The Banshees of Inisherin (Searchlight Pictures) marks the third feature that Ben Davis, BSC has shot for writer-director Martin McDonagh–the first being Seven Psychopaths followed by Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri.
Digging into SHOOT’s Road To Oscar archives, earlier observations from McDonagh and Davis related to Seven Psychopaths and Three Billboards, respectively, shed light on the creative relationship between the two artisans as well as the dynamics that have figured prominently in the current acclaim of The Banshees of Inisherin.
McDonagh earlier told SHOOT that Davis’ “brilliant eye” was integral in their first turn together on Seven Psychopaths. “I come from a stage background and am a ‘new-ish’ filmmaker,” said McDonagh at the time. “Ben helped me on set. He’s speedy, nurturing and wonderfully cinematic. We share a lot of the same love of movies.”
Reflecting on Three Billboards, Davis related, “For Martin, it’s all about delivering the characters, making them live. That defines his approach to cinematography. Martin is all about character and story. You’re like a fly on the wall, taking in the story and characters. Cinematography needs to support that, not stand out on its own.”
Cinematic and character-driven sensibilities do indeed come together to realize The Banshees of Inisherin. Set on a small fictional island, Inisherin, off the west coast of Ireland, the film introduces us to Pádraic (portrayed by Colin Farrell), a kind-hearted man who lives with his sister Siobhan (Kerry Condon). Though seemingly mundane, life is good for Pádraic who’s content to enjoy the companionship of his sister, care for his donkey, and to meet daily at a pub with his best friend Colm (Brendan Gleeson). But one fateful day, Pádraic discovers that Colm no longer likes and doesn’t even want to talk to him anymore. This sea change is unprovoked–and maddening to Pádraic who can’t fathom what he did to deserve this. Thus begins a downward spiral of self-doubt, depression and anger, in essence a waking nightmare for Pádraic which impacts others as well. But in the torment there is also humor just as kindness occasionally emerges from mean spiritedness.
Davis lensed across the Aran Islands, a group of three isles at the mouth of Galway Bay off the coast of Ireland. The three islands are Inishmore, the largest, Inishmann, the second largest, and Inisheer, the smallest.
Capturing the beauty of those environs–like they were a character in the proceedings–contributed to the cinematic feel of Banshees. And the actors brought their characters to life. “I enjoy shooting and creating imagery,” said Davis. But perhaps the biggest allure for the DP is “to watch actors deliver great work with great writing. That’s the joy I get from my job now.”
Davis shared that initially he and McDonagh discussed shooting on film. And some exterior work was lensed on film. Ultimately, though, they went the digital route with the ARRI Alexa Mini LF. “Martin likes to work with the actors–and to work the actors into a scene. He keeps that camera running for long periods of time, getting into some sort of rhythm to the point were you [and the actors] aren’t thinking about the filming. Words become the thing.”
Davis added that a film process was deployed at the end, to scan digital back to film negative to get some desired texture.
Helping in the planning was a 10-day mandatory quarantine on an island as a COVID precaution. This gave McDonagh, Davis, production designer Mark Tildesley and first assistant director Peter Kohn the opportunity to spend extended time in a small house where they mapped out their approach in great detail. Davis added that the entire film was storyboarded in a “very succinct” manner characteristic of McDonagh.
While a lot of Banshees entailed the camera being close to the actors given the intimate personal nature of the story, Davis noted that whenever the chance arose, he would go really wide and try to give a sense of the loneliness and isolation being felt by the characters, most notably Padraic.
Davis is surprised and pleased that the film has found a fairly large audience. “We thought we were setting out to make this little film that maybe not many people would see. It seems to instead be the opposite. Friends who have seen it, pretty much everyone takes something slightly different from the film. For me, it’s about male conflict, that men can’t resolve conflict. The terrible things that happen tend to be based around that fact. Women should really be in charge,” the DP affirmed.
Davis brought an awards show pedigree to Banshees, having worked in concert with McDonagh on the lauded Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri which won the Audience Award for Best Film at Camerimage in 2017, as well as nominations that same year for the BAFTA Film Award, the British Independent Film Award and the BSC Award for Best Cinematography.
Davis also has a Marvel lineage, having shot director JC Chandor’s Kraven the Hunter, James Gunn’s Guardians of the Galaxy, Joss Whedon’s Avengers: Age of Ultron, Scott Derrickson’s Doctor Strange, Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck’s Captain Marvel, and Chloe Zhao’s The Eternals.
Davis has additionally collaborated with Matthew Vaughn on Layer Cake, Stardust, Kick-Ass and The King’s Man, and with Michael Grandage on Genius and My Policeman. Davis’ work can also be seen in Rowan Joffe’s Before I Go To Sleep, Jonathan Liebesman’s Wrath of the Titans, John Madden’s The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel and The Debt, Stephen Frears’ Tamara Drew, Tim Burton’s Dumbo, and Clint Eastwood’s Cry Macho.
This is the seventh installment of a 17-part series with future installments of The Road To Oscar slated to run in the weekly SHOOT>e.dition, The SHOOT Dailies and on SHOOTonline.com, with select installments also in print issues. The series will appear weekly through the Academy Awards gala ceremony. Nominations for the 95th Academy Awards will be announced on Tuesday, January 24, 2023. The 95th Oscars will be held on Sunday, March 12, 2023.
