Brendan Gleesonhas firmly solidified himself as one of the greatest actors of his generation. His most recent turn as Colm inMartin McDonagh’sThe Banshees of Inisherinproves just as much. Gleeson is an absolute heavyweight in this movie, reuniting withColin Farrell, their first time on screen together since McDonagh’sblack comedy classicIn Bruges.However, Gleeson’s last role in a McDonagh film was not with Martin, but with his brother,John Michael McDonagh. His 2014 film,Calvary,is centered around Gleeson’s Father James, an Irish Catholic priest who is told he will be killed in 7 days by an anonymous parishioner. A commentary on modern rural Irish life and the rapidly shifting role religion plays in the modern world, it remains an unheralded Irish classic. WhileCalvaryandThe Banshees of Inisherinare set in radically different times and circumstances, Gleeson’s performances in both films seem to rhyme with each other.
‘Calvary’ Deals With the Aftermath of the Catholic Church’s Scandals
Both films tackle two of the main threads of Irish life, albeit one more directly than the other. WhileBansheesdeals with the Irish Civil War purposefully in the background,Calvarytackles the Catholic Church head-on. The Church, following the massive sexual abuse scandal, had been tarnished in everyone’s view. Something so essential to Irish identity is now a black mark on an entire culture. This leads to not only our main conflict of Father James' impending murder but the majority of the conflict in the film. James is an honest man, yet he is derided by almost everyone in the town. All of their faults, all the terrible things life has dealt them, are thrown at his feet. A figure of guidance has been turned into a figure of resentment. An interesting note here is the relationship we see between the church and the 2008 financial collapse. A banker who profited off the collapse offers to help fund the church, and when Father James pushes back against that, the banker becomes aggressive towards him. When the local pub is being foreclosed on, the owner throws his frustration towards the church’s lack of help and its own history of financial corruption. When something so essential to your identity is destroyed, you begin to break too.
Religion Has a New Meaning in ‘Calvary’
Gleeson takes all of these ideas and runs with them. He plays it almost like a Western; he is the last honest man in a world that has been corroded beyond recognition. However, his honesty can never be valued, because he has been corroded too. In one of the most affecting scenes, we see him talking to a young girl walking down the road, just being friendly toward someone new to town. Almost instantly, her father appears, questioning Gleeson’s intentions. Even with his simplest actions, he can never be trusted again. The biggest confrontation we see against the changing world is in a stunning scene between Gleeson and his son, the eternally underratedDomhnall Gleeson. He plays Freddie, a cannibal serial killer and former pupil of Father James, who visits him in prison at his request. Freddie says “God made me, so he must understand me.”. The only person who seems to be pursuing religion in the entire film is Freddie, and both Father James and the audience can never be really sure why that is. Are we seeing genuine repentance, or another person exploiting religion for their own gain? This mirrors James in a way. Is he using religion as a way to help, or as a way to get involved in people’s business?
RELATED:Martin McDonagh’s First Oscar Was for This 2004 Short Starring Brendan Gleeson
‘Calvary’ and ‘The Banshees of Inisherin’ Are Quite Similar
Gleeson’s performance inThe Banshees of Inisherincarries a similar tune. With the Irish Civil War raging in the background, Martin McDonagh grounds an allegory for it in front of us. Lifelong friends splitting apart, and the damage that a battle between two friends can have. McDonagh never really comes down on either side, playing Colm as a man striving for meaning as his days have begun to dwindle down, and Pádraic, played brilliantly by Colin Farrell, as a simple but well-meaning man who just wants his friend back. Colm is at the same crossroads as Father James. He sees his place in the world and must confront it head-on. He must produce something of meaning in his life. Whereas James searches for that meaning through the priesthood, and the battle that comes with it, Colm goes for it through music, throwing himself into the Irish tradition.
In a way, this very motif is very Irish, drawing a comparison toJames Joyceand his acclaimed short story “The Dead,” in which the writer, Gabriel, has his whole identity deconstructed, and thrown back at him. Once again, a man is confronted with his place in the world, and the weight that comes with it. What is he to do? Gleeson takes this and puts together two performances that certainly mirror each other, but are still unique at their core. Where Colm is deadly serious, Father James can be a bit sarcastic, a bit affable. James is a sponge for the alienation and rage of those around him, whereas Colm seems to take out all of his struggles on Pádraic, deserved or undeserved. Gleeson takes a story full of morals and theatricality and grounds it with his very honest performance. When we see a gesture like Colm cutting off his fingers, or Father James shooting the bottles in the pub, it means more because it feels real. It feels earned, and whether it truly is or isn’t is up to the audience to decide.
CalvaryandThe Banshees of Inisherin,just like their respective directors, feel like siblings. Burning buildings, violence against animals, pivotal scenes near the ocean; they are visually and thematically aligned. Their divergence is where the films become fascinating, and Gleeson plays it beautifully. His performances have similarities as well, but he makes each their own. Both films leave their audience stunned, with a story full of violence, drama, and larger-than-life scenarios, all written and directed with precision by each brother. Gleeson takes the world they have created and makes it feel like something lived in, something that an audience can relate to even if they aren’t Catholic, or have no idea what the Irish Civil War was. Two films that rhyme, and two excellent performances by Brendan Gleeson.
