The Lighthouse is pretty heavy.

I crossed another movie of my to-watch list:

The Lighthouse (2019).

Written by Robert and Max Eggers and directed by Robert Eggers, this strange, weird, downright odd movie stars Willem Dafoe, Robert Pattison and Valeriia Karaman. The entire cast is ten entries and that includes Sully Seagull who actually is a seagull.

The Lighthouse is shot in black and white, on 35mm Double-X film that requires a lot more light than normal film. This creates some very vivid shadows and does wonders for the atmosphere. It is also shot on an aspect ration of 1.19:1 which is the same that was used in the early days of the talkies, and used by early directors like Fritz Lang and George Wilhelm Pabst. This was intentional to heighten the old-timey feel and to increase the claustrophobia.

The story is set in 1890 off the northeastern cost of the US. Two lighthouse keepers, veteran Thomas Wake (Dafoe) and newcomer Thomas Howard (Pattison), arrive to spend four weeks on a desolate rock in the cruel Atlantic. We quickly get a feeling that something is wrong, a feeling the only increases with every passing scene. Wake, as the senior is very demanding and assigns all the harsh physical labor to Howard. The one thing he insists on tending to is the light itself, turning very aggressive when Howard asks to go up to the top. A great part of the movie follows Howard as he struggles through his duties, becoming increasingly frustrated from day to day. Since Howard is the point of view character we practically sit on his shoulder as he suffers from day to day with his work, his sexual frustrations and what are probably hallucinations. I say probably, because we don't really know for sure. There is an element of unreliable narration, but not just against us. It also concerns the characters.

Most critics have labeled The Lighthouse a horror movie, and I don't disagree, but one critic stated that this movie is too odd to pigeonhole, and I absolutely agree with that. It is at times grim, brutal, gloomy, shocking and even funny. Time and time again I asked myself “what am I watching”, but at no time did I want to turn the movie off. It is absolutely brilliant, but as much a fever dream as it is a movie.

Robert Eggers has stated that "it's a movie where both Jung and Freud would be furiously eating their popcorn", and I can see why. I'm by no means a psychiatrist, but the psychology is clear for all to see. From the suggestive shape of the lighthouse to the complex relationship between the two men, I can absolutely believe that statement. Another huge influence on the movie is Greek mythology, mostly Oedipus and Prometheus. If this sounds extremely weird for a movie about two lighthouse keepers, or wickies, you would be right. It is odd, but it works!

The reason it works is two fold. On the one hand, The Lighthouse is incredibly well shot. Every scene is amazing in composition, shape and lighting. On the other hand these two actors act their hearts out. Both Dafoe and Pattison are incredible in this movie. Dafoe is often a bit odd in his roles but Pattison goes up to Daniel Day Lewis levels of acting and there were times when I had to remind myself who was actually on screen.

So, do I recommend this movie? Yes, I really do, but not to everyone. You have to be able to sit through 1h49m of sheer insanity that not only gets worse and worse but almost drags you along with it until you aren't really sure what is up and what is down. If that is alright with you, than watch The Lighthouse as soon as possible.

That's that and all that. Join me again next time, and until then, have a great and safe week! Oh, and stay away from old lighthouses.