“The Lighthouse”
Release Date: October 18, 2019 (limited release) /October 25, 2019 (wide release)
Runtime: 110 mins
Starring: Robert Pattinson
Willem Dafoe
Directed by: Robert Eggers
Since May of this year, “The Lighthouse” has been the movie I was most excited for. After its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival, word of how unique and captivating it was spread quickly. Several of the critics whom I follow and trust the most gave it rare perfect ratings. I anxiously waited the five months between the premiere and the wide release to a theater near me.
The first thing you notice right when the opening credits play and the movie starts is the strange aspect ratio. For those who do not know, aspect ratio is the term used to describe how much space the projected image takes up on the screen. Most movies will have a rectangular frame with black bars at the top and bottom. “The Lighthouse” has an aspect ratio of 1.19:1. This means that it has thick bars on either side and has a square frame. This has the immediate effect of giving the movie a claustrophobic feeling. That, in combination with the movie being shot in beautiful black and white, makes the film look like the early movies made in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
The film tells the story of two New England lighthouse keepers in the 1890s as a storm leaves them completely stranded. Isolated on this tiny, remote island, their sanity begins to spiral rapidly downward. Robert Pattinson and Willem Dafoe star as these two men, Winslow and Wick, respectively, the only speaking roles in the entire movie. Pattinson technically has the film’s lead role: a quiet, reserved man trying to escape his past. Throughout the movie, the audience is given more bits of backstory, and we discover there is more to his character than it seemed at first. Dafoe is more of a supporting character. He embodies the image of a 19th century sailor from the look to the accent and mannerisms. I think this might be the best performance I have seen from him. Both actors give entrancing performances, especially Dafoe.
“The Lighthouse” is surprisingly funny. It of course has elements of horror and drama, but the comedy added something to the movie without disrupting the established tone.
Writer/director Robert Eggers meticulously crafted every aspect of “The Lighthouse,” and the effort and passion is obvious. One of the things I most appreciate about his first movie, “The VVitch,” was the dedication to including period-accurate dialect in the dialogue. He does the same here, lifting dialogue from the works of “Moby-Dick” author Herman Melville, as well as various journals kept by lighthouse keepers of that time. This does a lot to add authenticity and, along with other elements, makes the movie feel of a different time, in a good way. His directing is also excellent.
Many parts of the movie are left ambiguous and open to interpretation, so those who prefer to have all the answers given to them may not enjoy it. However, this is the perfect movie to see and discuss with your friends afterwards. The story is not so vague as to be bland, but it does not explain everything that happens. It will doubtless be picked apart with a variety of approaches for decades to come. I have only seen it once at the time of writing this review, but I will definitely be seeing it at least one more time in the theater.
I have nothing negative to say about “The Lighthouse.” Every element—editing, sound design, performances, set design, cinematography, writing, directing, score—is superbly done and presented. I would recommend it to anyone.
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