The Banshees of Inisherin

[Philosophy Now]

Terri Murray thinks the film perfectly captures the zeitgeist [CONTAINS SPOILERS].

https://philosophynow.org/issues/158/The_Banshees_of_Inisherin

[accelafine]

I don't care what the alleged 'deep meaning' or allegory is. I thought it was a horrible film. Cruel and beyond depressing. Not remotely believable either. A musician would NEVER cut off his own fingers (as if anyone would, but a musician even less so), and no sane person would behave like that towards a friend. Who is anyone to say another person is 'dull'? The character wasn't 'dull'. I don't think I've ever met a 'dull' person. What does it even mean, to be a 'dull' person? If he found his friend 'dull', what could he possibly achieve by telling him that and publicly humiliating him?
In such a tiny community there was no possible way for them to avoid each other so his request was completely unreasonable and sadistic.

[jonnylobos]

I don't care what the alleged 'deep meaning' or allegory is. I thought it was a horrible film. Cruel and beyond depressing. Not remotely believable either. A musician would NEVER cut off his own fingers (as if anyone would, but a musician even less so), and no sane person would behave like that towards a friend. Who is anyone to say another person is 'dull'? The character wasn't 'dull'. I don't think I've ever met a 'dull' person. What does it even mean, to be a 'dull' person? If he found his friend 'dull', what could he possibly achieve by telling him that and publicly humiliating him?
In such a tiny community there was no possible way for them to avoid each other so his request was completely unreasonable and sadistic.

I agree it was depressing but no reason it need be realistic. There was a recognizable undercurrent of Waiting for Godot absurdism imo.

[accelafine]

I don't care what the alleged 'deep meaning' or allegory is. I thought it was a horrible film. Cruel and beyond depressing. Not remotely believable either. A musician would NEVER cut off his own fingers (as if anyone would, but a musician even less so), and no sane person would behave like that towards a friend. Who is anyone to say another person is 'dull'? The character wasn't 'dull'. I don't think I've ever met a 'dull' person. What does it even mean, to be a 'dull' person? If he found his friend 'dull', what could he possibly achieve by telling him that and publicly humiliating him?
In such a tiny community there was no possible way for them to avoid each other so his request was completely unreasonable and sadistic.

I agree it was depressing but no reason it need be realistic. There was a recognizable undercurrent of Waiting for Godot absurdism imo.

That's true. And yes, both absurdist. I sound this interesting re Waiting for Godot:

''Beckett refrained from elaborating on the characters beyond what he had written in the play. He once recalled that when Sir Ralph Richardson "wanted the low-down on Pozzo, his home address and curriculum vitae, and seemed to make the forthcoming of this and similar information the condition of his condescending to illustrate the part of Vladimir ... I told him that all I knew about Pozzo was in the text, that if I had known more I would have put it in the text, and that was true also of the other characters.'' ''

[Alexiev]

I see the movie as a sort of rural/urban myth. It's set in 1923. I see the current residents of Inisherin telling the tale to each other, or to visitors. It amuses them, or astounds them or disgusts them. Is it a true tale? Maybe. Or maybe exaggerated. Or maybe made up. But it exemplifies an Irish self-loathing;, although in an exaggerated way.

In addition, the film is surprisingly funny, quite beautiful visually, and memorable. The woman with whom I saw ir disliked it.