By Yasmine Obeid | Staff Writer
Perhaps the most frequently asked question in history is: what is the purpose of life? Some people may define it through religion, claim it’s meaningless altogether, or see it as ever-changing. Yet, on an individual level, it often comes down to two answers: enjoying life as it is, or letting ambitions consume you. It presents a common dilemma, one that only further confuses a person about how to live. This phenomenon was represented in the 2022 Irish film, The Banshees of Inisherin.
In the film, two lifelong friends, Colm and Padraic, find their friendship halted when Colm abruptly ends it. The case is as follows: Colm can no longer be friends with Padraic as the latter is stopping him from unlocking his full potential as a musician. Due to this, Colm believes one’s work and legacy to be more important than their relationships. Padraic does not think the same and believes that Colm owes it to him to continue being friends, seeing his actions as immoral. This dispute is followed throughout the film as the audience is left with the question of whether legacy or morality matters more. Do we live to foster connection with those around us, or is it to have an impact and leave a mark in history?
For reference, Colm is significantly older than Padraic and feels as though he has done nothing with his life. He is consumed with the idea of the passage of time, which only fuels his disappointment with himself. He fears he’ll run out of time and be forgotten. He reflects this all-consuming belief through his resentment of Padraic as he blames his friend for holding him back from his dreams of being a renowned musician, leading him to drop their friendship. Yet, later in the film, these intentions seem to stand in contrast to his actions as he threatened to cut his fingers off if Padraic spoke to him, leaving Colm unable to play the violin. This can be interpreted as Colm finding a way to blame someone else for the failure he was so deeply scared of.
Why would one want to be remembered in the first place? Each person may have their motivations, yet often it could simply be because one wants to prove that their existence mattered and that their life meant something.
Working towards leaving a legacy isn’t inherently a bad thing; it just needs to be approached in the right way. To someone with forceful ambitions, anyone who doesn’t match their work ethic can seem bland to them. With the example of Colm, his obsession with being “one of the greats” and leaving a mark in music history drove him to abandon his most personal friendship because Padraic was too dull of a character.
It’s important to note that the island on which the characters lived is a humble one. It’s expected for everyone to make do with a simple life, as the only other option would be to leave, which explains why Padraic may appear too dull for Colm; he made peace with his small-town life and doesn’t expect more out of it.
In the majority of the film, Padraic is determined to regain his friendship with Colm. However, to regain it, he first needs to understand why he left. Upon hearing that Colm simply deemed him irrelevant to his life, Padraic becomes distressed and pleads with Colm to take another chance at their friendship again. Contrary to Colm’s beliefs, Padraic reiterates that niceness lasts and is just as noble as being an artisan.
At one point in the film, Padraic and Colm get caught in a heated argument over the credibility of generosity. Padraic claims that Colm’s new ambitious lifestyle rids him of all his niceness. Colm retaliates by saying that it’s insignificant and what will last is art, making a point that no one has ever been remembered for their niceness. Padraic openly opposes this
statement by saying that he remembers all the people who have ever been nice to him, including his family. Not feeling convinced, Colm continues by claiming that, other than on a personal level, no one else will remember them.
The notion that niceness matters is one that is often expressed on children’s television. From My Little Pony’s “friendship is magic” to Barney & Friends, caring about other people was considered essential to living a good life. Yet, as one grows older, the media changes, and the predominant message begins to revolve around your accomplishments and personal dreams. Those who aren’t as ambitious or are content with living a simple life are frowned upon and left behind.
It’s a nuanced issue – one that, in my view, shouldn’t be approached with a black-and-white mindset. The best option would be to have a form of balance between both. Chasing after a dream should be encouraged, but it shouldn’t come at the cost of hurting those around you. Yes, sacrifices must be made, and there will be many leaps of faith, but once it gets to the point where you’re repeatedly neglecting the people closest to you, I believe a little reflection is needed.
At the end of the day, one lifestyle cannot be enforced upon everyone, and we are all free to make the choices we want. However, for those seeking to leave a legacy worth telling, the real question becomes: what are you willing to do to achieve it?