Review of The Lighthouse (2019) by Manicure — 22 Nov 2020

"The Lighthouse" is shot on black and white 35mm film in 4:3 aspect ratio to evoke old expressionist cinema. There is a bunch of clunky closeups of horrified Pattinson that looked delightfully old-school, as well as a few moments that reminded me of Bergman's early films, but the general aesthetic approach and acting are extremely modern. It's an extremely slow and masturbatory film, but never to the point that you can't catch up with what you are being shown.

Just like in his previous film "The Witch", Rober Eggers uses the ambiguity of superstition as the primary source of horror. It's never clear if there was actually something supernatural in play, or if the characters simply lost their mind as they spent their days in isolation and alcoholism. Maybe it could be a little bit of both. Everything we witness could just be their own interpretations of the facts based on their limited knowledge and popular belief. Or it could all be just a huge allegory. Definitely, a film that raises many questions, but that does not need answers to be enjoyed.

The mythological and cultural references are rather explicit, sometimes even mentioned by the characters, but as they never get explained, it might be hard to understand if you are not familiar with western culture and mythology. The dialogues are also pretty hard to follow without subtitles if you are not a native speaker.