MovieChat Forums > Banished (2015) Discussion > I find this very disappointing. (Spoiler...

I find this very disappointing. (Spoiler)

posted 9 years ago by minifie-1
2 replies | jump to latest

Aside from the historical inaccuracies it has no consistency as a story. In episode one a man is to be hung for sleeping with a female convict and suddenly the marriage goes ahead. Another convict has killed a bullying tormenter and is also due to be hung but is let off provided he will hang other people. A sexist, hectoring officer preying on a young woman turns into a tortured soul. Cop-outs all along the line. Nice grimy atmosphere but for Jimmy McGovern this is the antithesis of hard-hitting - corny and weakly plotted. Nice sense of atmosphere though.

[–] 9 years ago

[deleted]

[–] paulmarkj 9 years ago

The changing of minds is part of the plot. If you watched it, you will have noticed how characters change. That is not inconsistency but part of the themes of the story. The specific points you make are part of the story:

1) "one a man is to be hung for sleeping with a female convict and suddenly the marriage goes ahead." - that's because the minister has a change of heart, also the morals of the time said that sex within marriage is ok but outside is not, so it all fits.

2) "Another convict has killed a bullying tormenter and is also due to be hung but is let off provided he will hang other people" How is that inconsistent? They want to hand him but can find no hangman, so they sort out two problems at once: they get their hangman and at the same time solve the problem of what to do with the convict.

3) "A sexist, hectoring officer preying on a young woman turns into a tortured soul." Again, how is that inconsistent? It is probable that there were many sexist men who are also tortured souls. That's real life.

These are not cop outs. These are real people changing as time goes on.