Failures to Communicate in 'The Banshees of Inisherin' & 'The Quiet Girl' Earn Them Oscar Noms
It’s a common, though not universal, trait for Irish men to struggle to talk about their emotions, something that’s further complicated by the prevalence of restrictive religious values and punishing drinking cultures. A fear of vulnerability and letting people into an unsettled headspace means problems are further compounded, worsening the wellbeing of the sufferer and those who need their kindness. This year, two of Ireland’s Oscar nominees, The Banshees of Inisherin and The Quiet Girl, are enjoying both mainstream and arthouse love, and in them we see well-observed Irish characters try to alleviate their ingrained communication issues in contrasting ways.
Martin McDonagh’s Banshees smashed records on Oscar nominations day, walking away with nine nominations. (Belfast landed seven in 2022, tying the previous record held by 1993’s In the Name of the Father.) The other Irish film in contention, The Quiet Girl, had to fight for its one nomination, becoming the first Oscar nomination in the international film category for Ireland. However, it is every bit as deserving of acclaim as Banshees and, combined with the surprise nomination of fellow countryman Paul Mescal for his standout turn in Charlotte Wells' debut, Aftersun, took the country to a stunning 14 nominations in all.
The Banshees of Inisherin is part-existential black comedy, part-tragic folklore. It’s about the inanities of violence and resentment, told through the thorny dynamics between West Coast islanders at the turn of the Irish Civil War in 1922. Fear of irrelevance and oblivion drives a misanthropic older man, Colm (Brendan Gleeson), to cut off his friendship with the annoying but harmless Pádraic (Colin Farrell). The blunt, harsh way Colm tries to unfriend Pádraic causes the younger pal to respond with cloying confusion, and soon the misunderstandings and non-communications between the pair spiral into chaos. It’s an allegory on political violence and a look at a masculine mental illness, but most importantly, a reflection on the darkly comic and profoundly bleak nature of some male relationships.
