The Banshees of Inisherin, the great new film from writer/director Martin McDonagh, is superficially about a broken friendship. The plot involves two old friends, one of whom decides he doesn’t want to talk to the other anymore. Their collapsed friendship has been described as a metaphor for Ireland during that country’s civil war in 1923, the year the film is set.
This is true up to a point, but the critics have missed what I think is the deeper meaning of this fine movie. The Banshees of Inisherin is a film about the dishonor of those who sit out the battles, both literal and cultural, that define their times. …
While the critics have seen The Banshees of Inisherin as symbolizing the futility of a confusing civil war that destroyed close relationships for no reason, I come to an opposite conclusion. I believe this film is an argument for partaking in just battles, and an indictment of those who sit them out, opting for comfort and security over engaging in the crucial battles of their time.
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