Thoughts On: The Lighthouse

“I’ve seen ye, yer fond of me lobster” says Mr. Krabs woefully

Robert Eggers’ The Lighthouse, staring Robert Pattinson and William Dafoe, is a psychological thriller about two lighthouse keepers set during a time in American history where it seems like your only option in life is to lose your shit. If these guys had access to the internet, or even a damn radio, they may have been able to resist the very real threat of insanity. I’ve seen the film a couple of times now, and I must say, there’s something about it I find truly alluring. I guess I’m just a sucker for art about the degradation of the human psyche, or simply the process of losing it, as some of my all time favorite works deal with the same theme, be it the most recent Daughters record or the classic novel Heart of Darkness and its numerable reimaginings. The Lighthouse is a welcome addition, not to my favorite works of all time, but whose ideas, messages, and overall vibe are keyed into me. In other words, I don’t think anyone who knows me would be surprised I fuck with this film.

But with that said, this film alludes to so much I’m not familiar with, such as: Prometheus stealing the light and his following torture in Greek Mythology, St. Elmo’s fire, Sasha Schneider, Jungian symbols, and more. I know about these allusions because I’ve briefly recognized them myself, watched the film with someone who’s pointed them out, and read some articles. I like it when a director references other influences in their art, as the film feels like a researched continuation of sorts. Taking something that already exists to create something new, as you will. It also gives me an opportunity to do some Google searches and learn about something new, which is particularly interesting to me as it relates to this film I enjoy. If you’re going to reference art in your art, you can come across as a pretentious Art History major (Lars Von Trier, even though I do enjoy his work), but if conducted with subtlety, it reinforces your own work and adds an added layer of thought and intrigue.

I wanted to draw some attention to a reason I believe the two main characters in The Lighthouse are so distinctive in their conflict with one another, and it all has to do with acting. Presentational acting, as defined by Uta Hagen in her book Respect for Acting, is when an actor “attempts to reveal human behavior through the use of himself, through an understanding of himself and consequently an understanding of the character he’s portraying”. On the other hand, Representational acting is defined as an actor “deliberately (choosing) to imitate or illustrate the character’s behavior”. These terms can be interchangeable with others, such as internal and external acting or realistic and character acting, respectively. Robert Pattinson’s character Winslow is a product of Presentational acting. I can tell this character is deeply rooted within reality, a reality that Pattinson is reinforcing with himself. It’s grounded and real. William Dafoe’s character Thomas is a product of Representational acting, as Thomas is a common caricature of the salty sea captain. Think Captain Ahab, which Winslow actually calls out Thomas for being a stereotype of. The dialogue written for Winslow is common, or “realistic”, while Thomas’ dialogue is heightened, filled with poetics. Look at the monologues delivered by each character and the difference in acting styles is clear. Each character is so distinct and their conflict works so well because the writing forces a Presentational character to become trapped with a Representational character. Of course, that wouldn’t matter if it weren’t for an actor to take the words off a page and bring it to life with such specificity as Pattinson and Dafoe have.

Excellent acting combined with unique and at times stunning cinematography (black and white, but in the old square aspect ration, which is the key) with a permeating dark atmosphere is going to be a win in my book. With any movie, especially one open for individual interpretation, it’s difficult to express all my thoughts without another person interjecting their own thoughts in what people used to call conversation. The point is you should go watch it, even if this isn’t the kind of film you’d normally check out. Also, keep in mind this is a comedy as well as a disturbing thriller, so if you don’t like being scared, just lean into the fun side of it, if possible.