pollyfossil t1_j6h7cgx wrote on January 30, 2023 at 8:11 AM

Reply to comment by AlanMorlock in The Banshees of Inisherin’s Writer-Director Has Made a Career of “Irishness.” It’s All a Load of Blarney by HanSoloHeadBeg

Well, if you insist that it's a period piece then it's a really sad excuse for one because it makes no attempt to communicate anything about said period (especially if, as you appear to agree, the references to the Civil War make no difference to the story).

AlanMorlock t1_j6h8894 wrote on January 30, 2023 at 8:24 AM

I don't know man, I dont really expect any given western to be a grand statement on 19th Century America either, but I have a cultural understanding what a western town was like. Are either version of True Grit a lesser film for not reflecting yhe concerns of modern day Oklahoma?

The type of pastoral setting Banshees is set in similarly has a long literary tradition and a short handed understanding. The figure ofnthr pub dwelling sheep farmer tracks as aboutnas well as a cattle rancher Ina saloon.

Given those preunderstood elements and trappings, you can understand just how small the world is for the characters in Banhsees, and how the set thr conventionalized routines. Much of the drama is at root between someone who was happy living eseentisllyneithon thst cliche, and others frustrated by it or making choice to move beyond them.

pollyfossil t1_j6ha6ht wrote on January 30, 2023 at 8:51 AM

It wasn't me who started defending/ describing the film as a period piece. It's a dead end way of approaching it. Yes, you could compare it to a western in terms of settings and characters being archetypes as opposed to realistic - that's certainly closer to what McD is doing. But for me, they were less archetypes than really hollow and uninteresting stereotypes. I found the film incredibly shallow and dull. Much and all as I love Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson, I also didn't think much of their performances, which were both very one note (but not really their fault because the characters were one note). Bottom line, I hate McDonagh's shtick, and I think it is just shtick, and it's well discussed in the article. I know other people like the film and that's fine.