Robert Eggers's Poe-inspired psychological horror is a cinematic masterpiece in both its technical execution and storytelling. The Lighthouse tells the story of two lighthouse keepers shacked up together on a rock far out at sea off the Maine coast in the 1890s; the elder Thomas Wake (Willem Dafoe) master to the rookie Ephraim Winslow (Robert Pattinson) whose mysterious past only drives an already established friction between the two forces to breaking point. The kerosene-fuelled tale of cabin-fever, masturbation and myths scratched an itch I did not know I had. I won’t tell anymore as I do not wish to ruin anything for you, and also to this review’s detriment, because I’m not a 100% sure I knew what was going on.
Sure, the phallic imagery is as prominent as the foghorn blasting throughout the film, but do not be mistaken, there is more than meets the eye in this horror. To even class this film as a horror feels wrong; it’s gothic horror in its purest form. Do not expect loud noises and jump-scares-meets-Brokeback-Mountain when you go to see this film, if you can see this film (but that’s another issue I’ll save for later on).
First, this film is a clear sign of maturity for the once teenage heartthrob, Robert Pattinson, as an actor, and it only further heightens the mastery of Dafoe. The pair are beautifully paired together and their on screen chemistry is so great that you really believe these characters to be real, their pain is your pain, their frustration is yours and so on and so forth. The third star is the lighthouse itself of course; a temptress whose whitewashed walls and glimmering lens with a gently ticking heartbeat is the cause of much angst and tension between the two men. Predominantly viewed from Ephraim Winslow’s perspective, the viewer is presented with a descent into madness with a violent decay of mental stability and identity.
Damien Volpe’s sound design for The Lighthouse is phenomenal. In this unprofessional’s opinion, it’s perfect. Never before has a film moved me and caused my hairs to stand up on end solely through its sound design. This, along with the sublime lighting and Jarin Blaschke’s cinematography really makes for a very special film. Shot using antique lenses, and to a 1.19:1 aspect ratio, The Lighthouse is black and white cinema at its best, and in a time when we’re so used to being visually assaulted by vivid colours and zany CGI, this dark, gritty and murky looking film that is devoid of colour stands out. It is the epitome of Arthouse cinema…
…And because of that very reason, you may struggle to find a cinema showing it, or somewhere showing it at a reasonable time on a day when you aren’t working. Luckily it is coming out on home media very soon, but I implore those who have yet to see it to try and track down a place showing it, or if you know of a place but aren’t available then throw a sickie or fake your own death; I don’t know, just see it because it is really worth experiencing on the big screen. In Liverpool I was able to see it at FACT, a fantastic venue just off Bold Street, offering a Picturehouse Cinema, galleries and ample opportunities for jobbing artists.
It’s been a year since I first heard about this film and let me tell you now, the wait was worth it. Like many people, I don’t like waiting and you may think it is a bad habit, but after so long I tend to lose interest , however there was something about this film where my interest in it never wained and my wanting to see it grew more and more, and much like Pattinson’s Winslow, I was near begging to see this thing that I have been unable to. The Lighthouse is surreal without being pretentious, it’ll make you laugh in the most inappropriate times and shall make you afraid when you’re least expecting it. This film feels like a play at certain points with the sets and monologues and I could see The Lighthouse easily being translated to the theatre, which is great! Long live The Lighthouse. In my ideal world, cinemas would show more films like The Lighthouse, but then again, it may be this rare, oddball breath of fresh air which makes it stand out amongst the rest. Too much of a good thing… If you haven’t already gathered, I wholeheartedly recommend The Lighthouse to all.
Reviewer - Daryl Griffin
on - 29/2/20
No comments:
Post a Comment