Year of Release: 2019
Director: Robert Eggers
Starring: Willem Dafoe, Robert Pattinson, Valeriia Karaman
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 5
Watch it on Amazon
Synopsis and Review
Following his auspicious feature directorial debut with "The Witch", writer/producer/director Robert Eggers returned with another stylish feature, this time revolving around a chamber piece featuring the performances of Willem Dafoe and Robert Pattinson. The film takes place in the late nineteenth century and follows two men, one older by the name of Thomas Wake, and one younger, by the name of Ephraim Winslow, who are assigned the job of lighthouse keepers during four weeks, in an area of New England. Thomas who is the supervisor, puts Ephraim through hard work, preventing him from accessing the lantern room in the lighthouse. Ephraim begins to hallucinate about sea monsters and mermaids. While having dinner Thomas reveals that his prior employee died after losing his mind, whereas Ephraim reveals that he was a former timberman from Maine, who is now embarking on a new trade. A brutal storm hits the island, and the two men spend that evening getting drunk. The storm prevents their replacements from coming in and also destroys their rations. While Ephraim thinks only a day has gone by, Thomas tells him that they have been stranded for weeks. As the storm continues to rage, the two men continue to drink, leading them to expose hidden secrets, and even question their sanity.
It's curious how some writer/directors are very much visual artists with a stylistic point of view, something that they apply with more largesse or finesse, depending on the story they're telling, while others become prisoners of that very specific point of view. Wes Anderson, for all his virtuosity and uniqueness, has become a prisoner of this world he has created, and while in some features his detailed point of view works remarkably well, such as "The Grand Budapest Hotel", his more recent endeavors feel progressively more trapped in this highly artificial construct in which his characters exist. Robert Eggers seems to be embarking on a journey somewhat similar to Mr. Anderson's. And while his recent "Nosferatu" displayed his ability to take Werner Herzog's 1970's version of that story to a much grander and far more stylized stage, "The Lighthouse" on the other hand, feels at times like an indulgent stage play that is going nowhere. It's undeniable there's much to admire about this film, particularly the performances of both leads, the production design, the cinematography, but the narrative itself eventually becomes a repetitive descent into madness and despair of two alcoholics that for all its good intentions and artistry, has already been captured, and far better, in other films. When someone thinks of descent into madness and isolation, one always thinks of the majestic "Apocalypse Now" by Francis Ford Coppola, one of the best films ever created, and one that truly depicts how war, guilt, isolation/deprivation, and mental instability, can lead to monstrous outcomes. Mr. Eggers attempts to create something lyrical with "The Lighthouse", with the watery metaphors and the mythical creatures hallucinations, while simultaneously peppering the narrative with violent streaks, sadly the combination of all these elements isn't the most graceful one, and the film ends up being very one-note, without a semblance of humor, and at some point, without a semblance of momentum (that third chapter where the audience eventually asks, "where is this going"). I found this film less rewarding than his other films, both prior and subsequent ones, something that even the phenomenal Willem Dafoe could not save. Robert Pattinson for all his good intentions, much like some of his collaborations with David Cronenberg, felt out of place, a bit like someone experimenting with a concept of a role, while not truly embodying it. The production team is excellent, including Jarin Blaschke's cinematography, Mark Korven's score, Craig Lathrop's production design, and Linda Muir's costume design. It's an interesting endeavor, but not necessarily a great experience.
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