“THE BANSHEES OF INISHERIN” THAT MARKED THE 80th GOLDEN GLOBE AWARDS

 

AN EMOTIONAL AND TRAGICOMIC PRODUCTION

The Banshees of Inisherin, which premiered at the 79th Venice International Film Festival, made history as the film with the most nominations in the last 19 years of Golden Globe history, with 8 nominations for the 80th Golden Globe Awards. It left its mark on the night as the only movie that left the night with 3 awards, including Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy, Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy, Best Screenplay – Motion Picture. Written and directed by Oscar-winning Irish director Martin McDonagh, the film stars Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson. Set in the shadows of the 1920s Irish Civil War, the film chronicles the way two friends suddenly end their friendship on a (fictional) remote island called Inisherin, and the tension between these two dudes has a tragicomic twist on the entire townsfolk. The Searchlight Pictures production, which won the Best Screenplay award to Martin McDonagh and the Best Actor award to Colin Farrell at the Venice Film Festival, received a standing ovation for 15 minutes at the festival where it premiered and is considered one of the favorite productions of the award season. Offering a strong cinematography to the audience with its extraordinary and unique story, the production also touches on socio-psychological problems related to social life and human relations with its talented cast. In this production, in which we are dragged into the sensitive world of emotions through the characters of Pádraic and Colm, the phenomenology of vulnerability and psychopathological life paradigms come to the fore. Italian psychiatrist Eugenio Borgna, who served as Chief Physician of Psychiatry at Maggiore Hospital in Novara, and as a faculty member at the Neurological Diseases and Mental Diseases Clinic of Milan University, broke new ground in his field with his books on mental problems and diseases. In his book, That’s Our Fragility; “Vulnerability is of course our destiny, but it is born, develops and emerges in a close relationship with the environment we live in, that is, with others.” He states that weakness and vulnerability are interchangeable definitions. In fact, we see that the resentment in the story is not without reason as we get to know the characters closely. In the historical background of the film, we see a reflection of the frightening and depressive effects of the civil war on people. The fact that the character of Colm says that he wants a life away from stress in the remaining days of his life brings a supportive clarity and clarity to the unreasonable resentments and uncertainties in the film. Alfred Adler, the founder of the individual psychology school, one of the three great founders of depth psychology, has aroused great repercussions in the field of psychology with his deep determinations regarding both the spiritual and physical existence of man and his problems in life in his book Understanding Human Nature. Adler, who said that the feeling of insecurity always takes place in human consciousness, said that this feeling; “It plays the role of an ever-present stimulus in the effort to reach a better method and a finer technique for man to adapt to nature.” He states that it leads people to seek situations in which the unfavorable life conditions in which they are placed will be eliminated or minimized. Just like the character Colm in the movie does.

TOPIC OF THE MOVIE

Set in 1920s Ireland, on a remote island called Inisherin. Colm one day, out of the blue, says to his best friend Pádraic, “I just don’t like you anymore” and ends their friendship. This seemingly simple situation leaves them in a stalemate with alarming consequences and shakes the small town to its core.

Stars; Colin Farrell, Brendan Gleeson, Kerry Condon, Barry Keoghan, Pat Shortt, Gary Lydon, Jon Kenny, Sheila Flitton, John Carty and David Pearse.

DETAILS

-“Banshee” is the anglicized term for “bean sí” from old Irish meaning, “woman of the fairy mound” or “fairy woman.” She is a spirit in Irish folklore who heralds the death of a family member, usually by screaming, wailing, shrieking, or keening.

-The J.J. Devine Public House was purpose-built for the production on Achill Island in County Mayo on the west coast of Ireland. Since a planning permit had not been acquired, the pub had to be demolished when the film wrapped.

-Much of Brendan Gleeson’s wardrobe was designed with the silhouette of Old West heroes in mind.

THE BANSHEES OF INISHERIN

Colin Farrell had several incidents with animals during the shoot. Jenny, the miniature donkey, kicked him while he was hand-feeding her. Second, the dog portraying Brendan Gleeson‘s pet bit him. Thirdly, a horse leading a cart Farrell was in tried to reverse the cart into the ocean.

The Banshees of Inisherin, a comedy and drama filmed in Ireland, is a production that you will not be able to get rid of for a long time with its extraordinary story and strong cinematography.

EFE TEKSOY

References

Eugenio Borgna, Şu Bizim Kırılganlığımız (That’s Our Fragility/La fragilità che è in noi), translate. Meryem Mine Çilingiroğlu, Yapı Kredi Yayınları press, İstanbul: 2020

Alfred Adler, İnsan Tabiatını Tanıma (Understanding Human Nature), translate. Ayda Yörükân, Türkiye İş Bankası Kültür Yayınları press, İstanbul: 2022