The Lighthouse (2019)

After his wholly original and deeply unsettling debut feature film The Witch (2015), those in the know have been waiting with bated breath to see what director Robert Eggers was going to come up with next. It’s safe to say that The Lighthouse will not leave them disappointed.

Summarised by the filmmaker himself as “Nothing good happens when two men are left alone in a giant phallus”, The Lighthouse tells the story of a grizzled world weary lighthouse keeper (Willem Dafoe) who must induct relative newbie (Robert Pattinson) into the job, on a remote and desolate rock off the coast of Maine circa 1890.

The pair immediately clash, and things rapidly descend as it becomes clear that an unexpected storm means they are trapped on the island for longer than anticipated. As their water runs out, and with only moonshine for hydration, time seems to become inconsequential in a haze of dehydration and desperation, with Willem Dafoe’s character asking of his second in command (and perhaps the audience too) "how long have we been on this rock? Five weeks? Two days? Help me to recollect."

The film deploys an unorthodox 1.19:1 aspect ratio (in layman's terms essentially meaning it is projected as a square rather than the traditional rectangle) to great effect, instantly putting the viewer slightly on edge, and alerting them to the fact that this is not your typical cinematic experience. It is also shot entirely in black and white, an artistic decision which feels in keeping with the period and tone of the piece.

Mark Korven’s score essentially plays the role of the third character in the ensemble (unless you count the seagulls) with it’s moody and broody orchestral bass notes perfectly complementing the increasingly bizarre and distressing events taking place in front of our eyes.

It is in this descent into complete and utter delirium that the film slightly loses its way, with the pacing becoming a little frantic, and there is a sense of too many ideas being crammed into its relatively short running time. Pattinson’s accent also seems to deteriorate as rapidly as his relationship with his skipper, vacillating between American midwest to West Country with startling irregularity. It is not quite enough to distract from the action - and was allegedly based on an obscure 19th century Maine dialect, though this arguably feels like a retrospective justification.

The parallels to Greek mythology are obvious, particularly at the finale of the film, and further subtext around isolation, superstition and even toxic masculinity is also explored. In many ways however, the genius of The Lighthouse is that the viewer can apply their own interpretation to what unfolds on the screen, whilst never really knowing whether it is indeed all just the inevitable result of being abandoned in the aforementioned giant phallus.