In 2011, Ciaran Creagh lent his writing skills to Parked, a thoughtful tale about homelessness and addiction. In his far more sombre directorial debut In View, Creagh’s screenplay addresses another issue terrorising Ireland, though it often goes unspoken; suicide, and the ravages of depression.
Caoilfhionn Dunne is extraordinary as Ruth, a despondent and quick-tempered woman working in a Garda station. As she gets drunk everyday and pushes her family and colleagues away with her belligerent behaviour, the reason for her obvious pain and self-loathing slowly emerges. Formerly a successful and happily married Garda detective, a family tragedy led to Ruth engaging in some self-destructive behaviour. The ripple effects of Ruth’s indiscretions were unknowable, and in her mind, unforgivable. Living in increasing isolation, the remorse has become overwhelming and she now sees suicide as her only means of both escaping and making amends.
Creagh’s screenplay is impeccably researched and painfully evocative, as Ruth’s actions evoke the all-consuming nature of depression and hopelessness. As she literally hides from friends, begins to gain a morbid satisfaction from planning her suicide and remains oblivious to all the people in her life desperately worried about her, the unrelenting darkness of her mindset is overwhelming.
David Grennan’s patient cinematography is as ashen and unbeautified as Dunne’s remarkably immersive performance. Supporting characters such as Ruth’s in-laws (Gerard McSorley and Maria McDermottroe) and old flame (Ciaran McMenamin) do feel disappointingly underwritten in comparison, especially as they’ve all been deeply affected by suicide in the past.
As a character study, the film is devastating, though given the subject matter, it can feel deeply uncomfortable and problematically instructional, as the actions of a suicidal person are mapped so thoroughly. An important film that makes for difficult viewing.