Irish actor Aisling Franciosi is a rising star in the making, and most recently portrayed Ciara in Blumhouse's remake, Speak No Evil, alongside James McAvoy. Franciosi has been acting for over a decade but had a particularly impressive 2023 due to her roles as Ella Blake in Robert Morgan's Stopmotion and Anna in André Øvredal's The Last Voyage of the Demeter. Franciosi has exhibited an adept ability to slip into any kind of character, whether it's a young puppeteer suffering from a psychotic break or a damsel kidnapped by Dracula who refuses to go down without a fight. Although Franciosi has received positive critical reception as of late, her most unforgettable performance is her portrayal of Clare in Jennifer Kent's 2018 masterpiece, The Nightingale.
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The film takes place in Australia in 1825, where Irish convict Clare (Franciosi) and her husband (Michael Sheasby) live with their newborn. Clare sings for the British colonizers and serves the Lieutenant, Hawkins (Sam Claflin). Hawkins and his companions break into Clare's house, rape her, and kill her husband and baby. Clare, left traumatized, violated, and alone, is determined to track down Hawkins and get revenge. Along the way, Clare witnesses the inhumane treatment of Indigenous Australians and meets a tracker named Billy (Baykali Ganambarr). At first, Clare and Billy don't get along, but as they get to know each other better, they realize they have much more in common than they thought. They even find out Clare's nickname is "Nightingale," while Billy's real name, Mangana, means "Blackbird." Beyond that, Billy's tribe was almost completely wiped out by British colonizers, so they share a common enemy and partner up to exact revenge.
✕ Remove Ads Aisling Franciosi Gives a Powerful Performance in Jennifer Kent's 'The Nightingale'
The Nightingale is complex, as it focuses on class inequality, but expands into a reflection of violence against women, the persecution of Indigenous Australians, and discrimination against Irish convicts who were forced to serve British colonizers. It is not an easy film to watch, and Kent took every necessary precaution to ensure the story was told exactly how she envisioned. Franciosi worked with a clinical psychologist who helped her learn how the trauma Clare goes through would impact her character based on real-life situations. She also went to the Center for Domestic Violence to speak with social workers and victims. It was important to her to be as accurate as possible in portraying the impact of the traumatic event, and she felt passionate about the story and her character. Franciosi stated, "We put blood, sweat, and tears into this film" and admitted portraying Clare was the most challenging role she'd ever had.
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Revenge isn't the right way.
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What makes Franciosi's role in The Nightingale so powerful is her palpable rage. Her character is initially accommodating and unassertive, but completely transforms after her husband and baby are murdered. She becomes a phoenix rising from the ashes, but hardened and blinded by fury, fully determined to find and kill Hawkins and his accomplices. Franciosi is superb in how she transitions seamlessly from emulating a calm, loving mother and wife to a perfect embodiment of female rage. Clare becomes bitter and tough, with messy hair, a furrowed brow, and a short and abrupt tone. She becomes one to be feared, a merciless hunter, dead set on her mission, with anger that radiates through the screen.
✕ Remove Ads Jennifer Kent and Aisling Franciosi Put Care and Thought Into 'The Nightingale' Close
The Nightingale is impactful in its storytelling while avoiding the white savior trope that often takes over films involving minority groups. Kent puts everyone on the same level to be observed by the audience. In addition to having a trauma therapist on set, Kent was sure to include Aboriginal Elders to assist with the script and on set for accuracy.
Kent was also able to showcase Franciosi's range of talents with the use of music and song, as the actor sings in both English and Irish throughout the film. It elevates the atmosphere and helps transport audiences to 1825. Through the writing, Kent also wanted Clare to be flawed -- after all, she's no John Wick. Throughout her journey, Clare makes mistakes, acts impulsively, and would not have been able to enact her plan successfully without Billy's help. As a whole, Kent and Franciosi's collaboration and thoughtfulness while filming The Nightingale was an essential part of what made the film resonate so well with audiences. Franciosi's portrayal of Clare elevated The Nightingale's emotional impact, and her performance is one of the greatest of this century.
✕ Remove Ads The Nightingale RDramaWar Release Date August 2, 2019 Director michelle maclaren Cast Charlie Shotwell , Luke Carroll , Sam Smith , Ewen Leslie , Baykali Ganambarr , Harry Greenwood , Damon Herriman , Matthew Sunderland , Nathaniel Dean , Sam Claflin , Aisling Franciosi , Michael Sheasby Runtime 136 minutes Writers John Sayles , michelle maclaren , Ann Peacock
The Nightingale is available to stream on AMC+
Watch on AMC+