TALES OF THE IRISH
The critics by and large have praised Martin McDonagh’s film “The Banshees of Inisherin,” the tale of two longtime friends in conflict set on a fictional island off the Irish coast. Talk to moviegoers who’ve seen it, however, and their assessments are all over the place. Me? I’m not that curious.
I should be, what with St. Patrick’s Day upon us and Ireland still very much on my mind after seeing and still thinking about New Village Arts’ recent production of Jez Butterworth’s “The Ferryman.” The play about a family in various personal crises during the time of “The Troubles” was epic and outstanding.
Because that turbulent time in Irish history, the early 20th century, is so often evoked in the arts and so interesting to me, I’m hoping that Dublin-born filmmaker Trish McAdam will bring her project “The End of Romance” to the screen soon. It’s the story of poet William Butler Yeats and Irish revolutionary Maud Gonne and what McAdam calls the “politics-art yin-yang universe” in which they resided.
In McAdams’ film-in-development, she hopes to “best capture their success and failures, their loves, their politics and their creative thinking.” Its focus will be on “Yeats, whose work is still relevant to a contemporary audience; Maud, as an early feminist and political activist; and Iseult (Maud’s daughter), whose voice has something to say to young women of today,” McAdams explained in an email interview.
“The End of Romance” will be a story, McAdams said, “of love and pain and above all of friendship through adversity.”
I expect it will also say something thoughtful about the Ireland that many will celebrate today and its people who fiercely fought for identity and independence. Take a moment to reflect on that when you’re hoisting a green beer at ShamROCK.