are all outsiders trying to look in on community and have some sort of connection. Meanwhile we are surrounded by a lot of bad things happening just across a metaphoric strait. Our mental health is collapsing and the existential dread is like a witch coming for our souls. We need other people to maintain our own humanity and sustain our hope. But if we treat anyone as if they owe us support resentment does grow and the weight of mental health can pile up on others. Banshees argues that every character could die at any moment due to the banshee of mental health. They all are doomed unless they find something in themselves. One does the wrong thing for the right reason. One does the right thing for the right reason. And one does the wrong thing for the wrong reason. It's the one that off loads the most emotional work on others. There's also one who was the worst off the entire time that gets no support and does fall. It's a discussion about what is our duty to others mental health and doesn't actually give any good answers. Because it's very difficult.
In Bruges is one of my favorite films. This was nothing like Bruges but I really enjoyed it. The beauty of the nature was breathtaking. Shobian's character the one I was the most interested in the back story.
@@jelcoleys8087 Having a bad day, Jelco? Look at what makes a movie great and rewatch In Bruges. The acting, exchanges, premise and overall casting was fantastic.
Beautiful analysis. I was shook to my core when the first finger was thrown at the door. Even though he threatened to do it, I was not expecting it, or at least not in the way he did it. I got the sense these actions from Colm represented a violent grappling with faith and meaning. It actually makes a lot of sense for him to do this if he’s descending into a nihilistic depression where what he once took to be meaningful has faded (or is in question), and he is now desperately gripping an egoistic pursuit of a legacy. Like his last vestige of meaning. But I think he also saw through that at times too. He knew he needed his fingers for it. He pulled Pad down into this dark place as well (perhaps his pleas to be left alone were trying to protect Pad?) but ultimately I don’t think it really had much to do with him and his inadequacies. I loved the multiple moments where in spite of everything, Colm stood up for Pad and helped him. Showing all hope is not lost, and there is still some semblance of meaning in his life, things he cares about and stands for, even amidst the despair. As you said, things are messy! Such a brilliant film that I will be reflecting on for a while I think ❤️
Well I've seen it twice at packed theatres and every one was rolling in the aisles with laughter. Apart from during the final act of course which is pretty fecking bleak.
@@richardsantanna5398 I can recommend it. I live on the island, just down the road from where Pádraic’s cottage set was built. It was interesting watching the filming and meeting the cast and crew locally last summer. During the summer months there are a lot of tourists, over 2,000 a day, but in the winter months it’s just the islanders. That’s a good time to visit if you like a bit of peace and quiet an some isolation.
After re-watching the movie, I see moments where Siobhan is beckoned to join Mrs McCormick, watching death come in its inevitability. Like she would join the ranks of silent banshees. Makes me think of a subplot where the boys get to mutilate their selves as wise women are restricted to observe. Gender view that might not really apply maybe. Siobhan is so sweet yet firm. I love how she doesn't mind Jenny as she opens her letter job letter near the fire.
Excellent review. I too loved the movie. As said, the acting throughout is exceptional. And to me, the actors who play Dominic and the sister are truly outstanding . Wonderful performances. Both a great part of how enjoyable this film is - for anyone willing to look beyond the dark surface events. I watch few movies these days, given how many are rehashes of ones I've seen before, but this one was absolutely worth watching.
@@thedeep436 I read it and sooooo agree. I did not understand from me. I interpreted blame of some sort and of course, self hatred but you nailed it! Thank you for your insight.
I was to call my friends after the movie to meet them in a pub and I was so away thinking about it that I just went home automatically and forgot about my friends.
Here is my take on 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. Maybe he is dying or at least he has been contemplating death a lot, hence his preoccupation with legacy (his music is even about the banshees, the announcer of death). 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: ua-cam.com/video/RADx2N2hHoY/v-deo.html
I viewed this movie as the difference between a quietly strong woman who has good critical thinking skills and a level of emotional intelligence - and four men who don't. She isn't cruel, stupid, vindictive or lazy - but quietly supportive and just - and that's how she wins via the job offer that removes her from her bleak life on the island with these men. And doing that in the 1920s was a bold measure - particularly with a war going on. When it comes to the colors that she wears, red is the color of fire - she manages to stay alive on the island by persevering as fire keeps us all warm and alive in cold/bleak times - and yellow is the color of happiness and hope (like the Sun) - which she wears as she is leaving. The fiddler is an angry, thwarted man who is his own worst enemy - hence, chopping off his fingers (which he needs to fiddle - which is how he desperately wants to make his legacy). The abusive policeman is punished by the death of his son. That son, the town idiot, never had hope and gives terrible advice - which the Colin Farrell character stupidly follows. This idiot is on his way to commit suicide when he makes a courageous effort - which is more than the other men in the film could fathom - by declaring his love to the protagonist's sister. It is a painfully relatable last hurrah, and when she of course rejects him, he goes on with his original plan - which is not surprising. And then we have the protagonist, who is so selfish and emotionally obtuse that he can't respect the request (no matter how heartbreaking) which is why he shall always be alone and lonely despite his handsomeness. His saving grace is his kindness to animals. So, my final thoughts - strong women escape and weak men suffer due to their own vast lack of understanding. This movie is very pro-female.
I absolutely loved this film. The way it navigates through the darkness of it without being maudlin is really great. The writing and all the performances are fantastic! 🎬
I like your analysis and feel the people saying about the Irish analogy are 👍🏼 However I think think the role of the banshee is important in the ‘faery’ element. I think the little old lady is the ‘banshee’. Siobhan hides from her…and after talking to her decides to leave. She waves to siobhan at the lakeside but is maybe waving to Dominic. Padraig hides from her but can’t. Siobhan looks back and sees the dark figure and looks worried, and it cuts to oaidraig with the out of focus dark figure in shot. And all I mean by this is that for me it’s an amazingly brilliant fairytale of the real & dark proper sort. Which effectively does everything all the other ideas here say. My best film of the year, and likely to replace in Bruges as my all-time favourite
"Do you think God gives a damn about miniature donkeys?" Colin's eyebrows should win an award. He's able to look like a completely different person using them
I agree with all of the praise. I've been thinking of the movie since I saw it a number of weeks ago and I will see it again. And again. I don't know if anyone has commented on the beautiful score and orchestration, as well as the solo soprano pieces - I would love to know what those were and how to get a recording. Thank you for this community.
Great analysis. I had similar takeaways. I definitely think the theme that hit me most was what you described - how our personal choices like cutting off a friendship can have wider effects on other people and community, and how location can be critical in that (remote island in 20s vs modern urban times) In a time where we prioritize self-care and boundaries (and we should, those are equally important) i thought this movie brought up interesting observations
All four of the primary actors deserved their nominations. I think most of us went into the film expecting Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson to do their best, but honestly, Kerry Condon and Barry Keoghan were beyond brilliant. For me (and, trying hard to avoid spoilers here) the moment where Colm hears what his actions have led to, that transformation in the face and demeanour of Brendan Gleeson, was a pivotal moment. Great breakdown in this video.
I really liked films like NOPE, Barbarian, and X - it was a great year for horror! - but this film really captured me and immersed me in this little world these little characters live in. So good! Best film of the year for me so far.
This movie has so many layers, it was really interesting to watch. It felt like a huge metaphor, specially because the focal point, the fingers, seem to show how the story isn't really placed in the normal world. Colm cuts off his fingers, but there is never any medical implications: he doesn't get infections, doesn't bleed to death, doesn't feel much pain, and walks around with the wounds bleeding and exposed (the dog even licks it!). All in all, it was clearly a metaphor (or several), that can be analyzed for hours. As a depressed fan of Shakespeare, though, certain things also reminded me of his plays. The way the story is structured, the setting, the presence of a "witch" that delivers dark omens. The witch character's presence was SO interesting. In the end, the movie gave me the impression she symbolized dark feelings, like depression, dread, feeling like an outsider. This was very apparent to me in the scene in the lake, when she calls Siobhan from across the lake, to visit, like they sometimes had visits (that Siobhan tried to avoid). But Siobhan refuses (how would she cross the lake, there was nothing but cliffs, rocks and endless dark water). Then Dominic confesses to her, and she sees his pain too. She gently lets him down. After that, she quickly makes the decision to leave this nowhere depressive island, and go live her life, her spirit full of hope. She had the chance to take the plunge in the lake, towards the dark omen which, but she chose hope, while recognizing the pain of others. Others pain (Colm cutting all of his fingers after) is the cold shower she needs to realize she can't live like that and indulge in the depressive feelings. she realizes Colm made the choice to cut off his own fingers and was the one responsible for prolonging and increasing his own misery. he could stop it, but he was determined to suffer and not change. Just like herself. She realized she was constantly choosing to stay where she was unhappy and wallowing in her own depression. She was the one welcoming the dark feelings (the witch) inside her home. If she wants change, she has to make the choice herself, and act on it. So she does, and goes to the mainland, out depressive island and isolation, and towards people and life, where things actually happen. She chose to insert herself into the world and take the rains of her own life. But Dominic, after being turned down at the lake, chooses to dive in, to drown in the darkness. It was a beautifully dark and twisted conclusion to the 2 storylines, filled with dichotomy. It's interesting because every character seems to be in emotional pain somehow, externalized but outside situations.
Thanks for sharing. I had to watch the movie twice and still had trouble because I couldn’t figure it out, it was so simple in the end I finally got it. So many things in this movie. I would suggest you see The Whale.
It honestly baffles me how someone can hear how a name is pronounced over and over again, and then just decide, "nope, I'm gonna say that word completely differently". I mean it's not like you're reading the word Padráic in a book and have to guess at a pronunciation. It's a friggin movie where the name is said out loud at least a hundred times. You watched this movie enough to make a whole detailed video essay about it, talking about the nuanced layered metaphors including the Irish civil war, but one of the MAIN CHARACTER'S names completely escapes you? Absolutely mind boggling. Great video btw. It's a really lovely deep dive into one of the best movies to come out in years.
It is a truly wonderful film. Audience members (including my sister) did not respond well to it. Sometimes people think all Irish pieces need to be lighthearted and whimsical but this is dark humour and drama at a very fundamental level. I agree with that there are many political paralells in the film but I also think McDonagh is drawing on two truly great Irish plays - The Playboy of the Western World and Waiting for Godot. The desperate need for connection, the yearning for story, the delight in violence, the need for a legacy, the repetition and the search for meaning, the dark clowns in action. Love it.
I am really pleased I've read your comments. I watched the film last night, and it has left a deep impression, with an especial admiration for the subtlety and sensitivity of Colin Farrell's performance. But your elucidation and analysis are helping me get more out of the whole work as I digest it.
I got this film from the library waited about a day and a half before I watched it and then I watched it six times over the next four days It’s captivating; one of the best movies I’ve ever seen, and for the strongest, yet hardest to master elements of moviemaking (imho) - character interplay & dialog I’m cueing it up for the 7th viewing . . .
I was on holiday on Achill Island when this was being filmed, though luckily on the day Keem beach wasn't off limits; the wee cottage was being worked on but there no crew or anything. 1:19 the drive to the beach you can see in the background is something to behold. The beach itself is such a gloriously intimate pocket of serenity. Though I wouldn't go so far as calling it a masterpiece myself, the film is brilliant for sure - a cutting tragicomic story with quite masterful, finely-tuned acting performances. Great to see its success. 🇮🇪
Each character is deeply flawed Padrick is nice but he is very self centered he disrespects his friends wishes immediately after he makes the ultimatum, he only wants Dominick around because his friend dissed him. Colm was so dysfunctional he couldn’t find any middle ground
A Quick Synopsis that is not mainstream. Colm loves Siobhan and turns on Padraig when he discovers she is leaving. Remember, the job offer letter was opened in the post office. Colm used Padraig to get in proximity to Siobhan and abandons their false friendship. He mutilates himself as a desperate act of self-pity to garner sympathy and attention from Siobhan. It does not work. Innisherin is Ireland, it translates as the Island of Ireland, which is pretty obvious. The mainland with the civil war coming to an end is the bigger world, which is more attractive than the ongoing hellish war in Ireland. The film is essentially also a prison film, and characters cannot escape. Siobhan looks back at Padraig and you see him on a cliff as if the island is a fortress and the old hag is the evil prison warden. Hints of Papillon. Siobhan is the future, Padraig is the present and Colm is the past. Colm digs up a past that is self-destructive, inward, indulgent, in the Gaelic revival music. His pretence to acquired universal culture is corrected by a cultured Siobhan regarding the date of Mozart’s music. The hero of the film is Siobhan who escapes the island, Padraig is the masses caught up in a situation not knowing the actual truth. Dominic is a character who suffers reality under the skin of the cruel veneer of Irish society, with a legacy of corruption and abuse in the church etc. He has the magnificent line " There goes that dream" and kills himself as his love is lost to him. He had more guts than Colm, he declared his love and accepted his fate. Padraig will never know the truth, he just senses there is something wrong but lacks the moral conviction to change his circumstances. He writes false letters full of lies. He fools himself and pretends that by burning Colm:s house that he has done something. All he has achieved is added to the destruction of hope and a better future. Colm and Padraig becomes flip sides of the same coin. A film masterpiece. One for the ages. Greetings from Ireland, we know this shit.
Before learning about the symbolism I also thought this film was a commentary on the lengths people go to avoid confronting their feelings and talking about boundaries. For e.g., as you noted, gleeson’s character could have maintained his friendship with farrell’s character by indulging him in conversation every once in a while. All it would have taken would have been a conversation about boundaries and asking for some space every once in a while. Similarly, Farrell’s character suspects gleeson’s character is depressed but should keep it suppressed. I guess these are themes in my own life so I might be projecting a little bit and seeing what I want to see in the story. That’s the magic of a great film, we all take away different things and we can learn from different viewer’s perspectives. Great essay and I hope it picks up a few Oscars. I would be gutted if Colin Farrell doesn’t pick up the best actor award, he really is one of the most underrated actors.
Great video. Yeah this movie was fantastic. Heartbreaking and emotional but after seeing so many mind numbing, BS movies all the time, this was a great escape from that. All his movies are great, including his short film with Gleeson, called Six Shooter which is here on UA-cam.
I like your analysis and highlighted some stuff that slipped me by - but how did you not reference the donkey. Its one of the most heartbreaking scenes in the movie (and I really can't believe I mean that).
@nizamdamanhuri ■ You are not alone ! I wanted to leave the theater after that scene. It was so unnecessary after Farrell's character had lost his sister AND best friend.
Great video. I thought the film was a masterpiece. The script and the acting were magnificent, and the scenery and cinematography were breathtaking. I was really excited when I saw the trailer and it didn’t disappoint.
I was looking forward to this movie as I like both of the lead actors and the idea of seeing the setting in a remote Irish village not unlike where my ancestors were born.The movie left me just feeling empty and on the depressed side.For me it was an exercise in the actors being stubborn and uncaring.I could not recommend this movie to anyone despite the good acting and location settings.Just too grim.
I did something I rarely do. I turned off the film right after the first finger went. I, too was really looking forward to this movie, but I just didn't like where it was going. I did wish that I could have enjoyed a pint at that table looking out over the sunset at sea. Best part of the movie for me 🙂
1923 was no picnic and neither is Colm. Padriac's grief I found compelling. His sister's decision I thought surprising. Beautiful film. It grew on me. Full of imagery and deeper than I'd first thought. In the end, I'd say it's a brilliant piece.
I've never heard fricken so much. As a modifier, as a noun, as a verb and as an emotional charge on every utterance. I actually knew an ex-violin player who cut off his fingers. Just hacked off like two and a half fingers. He just couldn't take being a wage slave so he made an ultimate sacrifice to avoid working. That's not my conjecture, that's what he told me. Having known someone who cut off his own fingers I have to say that the act is some deep sense of honor that will only be remembered, by posterity, through blood atonement. The person that I personally knew to have chopped off his fingers had a deep feeling that the world had irrepropbly been damaged and lost it's humanity during the second world War. Forty hour a week wage slavery not only burdened people with back breaking and soul crushing work but at least there was material reward for that. There became a class of people who couldn't compete for the wages and became superfluous and disposable. That is what my Dutch friend was willing to cut off his fingers for. I'm not saying that I understood this movie depicted men demanding that life has meaning and a drive for meaning beyond one's own experience. It's mystical, it's primal, and there is sickness in a society that does not respect all human life. This was a great movie that will keep me thinking for a long time.
And there's a popular belief that great musicians from lower layers of society used to make deals with devil or such in exchange for their exceptional talent, including cutting of their fingers.
Really well analyzed. I found many of the comparisons from Bergman to Whiplash. I would als direct you to the first movie with the leads and director: The Bruges. Which is another existential film. Thank you!
This movie hits like a bread van.
Hey me ma died that’s way
feckin hell
😃😂😂😂
@@scottmyer7923 Hopefully this is not the same bread van
Lmao
The friendship is basically the Partition of Ireland played out on a personal level. The date of 1st April was the date when the hard border was erected between Northern Ireland and The Republic of Ireland. Colm cutting off his fingers is illustrative of how family and friends were separated and how Ireland had to sacrifice 6 counties for peace. . Siobhán leaving for the mainland is reminiscent of people's exodus from Ireland. Pádraic holding the grudge even though Colm wants to say it's over is like The Friday Agreement keeping Ireland separate. There are more parallels in the film which fit
Yes, I understood the movie to be a commentary on the Partition of Ireland, as well as you did. I fully get the concept of friendship in the movie but without the Civil War aspect, the ending does not make sense. The ongoing conflict reflecting the 100 years of partition.
Films being received lukewarm here in Ireland (as per usual with McDonagh's work) which is funny considering it's the only film in the last 50 years to analyse Ireland's history in an interesting way.
Thank you for this. I knew the story symbolised something.
@@michaelnolan7881 lingering animosity between the factions without continued fighting.
Thanks for the interpretation. I guess this film is only plausible & relevant for Irish people with a knowledge of history. For a typical movie-goer or someone who lives in a different country, no one will think of the Partition of Ireland when they watch this movie.
I think him cutting his own fingers off was a way to blame someone else for the failure he was scared of coming regardless of his own efforts and talent.
Exactly, I think this too. He uses Padraic as a scapegoat so he doesn’t have to face failure anymore. How could he be judged for not making any more meaningful art in the future when Padraic “caused” him to lose his fingers?
It is a good movie but just a limited, Indie effort. It is being over hyped but it's worth watching.
@@HelloSpyMyLie Correct, not just a good movie, it made for undoubtably one of the best films of the year. Makes you examine your own relationships with 'friends' who are just content to just let time pass and whether that is really a friend at all. Looks like this one went over your head
@@HelloSpyMyLie Definitely not for everyone. If I don't think a lot about a movie after I saw then that means I didn't really like it/it had no impact.
I feel if movies like this aren't supported the only mid-budget films we'll be seeing will be Glass Onion type of movies on Netflix, which was awful.
@@HelloSpyMyLie for you
I saw it last night. It's a masterpiece. A quietly moving, devastatingly depressing, beautiful masterpiece. Proof to Hollywood that all you need to make an excellent film is a good script, superb actors, excellent direction and then for taste some poignant music and somewhat spooky atmosphere and you have this shinning diamond of a film.
"A good script", and shure that Shakespeare fella wasn't a bad storyteller either...
McDonagh may be the best playwright of our time.
Actors are top class alright - however, I think they were working with top end art.
Here is another take on Why Colm cut his fingers off ua-cam.com/video/RADx2N2hHoY/v-deo.html
"All you need," as if it were that easy to come up with a great script, come across great actors and get them to work for you, and to excellently direct a movie.
Absolutely
Why isn'y anybody talking about Jennie? She steals every single scene she's in!
I cried. I now want a wee donkey from Santa tomorrow morning.
Totally agree.
I am not ready to talk about Jenny 😭 May never be ready...
LoL 😂
@catherineomahony3143 ■
Yes ! Me, too ! I don't know if I can see this film again to get a better grip. ( I could always go and get more popcorn, before that scene. )
According to what I've heard in my family, it was expected in this period for an Irish sister (especially the youngest sister) to remain unmarried to take care of any unmarried brothers. On her deathbed (in the 1950s) my Irish grandmother gave my Irish American mother permission not to follow this custom. The video implies that Siobhan took care of her brother out of love, but it was also obligation that she had to overcome to liberate herself.
Also it was expected that the unmarried sister would take care of her elderly parents.
This is kind of an upside down interpretation :) (no offense meant to you or your family).
An unmarried woman had little means of providing any life for herself. On the Aran islands this movie mirrors, a man could fish, a man could farm, a man could gather and sell kelp. Aside from joining the church, that was about it. The land was all rented so you had to earn a living to pay for that. The only paying job (legal of course) that I know of in the region for women was to be a school teacher. This was rare as most people at the time never went to school and could not read (mind boggling to us today, but about 90 percent of wedding records around 1900 have people sign with an X mark- -because they can't even write their own name).
For this reason unmarried women stayed with their parents, and after the parents died with a brother. As you suggest, this helped unmarried brothers as the sister could manage the house while he worked, but it was definitely a mutually beneficial arrangement.
In the movie, Siobhan has an unusual out (the normal way was to get married). That's incredibly rare. She actually has a way to pay for a life while many Irish at the time (from the 1860s right up into the Civil War shown here, then on into the Depression years a decade later) literally had to leave Ireland to not die.
For me, a key insight of the movie was about "purity" and "downfall". Both Padraic and Dominic were "pure" in the sense that they were innocent (nice, dull). This reflected by their affinity for animals, which are also pure. But when each is confronted with rejection, they take very different paths. Padraic becomes dark and mean, but Dominic chooses to escape life rather than become dark. For whatever reason, this aspect of the movie hit me hard. There were so many scenes related to animals in the house - and this for me was always a reminder of the purity of animals.
Dominic killed himself?
@@danielostrom566 He was found floating dead in the lake...
@@jjwamwthwaw ok? That doesnt mean he killed himself…
True, but to me seems the only explanation. The only other plausible one would be murder by his father. But why would a policeman with complete impunity on the island do that. Also, a policeman would know better than to toss a body in the water. It just doesn't add up for me.
@@jjwamwthwaw yeah i cant find anything online to confirm it
On the same day I watched this film, my boyfriend said he didn't love me anymore. He simply continued being happy, but I wasn't part of his happiness anymore. "But you loved me yesterday ?" The incomprehension, denial, distress, anger, despair, resignation. You start questioning who you are. All the emotions I went through were so beautifully depicted in the film, with great accuracy. It truly blew me away.
love takes work. guy didn't know that, and didn't put the work in. buh bye guy.
@@odenoki9571 take a walk, nuthin to see here
I blame emily in paris
I’m sorry 💛 but beautiful you got to experience this. It’s such a great parallel to the breakdown of a romantic relationship. It can seem as strange and inconceivable as Colm suddenly not wanting to get a pint with his friend one day.
😆 🤣 😂
I don’t have a particular line or scene to cite (the entire script was quotable), but I did want to point out that Colin Farrell’s little face expressions throughout the film are brilliant. What an amazing actor. He says so much with his face, without using words, and I REALLY noticed it in this film.
Also, I thought you might mention that this is the first time (I believe) that C. Farrell and B. Keoghan have shared the screen since Killing Of A Sacred Deer. I thought the chemistry between the two of them was incredible in that film as well. I’m hoping we see them paired up again down the road.
"I said, not, aimless chatting..I said good, normal chatting"
Colin Farrell’s best film role ever. Regardless of Oscar politics and nonsense, he deserves best actor Oscar for this.
Colin is a fine actor but OMG, this movie is never going to be remembered as a good one. It's so gross. If he wins its because they feel sorry for him being saddled with this role.
@@lifeissweet9826 Well you obviously identify with his character then.
My favourite line:
Colm : Everyone remembers Mozarts name for music he wrote in the 17th century
Padraig : Well I don't so bang goes that theory..
as an irish person it is 100% a commentary on our social culture
My first reaction was that it is possibly the single most Irish piece of art that I've ever seen.
b'dduuhhhh thanks for the perspective
@@boundlessrogue85 I would say it comes second to An Cailín Ciúin
What do you think the commentary was?
A well constructed sentence for an Irish person, as someone who has known more than a couple of morons.
This is one of the most powerful, beautiful, gut-wrenchingly sad movies I have ever seen. It was so painful I almost couldn't finish it, but I came back to it the next day after I had calmed down. I can't stop thinking about it. My heart bled for everyone's pain and inability to do any healing of these relationships on any level.
I watched "In Bruge" for the first time the other day and was blown away how good it was the same night I kept the train rolling and immediately watched this movie afterwards and it was such a joyfull night of cinema that I have not experienced in too long.
I thought the first scene in the confessional booth was hilarious. The rejection of Dominic at the end was truly heart breaking.
It's so sad it won't be given it's proper recognition, I just finished it and I feel like I've been hit by an existential train and I absolutely love it
Maybe not in the box office. But it has been getting awards and nominations like crazy.
I rate a movie by how many wtf scenes it has, this one is a 9/10 wtf for me.
@@sammonsalve5657 good
It will get recognition
More like an existential bread van. Got me mom too.
I couldn’t understand why people dislike this film. I thought it was marvellous and beautiful.
They didn't like it. Its just too deep to interpret
Also the religious reference of the virgin Mary statue which divides the 2 roads between the Padraic and Colm is an allegory for the civil war. It's a split of the 2 sides of the conflict both based on the same religious figure.
An absolute gem of a movie. The cinematography is breathtaking, the cast and acting is simply brilliant, the Westcoast of Ireland feels like an extra character but the story is so, so sad and left me heavily depressed..
It was so heartbreaking that I will never watch it again.
So true. Once the movie ends and the credit roles I'm like - let's go. For Banshees, I was just sitting there like WOW. This movie had me feeling so many emotions and I was just blown away by how such a simplistic movie could be so layered, so emotional, so beautiful and so very sad.
in the end a piece of depressing crap.
@@soylentgreendip ?
I haven’t been able to stop thinking about this film ever since I saw it. I have watched and re-watched the reviews on UA-cam and, like you, I can’t wait to see it again. Everything about the film is superb - the story, the setting, the superlative portrayals. It was certainly the best and most moving film I saw in 2022 and it deserves all the award nominations that have already been made.
Here is another take on Why Colm cut his fingers off ua-cam.com/video/RADx2N2hHoY/v-deo.html
My daughter and me absolutely loved this movie. We laughed, we cried. Definitely related to things. Ireland of course was as beautiful and wild as always ❤
Having just seen the movie, I have some observations. Taking place in 1923, the locations are starkly beautiful. The narrator of this video deftly covers some of the finer points of the film. ( The allusion to the Civil War mirrored by the characters.) The sparse but piercing script was delightfully poignant. When Pádraic came around the corner of his house, I thought he would see Colm lying there. It was heartbreaking to see it was Jenny. The scene with Dominic and Siobhán was quietly shattering. When he softly says, " Well, there goes that dream. " it's crippling. A movie with many facets, it lingers long after viewing.
Wild
@jamesdrynan :: AND that poor horse had to be the one to show him !
I think it's a sign of good art when the audience and critics all have different interpretations and feelings about it. I love things that make me think and this movie certainly does. I watched it twice and thought the acting and cinematography were superb.
Your take away about Padraic being right about not forgiving Colm is strange to me. I don’t believe Martin is endorsing any action committed by any character except for Siobhan. I believe Martin is simply depicting the Irish conflict through the metaphor of friendships. I also think the policeman representing the law and abusing his child holds a significant amount of weight in this metaphor too.
He's not saying Padraic is right, he's saying that's what the character believes.
Royal Ulster Constabulary personified.
That’s interesting bout the Irish conflict depiction. I’m ignorant to a lot of this. I think simultaneously its also depicting a grappling and crisis of faith.
I thought the policeman more representative of the church (in the new state) - with a nice counterbalance of the good priest.
but y should he have forgiven him? Colm crossed the line and there was no going back when Jenny died
We watched the movie last night. I really had no expectations as I knew nothing about it. A few minutes into the movie, we were all sitting there, watching, and saying "Wow".
And it kept on and on. It had those great comedic moments and it had those heart rendering moments. It made you really think about the movie afterwards. Not many movies have you thinking about them the next day in an attempt to really figure things out. You want to figure it out. I hope the actors win awards. They were all great.
Here is another take on Why Colm cut his fingers off ua-cam.com/video/RADx2N2hHoY/v-deo.html
Great commentary. I just finished the film itself earlier today. Fantastic cinematography, it makes me wish to live there. Great characters, performances, story. Bravo!
This is one of the best movies I have seen in a very long time! I watched it, then had to go back and watch "Billboards.." It was beautiful and so very sad!
As a big McDonah fan I really enjoyed this movie. I think it about loneliness and feeling betrayed on the one hand and disappointment of life on the other hand. It’s what you feel when you watch it, but also the film is about humanity, the Farrell’s character got believed in violence when his friend became ex-friend. There is no hope for him, but the end is optimistic
@@thedeep436 thanks. It’s really interesting theory. It seems all the stories about people finally are stories about God and eternal values
A spectacular film! I guess what makes films win so many awards is the focus on themes and character emotions rather than plot. Was very impressed by it.
@LaVerdadEsCatólica you're probably very dull
@laverdadescatolica5shoulda kept that boring opinion to yourself
The plot is still an important aspect of a film. This movie has a dull, impotent, and inconsequential plot. Character emotions become undermined in my opinion when it is not supported by a strong plot.
@laverdadescatolica5 everything everywhere all at once was good, but you really can’t compare it to the pace of this movie. However, I believe when you are saying this film was boring, you meant that you couldn’t invest your attention to the character development.
@laverdadescatolica5 haven’t seen it yet but plan to soon. And I believe there were a few meanings. I the main one is that every decision has consequences, even if you make them for yourself or others. Others could be battling depression or that the environment around you shapes your decisions through emotions and perspective of the future (legacy, hope, impact, generosity.) I thought this film was very well layered.
Bergman-esque, indeed. Exceptional, provocative, profound psychological journey and most memorable of movies. Thank you!
Genuine masterpiece of a film. A masterclass in acting with all the characters but, I must say that Kerry Condon (Siobhan Sullheiban) (sp?) is getting herself an Oscar. If she doesn’t we should all cut off our fingers.
She’s from the same town as me. Lovely person and so is her family
Exactly
For real.
She's fantastic and the only fully sane character lol
Mike Ehrmantraut's secret crush.
Even tho I live far away from Ireland, this movie hits so close to home. I'm from Brazil's northeast, Teresina, state of Piauí. For many reasons the existentialism of this story feels so much like living in Teresina.
The feeling that so many things are happening outside and you're stuck in a place where so little happens. At the same time there's this soul crushing fear of leaving your loved ones behind, which made me sympathize so much with Padraic. Even the type of humour is so much closer to ours.
This and so much more made me really love this movie. It's a punch in the guts.
This is a savage movie, it can't leave you unmoved. It strips away a lot of bullshit and brings things down to their most raw honesty. Such is possible in an environment where there is little going on and therefore the distractions most of us get caught up in aren't as available. So you fall into being and feeling how it really is. And we see that in the character padraic as all his props are stripped away that distract him from himself. Colm chooses a very unkind way to withdraw himself from Padraic. But there is a difference too between kindness and niceness that I think the movie differentiates. In a sense Colm still shows padraic some deep kindnesses even when banishing him. Punching the policeman, giving Padraic a ride home, being deeply sorry about the little donkey. It's more than he doesn't want to be untrue to himself any longer. And as the commentator points out in this, sees padraic (unfairly) as the symbol for the time he has wasted.
But in a sense, the deeper kindness in life can be to help people stand on their own two feet. Really experience where they are so they can evolve and not be dependent. But kindness also picks its timing and pace and Colm chooses a more brutal approach.
There are so many densely packed themes through this movie. I've just touched on the surface. It is quite brilliant and the acting is exceptional.
I'd like to watch this one again, even though I found it disturbing.
Here is another take on Why Colm cut his fingers off ua-cam.com/video/RADx2N2hHoY/v-deo.html
Absolutely brilliant ! Colin Farrel,Kerry Condon, Barry Keoghan and Brendan Gleeson give top performance of their careers. Can you split the Oscar 4ways?
@seamusmatthews ●
Can you even trust the Oscars to get even one right ?
No, but you can have Best Actor, Best Actress, and Best Supporting Actor but 1 still has to miss out.
Barry Keoghan is one of the best actors of the past few years. The guy is phenomenal in everything he's in.
Have seen this movie twice trying to get my mind around the relationship between these Padraic, Colm and this island. Stunning film, best I have seen in a very long time.
I recently went to the Cinema to watch this film and brought two friends with me. I thought this film was fantastic but my friends didn't really like it, I know that it probably comes up to taste but I am still disappointed that they didn't appreciate this phenomenal work of art.
ho ho.. i have been there multiples...
You need to appreciate and respect that their preferences differ from yours. You don't. Sorry, but your choices and opinions are not superior to those of theirs.
I love this movie so much. I have watched it multiple times and love it more each time. The acting is phenomenal, the scenery is gorgeous, and the plot is so engaging. Total antithesis of the typical formulaic stuff churned out by Hollywood.
Well said!
@constantina ■
Hollywood is a multi-billion-dollar business ! Films like this are pretty-much for people who just want, at least, some intelligent dialogue. I've seen some movies from Hollywood that had the same dialogue in totally "different" box-office receipts.
Loved the ending
"Will not be anywhere near the top of the box office charts, but it's the movie I'll remember"
As an Irish person it's hard not to get emotional seeing this movie get worldwide recognition and appraisal. Yes it is very much a tongue-in-cheek representation of the country that very much leans into stereotype, but it's a good kind of stereotype in that it reveals honesty rather than obscures it. Representation of Irish culture through cinema will now have a distinct frame of reference, before Banshees and after Banshees. I find it difficult to articulate just how lovely it is for others to see how we are, even if it's an exaggeration. It feels like you've let someone into your home, in a way. One can only hope we've been a good host.
Loved it. Had much to say about the different groups and factions in Irish life and life in general. Much to say about conflict and clash between people. Much to say about the fear of failure and the fear of the end of things. It also had me thinking about how our own acts of self absorption or selfishness can not just effect others but damage and change them too. It was also bloody funny, beautifully acted and filmed. Great.
This movie evoked the leftover trauma of the famine. The insanity of pain and inflection of pain on one’s self …… The Whole of Ireland went insane after the famine….. I was born in 1957 ……. Growing up was insane
Interesting comment. I'm interested in hearing more about how people changed
I'm Irish living in Germany for the past 40 years - where I recognised that my class is perhaps a more real and a stronger influence on who I am than my nationality - but I once went into an intense meditative state trying to pinpoint what exactly my Irishness consisted of - and found myself slowly but surely (and quite unexpectedly!) arriving at a very clear view of how the trauma of the famine influenced my parents and grandparents in a very primal way, in the values each generation passed on to the next
Best breakdown that I have heard so far : ))
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 treats 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.
Made a post out of this comment, here is the more polished version with a few more paragraphs and images: shorturl.at/gxCZ8
Also made a video about this comment: ua-cam.com/video/RADx2N2hHoY/v-deo.html
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Your comment left me exhausted🙂
interesting point and undertones to some of the objects in the film
Thank you for this. You answered my question. I thought about Colm's place a lot after watching it. The mask, the puppets. I considered that he was dying and had once led an interesting life. What made me sad was how sacrificial he was to his own hands as a musician. I play the cello and violin and it disturbed me. In any case. This makes sense.
That's some comment, fair play. Well analysed
I disagree with a few things. When the fingers idea was created for the script, it was an impulsive decision not planned or tied to the previous part of the story in its creation, so deceptive puppeteering has to be thrown out. The final scenes show the purpose. Colm really was just bored of Padraic but was able to create his legacy song with a potential fix hanging in the air, the "anytime" from. Padraic and "thanks for watching my dog" from Colm. It was symbolism for the Civil War happening outside of the island. Specifically the Irish Civil War. Sometimes one group just doesn't care about the other anymore. Look at how world War 1 started. It can be abrupt and without reason. The lense to be looking through is the Irish Civil War, initially. It's not just about that but I don't know why you skipped that entirely my dude. I like some of what you said and can agree with some, especially about the Banshee. But can't about God. There is no God in the script. There are people that have the personality and beliefs of a devout catholic in the film, Colm's finger cutting for example, punishing himself to teach a lesson to the other. And I agree about Colm's despair because it's admitted he had it before and it comes back when he kills an innocent(donkey).
Just saw it last week, and couldn't stop thinking about it, great film
I went to see it earlier this week with three friends. I didn’t know anything about it beforehand. To my astonishment, none of my friends cared for it much. They seemed to realize it was a serious, brilliant film, but couldn’t seem to understand why. They mostly saw the contradictions in the story, as if that were a flaw, and the bizarre behavior of the characters, but resisted asking why. One of them even mentioned things like, “I’ve never been attracted to Ireland.” Wtf? I was almost speechless about this, since I thought it was the best, most moving film I’d seen in a long time. I admit, however, the whole thing about the fingers made me squirm. It struck me as a bit much, but I could see what it meant alright. This review is very good-I wish I could have expressed my thoughts about the film to my friends as well as is done here.
Your friends are Padraic and you are Colm
Just showed the movie to my mum and she didn't like it lol. She thought the ending was bad cause it's not a happy ending
I think you need to stop talking to these friends. They sound dim. When they ask why, tell them you just don't like them anymore.
Hated the movie. Found it contrived, did not appreciate the grim humor, did not love the Irish scenery or the cinematography. I think I'm the only person in the world, but there you are. Did appreciate Siobhan's character and story.
Interesting how people react to it so differently. I loved it for its commentary on interpersonal dynamics in a small isolated village, its comment on the dark side of Irish culture, and for its gorgeous cinematography and brilliant dialogue. My girlfriend hated it because of what she saw as a fatal flaw -- that Jenny the donkey appeared to have vomited Colm's fingers. Donkeys, like horses, cannot vomit.
I definitely agree that this was the best movie of 2022- more precisely the best written movie of 2022. "Top Gun Maverick" pulled us out of our COVID slumber, but Banshees made us think and gave us our minds back. McDonagh created a masterpiece.
That’s an excellent way of putting it! Maverick made me excited to go back to the theater again and I love movies like TBOI that make you dig deep and think
The movie is all about powerless, how we all handle and process disappointment, tragedy and grief. Some people depart, some people give others the finger and some simply die. Some people are able to move on, others can't. Sometimes when it happens to a country (9/11), the country might lash out at another and go to war. Martin McDonagh's movie is brilliant with incredible performances.
Banshees is not about an island off Ireland. It's about the modern day.
With the Internet, we almost exclusively interact with people through a screen. We are all outsiders trying to look in on community and have some sort of connection. Meanwhile we are surrounded by a lot of bad things happening just across a metaphoric strait. Our mental health is collapsing and the existential dread is like a witch coming for our souls.
We need other people to maintain our own humanity and sustain our hope. But if we treat anyone as if they owe us support resentment does grow and the weight of mental health can pile up on others.
Banshees argues that every character could die at any moment due to the banshee of mental health. They all are doomed unless they find something in themselves.
One does the wrong thing for the right reason. One does the right thing for the right reason. And one does the wrong thing for the wrong reason. It's the one that off loads the most emotional work on others. There's also one who was the worst off the entire time that gets no support and does fall.
It's a discussion about what is our duty to others mental health and doesn't actually give any good answers. Because it's very difficult.
In Bruges is one of my favorite films. This was nothing like Bruges but I really enjoyed it. The beauty of the nature was breathtaking. Shobian's character the one I was the most interested in the back story.
I remember how In Bruges left me just going wow when I saw it
"In Bruges" was a cinematic masterpiece carved by these 2 excellent actors. Very happy to see them collaborate once again.
In Colin's words, Shobian is the hope. she is the future. she'll carry on Inisherin for everyone on the island
@@Honkiavelli In Burges was a decent film with decent cinematography. Not everything you like is a "masterpiece". Most certainly not in Bruges.
@@jelcoleys8087 Having a bad day, Jelco? Look at what makes a movie great and rewatch In Bruges. The acting, exchanges, premise and overall casting was fantastic.
Beautiful analysis. I was shook to my core when the first finger was thrown at the door. Even though he threatened to do it, I was not expecting it, or at least not in the way he did it. I got the sense these actions from Colm represented a violent grappling with faith and meaning. It actually makes a lot of sense for him to do this if he’s descending into a nihilistic depression where what he once took to be meaningful has faded (or is in question), and he is now desperately gripping an egoistic pursuit of a legacy. Like his last vestige of meaning. But I think he also saw through that at times too. He knew he needed his fingers for it. He pulled Pad down into this dark place as well (perhaps his pleas to be left alone were trying to protect Pad?) but ultimately I don’t think it really had much to do with him and his inadequacies. I loved the multiple moments where in spite of everything, Colm stood up for Pad and helped him. Showing all hope is not lost, and there is still some semblance of meaning in his life, things he cares about and stands for, even amidst the despair. As you said, things are messy! Such a brilliant film that I will be reflecting on for a while I think ❤️
Here is another take on Why Colm cut his fingers off ua-cam.com/video/RADx2N2hHoY/v-deo.html
It’s beyond sad it’s so depressing. The isolation of these people is heartbreaking.
That’s exactly why I will probably never watch this movie again.
I found the setting alluring. I wouldn't mind living there and drinking and chatting with the locals.
Well I've seen it twice at packed theatres and every one was rolling in the aisles with laughter. Apart from during the final act of course which is pretty fecking bleak.
@@richardsantanna5398 I can recommend it. I live on the island, just down the road from where Pádraic’s cottage set was built. It was interesting watching the filming and meeting the cast and crew locally last summer. During the summer months there are a lot of tourists, over 2,000 a day, but in the winter months it’s just the islanders. That’s a good time to visit if you like a bit of peace and quiet an some isolation.
@@stevehealy6969
Thanks for the info. A calm, serene place like that sounds nice to live in rather than visit, at least for me.
“Your fat fingers killed me little donkey today” best line in the whole film!! 😂
After re-watching the movie, I see moments where Siobhan is beckoned to join Mrs McCormick, watching death come in its inevitability. Like she would join the ranks of silent banshees. Makes me think of a subplot where the boys get to mutilate their selves as wise women are restricted to observe. Gender view that might not really apply maybe. Siobhan is so sweet yet firm. I love how she doesn't mind Jenny as she opens her letter job letter near the fire.
Colin's eyebrows deserve an oscar
Excellent review. I too loved the movie. As said, the acting throughout is exceptional. And to me, the actors who play Dominic and the sister are truly outstanding . Wonderful performances. Both a great part of how enjoyable this film is - for anyone willing to look beyond the dark surface events. I watch few movies these days, given how many are rehashes of ones I've seen before, but this one was absolutely worth watching.
This movie stays with you after you leave the theater. Brilliant work.
@@thedeep436 I read it and sooooo agree. I did not understand from me. I interpreted blame of some sort and of course, self hatred but you nailed it! Thank you for your insight.
I was to call my friends after the movie to meet them in a pub and I was so away thinking about it that I just went home automatically and forgot about my friends.
Dominic should get an award for his role in this movie
Barry Keoghan is his name
Here is my take on 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. Maybe he is dying or at least he has been contemplating death a lot, hence his preoccupation with legacy (his music is even about the banshees, the announcer of death). 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: ua-cam.com/video/RADx2N2hHoY/v-deo.html
I viewed this movie as the difference between a quietly strong woman who has good critical thinking skills and a level of emotional intelligence - and four men who don't. She isn't cruel, stupid, vindictive or lazy - but quietly supportive and just - and that's how she wins via the job offer that removes her from her bleak life on the island with these men. And doing that in the 1920s was a bold measure - particularly with a war going on. When it comes to the colors that she wears, red is the color of fire - she manages to stay alive on the island by persevering as fire keeps us all warm and alive in cold/bleak times - and yellow is the color of happiness and hope (like the Sun) - which she wears as she is leaving. The fiddler is an angry, thwarted man who is his own worst enemy - hence, chopping off his fingers (which he needs to fiddle - which is how he desperately wants to make his legacy). The abusive policeman is punished by the death of his son. That son, the town idiot, never had hope and gives terrible advice - which the Colin Farrell character stupidly follows. This idiot is on his way to commit suicide when he makes a courageous effort - which is more than the other men in the film could fathom - by declaring his love to the protagonist's sister. It is a painfully relatable last hurrah, and when she of course rejects him, he goes on with his original plan - which is not surprising. And then we have the protagonist, who is so selfish and emotionally obtuse that he can't respect the request (no matter how heartbreaking) which is why he shall always be alone and lonely despite his handsomeness. His saving grace is his kindness to animals. So, my final thoughts - strong women escape and weak men suffer due to their own vast lack of understanding. This movie is very pro-female.
I absolutely loved this film. The way it navigates through the darkness of it without being maudlin is really great. The writing and all the performances are fantastic! 🎬
I thought this was the best movie I’ve seen in years. Every performance is magnificent
Meaning you "Thought" it was, then realized it actually wasn't?
@@thedeep436 I would have no way of finding that comment. You would need to just cut and paste it here.
I like your analysis and feel the people saying about the Irish analogy are 👍🏼 However I think think the role of the banshee is important in the ‘faery’ element. I think the little old lady is the ‘banshee’. Siobhan hides from her…and after talking to her decides to leave. She waves to siobhan at the lakeside but is maybe waving to Dominic. Padraig hides from her but can’t.
Siobhan looks back and sees the dark figure and looks worried, and it cuts to oaidraig with the out of focus dark figure in shot.
And all I mean by this is that for me it’s an amazingly brilliant fairytale of the real & dark proper sort. Which effectively does everything all the other ideas here say.
My best film of the year, and likely to replace in Bruges as my all-time favourite
@@thedeep436 will do - going to watch the film cos it’s not an easy watch, and I’m expecting to see more.
"Do you think God gives a damn about miniature donkeys?" Colin's eyebrows should win an award. He's able to look like a completely different person using them
"Do you think God gives a damn about miniature donkeys?" - I know I do. And if God doesn't, I have some serious questions for him.
@@TangoNevada :: Tell it !
There are also many, many other questions for his Almightyness.
Banshees is amazing for 1 main reason : it's subtext. It's a masterclass in subtext.
The most gloriously Irish artwork
This movie just hit me everywhere.
I agree with all of the praise. I've been thinking of the movie since I saw it a number of weeks ago and I will see it again. And again. I don't know if anyone has commented on the beautiful score and orchestration, as well as the solo soprano pieces - I would love to know what those were and how to get a recording. Thank you for this community.
Pure diamond tier - pure melancholy.
Loved this wonderful film. Gentle, cruel , thoughtful and very very memorable.
Great analysis. I had similar takeaways. I definitely think the theme that hit me most was what you described - how our personal choices like cutting off a friendship can have wider effects on other people and community, and how location can be critical in that (remote island in 20s vs modern urban times) In a time where we prioritize self-care and boundaries (and we should, those are equally important) i thought this movie brought up interesting observations
All four of the primary actors deserved their nominations. I think most of us went into the film expecting Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson to do their best, but honestly, Kerry Condon and Barry Keoghan were beyond brilliant. For me (and, trying hard to avoid spoilers here) the moment where Colm hears what his actions have led to, that transformation in the face and demeanour of Brendan Gleeson, was a pivotal moment. Great breakdown in this video.
Here is another take on Why Colm cut his fingers off ua-cam.com/video/RADx2N2hHoY/v-deo.html
I really liked films like NOPE, Barbarian, and X - it was a great year for horror! - but this film really captured me and immersed me in this little world these little characters live in. So good! Best film of the year for me so far.
This movie has so many layers, it was really interesting to watch. It felt like a huge metaphor, specially because the focal point, the fingers, seem to show how the story isn't really placed in the normal world. Colm cuts off his fingers, but there is never any medical implications: he doesn't get infections, doesn't bleed to death, doesn't feel much pain, and walks around with the wounds bleeding and exposed (the dog even licks it!). All in all, it was clearly a metaphor (or several), that can be analyzed for hours.
As a depressed fan of Shakespeare, though, certain things also reminded me of his plays. The way the story is structured, the setting, the presence of a "witch" that delivers dark omens. The witch character's presence was SO interesting. In the end, the movie gave me the impression she symbolized dark feelings, like depression, dread, feeling like an outsider.
This was very apparent to me in the scene in the lake, when she calls Siobhan from across the lake, to visit, like they sometimes had visits (that Siobhan tried to avoid). But Siobhan refuses (how would she cross the lake, there was nothing but cliffs, rocks and endless dark water). Then Dominic confesses to her, and she sees his pain too. She gently lets him down. After that, she quickly makes the decision to leave this nowhere depressive island, and go live her life, her spirit full of hope. She had the chance to take the plunge in the lake, towards the dark omen which, but she chose hope, while recognizing the pain of others. Others pain (Colm cutting all of his fingers after) is the cold shower she needs to realize she can't live like that and indulge in the depressive feelings. she realizes Colm made the choice to cut off his own fingers and was the one responsible for prolonging and increasing his own misery. he could stop it, but he was determined to suffer and not change. Just like herself. She realized she was constantly choosing to stay where she was unhappy and wallowing in her own depression. She was the one welcoming the dark feelings (the witch) inside her home. If she wants change, she has to make the choice herself, and act on it. So she does, and goes to the mainland, out depressive island and isolation, and towards people and life, where things actually happen. She chose to insert herself into the world and take the rains of her own life.
But Dominic, after being turned down at the lake, chooses to dive in, to drown in the darkness.
It was a beautifully dark and twisted conclusion to the 2 storylines, filled with dichotomy.
It's interesting because every character seems to be in emotional pain somehow, externalized but outside situations.
Great Video!
Also be careful of bread vans everyone.
Thanks for sharing. I had to watch the movie twice and still had trouble because I couldn’t figure it out, it was so simple in the end I finally got it. So many things in this movie. I would suggest you see The Whale.
The innate human need for conflict........to stand for something......to feel real.....Colm wants to feel real...alive......by any means necessary...
It honestly baffles me how someone can hear how a name is pronounced over and over again, and then just decide, "nope, I'm gonna say that word completely differently". I mean it's not like you're reading the word Padráic in a book and have to guess at a pronunciation. It's a friggin movie where the name is said out loud at least a hundred times. You watched this movie enough to make a whole detailed video essay about it, talking about the nuanced layered metaphors including the Irish civil war, but one of the MAIN CHARACTER'S names completely escapes you? Absolutely mind boggling.
Great video btw. It's a really lovely deep dive into one of the best movies to come out in years.
It was my favorite film in 2022. Saw it three times.
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Absolutely, I would never have guessed that he'll be able to make a better movie than In Bruges.
It is a truly wonderful film. Audience members (including my sister) did not respond well to it. Sometimes people think all Irish pieces need to be lighthearted and whimsical but this is dark humour and drama at a very fundamental level. I agree with that there are many political paralells in the film but I also think McDonagh is drawing on two truly great Irish plays - The Playboy of the Western World and Waiting for Godot. The desperate need for connection, the yearning for story, the delight in violence, the need for a legacy, the repetition and the search for meaning, the dark clowns in action. Love it.
I am really pleased I've read your comments. I watched the film last night, and it has left a deep impression, with an especial admiration for the subtlety and sensitivity of Colin Farrell's performance. But your elucidation and analysis are helping me get more out of the whole work as I digest it.
Here is another take on Why Colm cut his fingers off ua-cam.com/video/RADx2N2hHoY/v-deo.html
I loved this film and can't wait to see it again.
@@thedeep436 Will do!
I got this film from the library waited about a day and a half before I watched it and then I watched it six times over the next four days
It’s captivating; one of the best movies I’ve ever seen, and for the strongest, yet hardest to master elements of moviemaking (imho) - character interplay & dialog
I’m cueing it up for the 7th viewing . . .
One of the most provocative and dark movies ever made !! Bravo !
The subtext of the film is so profound. The story of Dominic absolutely hurt me.
I've read and watched a lot of reviews - this is the first really good one. Great job!
I was on holiday on Achill Island when this was being filmed, though luckily on the day Keem beach wasn't off limits; the wee cottage was being worked on but there no crew or anything.
1:19 the drive to the beach you can see in the background is something to behold. The beach itself is such a gloriously intimate pocket of serenity.
Though I wouldn't go so far as calling it a masterpiece myself, the film is brilliant for sure - a cutting tragicomic story with quite masterful, finely-tuned acting performances. Great to see its success. 🇮🇪
Each character is deeply flawed Padrick is nice but he is very self centered he disrespects his friends wishes immediately after he makes the ultimatum, he only wants Dominick around because his friend dissed him. Colm was so dysfunctional he couldn’t find any middle ground
A Quick Synopsis that is not mainstream. Colm loves Siobhan and turns on Padraig when he discovers she is leaving. Remember, the job offer letter was opened in the post office. Colm used Padraig to get in proximity to Siobhan and abandons their false friendship. He mutilates himself as a desperate act of self-pity to garner sympathy and attention from Siobhan. It does not work. Innisherin is Ireland, it translates as the Island of Ireland, which is pretty obvious. The mainland with the civil war coming to an end is the bigger world, which is more attractive than the ongoing hellish war in Ireland. The film is essentially also a prison film, and characters cannot escape. Siobhan looks back at Padraig and you see him on a cliff as if the island is a fortress and the old hag is the evil prison warden. Hints of Papillon. Siobhan is the future, Padraig is the present and Colm is the past. Colm digs up a past that is self-destructive, inward, indulgent, in the Gaelic revival music. His pretence to acquired universal culture is corrected by a cultured Siobhan regarding the date of Mozart’s music. The hero of the film is Siobhan who escapes the island, Padraig is the masses caught up in a situation not knowing the actual truth. Dominic is a character who suffers reality under the skin of the cruel veneer of Irish society, with a legacy of corruption and abuse in the church etc. He has the magnificent line " There goes that dream" and kills himself as his love is lost to him. He had more guts than Colm, he declared his love and accepted his fate. Padraig will never know the truth, he just senses there is something wrong but lacks the moral conviction to change his circumstances. He writes false letters full of lies. He fools himself and pretends that by burning Colm:s house that he has done something. All he has achieved is added to the destruction of hope and a better future. Colm and Padraig becomes flip sides of the same coin. A film masterpiece. One for the ages. Greetings from Ireland, we know this shit.
One of the few in the last 10 years I watched twice in 2 days.
@@thedeep436 Tag me in it.
Before learning about the symbolism I also thought this film was a commentary on the lengths people go to avoid confronting their feelings and talking about boundaries. For e.g., as you noted, gleeson’s character could have maintained his friendship with farrell’s character by indulging him in conversation every once in a while. All it would have taken would have been a conversation about boundaries and asking for some space every once in a while. Similarly, Farrell’s character suspects gleeson’s character is depressed but should keep it suppressed. I guess these are themes in my own life so I might be projecting a little bit and seeing what I want to see in the story. That’s the magic of a great film, we all take away different things and we can learn from different viewer’s perspectives. Great essay and I hope it picks up a few Oscars. I would be gutted if Colin Farrell doesn’t pick up the best actor award, he really is one of the most underrated actors.
Great video. Yeah this movie was fantastic. Heartbreaking and emotional but after seeing so many mind numbing, BS movies all the time, this was a great escape from that. All his movies are great, including his short film with Gleeson, called Six Shooter which is here on UA-cam.
I agree all of Martin's movies are great. I bought Six Shooter years ago when it first came out... it's a fantastic little short. 🎬
Well said
This movie tore my soul apart. Farrel is golden in this. I'm now in love with Kerry Condon because she was so funny heartfelt and amazing.
I like your analysis and highlighted some stuff that slipped me by - but how did you not reference the donkey. Its one of the most heartbreaking scenes in the movie (and I really can't believe I mean that).
@nizamdamanhuri ■
You are not alone ! I wanted to leave the theater after that scene. It was so unnecessary after Farrell's character had lost his sister AND best friend.
Great video. I thought the film was a masterpiece. The script and the acting were magnificent, and the scenery and cinematography were breathtaking. I was really excited when I saw the trailer and it didn’t disappoint.
💯 agree with the title
Just when I thought movies were dead I see this and just go ….wow
What a great movie. Never has existentialism and war allegory been presented in such a delightfully humorous way.
easily the best movie Ive seen in ages. I absolutely loved it. 9.5/10
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I was looking forward to this movie as I like both of the lead actors and the idea of seeing the setting in a remote Irish village not unlike where my ancestors were born.The movie left me just feeling empty and on the depressed side.For me it was an exercise in the actors being stubborn and uncaring.I could not recommend this movie to anyone despite the good acting and location settings.Just too grim.
I did something I rarely do. I turned off the film right after the first finger went. I, too was really looking forward to this movie, but I just didn't like where it was going. I did wish that I could have enjoyed a pint at that table looking out over the sunset at sea. Best part of the movie for me 🙂
1923 was no picnic and neither is Colm. Padriac's grief I found compelling. His sister's decision I thought surprising. Beautiful film. It grew on me. Full of imagery and deeper than I'd first thought. In the end, I'd say it's a brilliant piece.
I've never heard fricken so much. As a modifier, as a noun, as a verb and as an emotional charge on every utterance. I actually knew an ex-violin player who cut off his fingers. Just hacked off like two and a half fingers. He just couldn't take being a wage slave so he made an ultimate sacrifice to avoid working. That's not my conjecture, that's what he told me. Having known someone who cut off his own fingers I have to say that the act is some deep sense of honor that will only be remembered, by posterity, through blood atonement. The person that I personally knew to have chopped off his fingers had a deep feeling that the world had irrepropbly been damaged and lost it's humanity during the second world War. Forty hour a week wage slavery not only burdened people with back breaking and soul crushing work but at least there was material reward for that. There became a class of people who couldn't compete for the wages and became superfluous and disposable. That is what my Dutch friend was willing to cut off his fingers for. I'm not saying that I understood this movie depicted men demanding that life has meaning and a drive for meaning beyond one's own experience. It's mystical, it's primal, and there is sickness in a society that does not respect all human life.
This was a great movie that will keep me thinking for a long time.
@@thedeep436 ...
And there's a popular belief that great musicians from lower layers of society used to make deals with devil or such in exchange for their exceptional talent, including cutting of their fingers.
Really well analyzed. I found many of the comparisons from Bergman to Whiplash. I would als direct you to the first movie with the leads and director: The Bruges. Which is another existential film.
Thank you!
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