It's scary not knowing the ``heart'' of the creators of ``The Lighthouse.'' A powerful monster that preys on the audience

A ghost story created by a director who admires ghost movies

Of course, there will be differences depending on the viewer, and some people may think that this is not the case, but ``The Lighthouse'' is full of things that are ``incomprehensible'' throughout the entire film.

Director Eggers clearly states that the lighthouse in the film is a "phallic symbol" (so perhaps the light is ejaculation), but even if he explained it in detail, it would be hard to understand why he wanted to do that. The original script included a shot comparing the lighthouse to an actual erect male organ, but this was stopped by A24 (apparently to avoid an X-rated film).

I understand the structure itself, in which two liars, an old man clinging to his past glory and a young man with a secret he cannot tell anyone, yearn for the lighthouse, a symbol of masculinity that stands tall and bravely. However, I am surely beyond our comprehension as to why they took so much effort to portray it in the modern era. The emotions of Wake and Winslow in the play also fluctuate wildly throughout, making it difficult to follow, and it is difficult to keep up with the tension in the scenes where the two drink, get drunk, and sing and dance.

“The Lighthouse” (C) 2019 A24 Films LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Including the scene where he goes insane afterwards, "The Lighthouse" has a sense of "the fear of not being able to understand other people, even though we are the same human beings." This is true of the relationship between the characters and the audience, as well as between the filmmakers and the audience. It is frightening because we cannot understand what they are thinking or what they are trying to do, and that is why we are drawn to them. There may be something in common with Winslow's indescribable fear of seagulls, which he tortures to death, to the point of inflicting abnormal pain on them. And because the disconnect between "audience → characters → filmmakers" is a kind of nested structure, this fear is amplified as the story escalates.

When we finish watching the whole movie and the end credits roll, we feel a deep sense of fatigue, but also a sense of liberation somewhere in our hearts. "The Lighthouse" is trying to entangle the souls of the audience and trap them on that isolated island. It tries to prey on the travelers who enter. Indeed, this film is a ghost story similar to "The Restaurant of Many Orders."

Text: SYO

Born in 1987. After The Graduate from Tokyo Gakugei University, he worked at a film magazine editorial production site and a film information site before becoming a film writer/editor. Works on a wide range of topics including interviews, reviews, columns, event appearances, and recommendation comments. Contributed to ``CINEMORE'', ``Cinema Cafe'', ``Soen'', ``FRIDAY Digital'', ``CREA'', ``BRUTUS'', etc. Twitter「 syocinema 」

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"The Lighthouse"

Friday, July 9th, Toho Cinemas Chanter and other theaters nationwide

Distribution and promotion: Transformers

(C)2019 A24 Films LLC. All Rights Reserved.