Movie Review: The Lighthouse (2020) - A Confusing Mess or an Exhilarating Masterpiece?
Movie Review: The Lighthouse (2020)
Willem Defoe and Robert Pattinson lose their shit in a lighthouse…
A confusing mess or an exhilarating masterpiece?
Just take a look at that poster; emblazoned with enticing quotes and five-star rating after five-star rating. It might just give you the impression that the viewing experience you’ll be letting yourself in for is some kind of fast-moving, horror thrill ride with career-defining performances from The Green Goblin (Willem Defoe) and that pale, boring vampire from Twilight (Robert Pattinson).
Well, you’d be wrong. The rest of the poster with its stark, artistic, atmospheric and foreboding black and white imagery is perhaps a more fitting description of what to expect…and yet even that doesn’t quite cut it. If you’re familiar with writer/director Robert Eggers previous work you’ll certainly be far more prepared for The Lighthouse than the average cinema-goer but there’s really nothing that can be done to gird up one’s loins for what you’ll see after you take your seat.
On the face of it, The Lighthouse has a simple premise: in the 19th Century, off the New England coast, two lighthouse keepers go to work for two weeks on a remote island - Thomas Wake an old grizzled sea-faring veteran and Ephraim Winslow, a younger yet still world-weary apprentice - I’ll let you guess which actor plays which…
As their gruelling shift comes to an end, a terrible storm hits the island and Wake and Winslow are left stranded for an indefinite period with nothing but each other, and a good helping of alcohol, for company. Tempers flare, relationships become fraught and dark secrets emerge.
Sounds simple enough, right? Well, no. Because The Lighthouse is an art-house film at heart it typically trades a strong story for striking imagery, bat shit crazy set pieces and an ambiguous sense of what is real and what is not, but despite the confusion, this is still a gripping and thoroughly entertaining watch. The brutal, oppressive imagery of the remote, storm-ravaged island with its imposing lighthouse and belligerent seagulls is a perfect setting for the characters’ descent into madness. Shooting in black and white, on film and with a 1.19:1 aspect ratio not only gives the film a period-accurate feel but also results in a narrow and claustrophobic field of vision, perfectly complementing the psychologically damaging drama unfolding in front of your eyes.
Of course, the performances from Defoe and Pattinson are a big part of the entertainment The Lighthouse offers. Defoe is perfect as the dictatorial Wake, barking orders at the browbeaten Winslow. Pattison’s hard-working apprentice draws sympathy initially but as time goes on his behaviour becomes erratic and the interactions between the two characters increasingly toxic. Despite the rage and hatred, they do form a somewhat tender friendship at times and their heated exchanges become quite comical and contain some truly classic lines of dialogue. One particularly memorable moment sees a long, drink-fuelled diatribe from Defoe receive a short, flippant and submissive response from Pattinson, instantly and hilariously defusing the heightened tensions. The delivery of lines is often over the top, manic and wild-eyed and the actors are given some truly bizarre scenes to chew through, yet somehow the performances remain believable and engaging.
But what does this all mean really? Well, ultimately The Lighthouse should not be confused with some sort of audience friendly historical piece like 1917. The ambiguity of the story, the weird pacing, the insane imagery and the crazy performances will put many people off and that’s a shame because these are exactly the reasons, even forgetting the spectacular cinematography, that The Lighthouse deserves to be seen and to be experienced.
So, is The Lighthouse a confusing mess or an exhilarating masterpiece? Well, it’s kind of both and that completely depends on your personal taste. Regardless of your own experience, The Lighthouse is sure to be a regular talking point for weeks, if not months, afterwards and is ultimately the biggest WTF of the year so far.
The Lighthouse is in theatres across the UK now.
Peace.
