Black and white films have a special luster, different character, limited influence and focused on our minds, because they are closely related to Nostalega and nostalgia for the past, but here the topics differ, and the molds are hardened, and the effect is disconnected, until the depression comes into it and becomes another kind of art, nightmare art, The image that opens the doors of beautiful memories touches a stifling abyss, a bed of delusions, a refuge for every delusion.
The story of The Lighthouse
The story of the nineteenth century The Lighthouse is about two lighthouse guards on an island isolated from life in (New England), the old (Thomas Wake) who has lived in the lighthouse for more than thirty years, and the young man (Ephraim Winslow), the assistant of the young lighthouse keeper, who was He is supposed to stay for only four weeks, but things develop in a strange metaphysical framework, and the two turn into geeks, when a thundering storm strikes them, and they lose their reason. It stimulated the atmosphere with darkness, and hatred when Thomas Wake refused to allow (Ephraim Winslow) access to the jellyfish of light at the top, he always responded by saying that he belonged to light and light belongs to him alone; rather, on the contrary, he raises within the young boy the desire for curiosity that drives him to what does not He counts his heels. Arrogance, madness, selfishness, fear and lust all gather in the seclusion of that distant place.
* Note: Starting from here the article contains a burning event.
The legend
The movie mixes his shutters with legend, superstition, reality and disease, because it carries a symbolism that is difficult to break down, but here we will explain the wonderful director (Robert Eggers) eating the legend, and blowing in its ashes, with myth and disease. The legend revolves around (Prometheus) who is one of the great titans-giants - the wise in Greek myths, and his challenge to the master of the gods (Zeus) the god of heaven and the thunderbolt, which did not end with good.
At first, it was a war between (Cronus) the master of the titans - (Titans) - the father of (Zeus) and the son of Gaia representing the land in Greek mythology, and (Zeus) himself, and the matter raged between them, and fear dominated (Cronus) to do His son (Zeus) did to him as he did to his father. War broke out, but, in flare-up and strife, the wise (Prometheus) took the cusp of (Zeus); indeed (Zeus) conquered his father (Cronus), and he pardoned (Prometheus) and his aides who abandoned his rivals and enemy.
(Zeus) saw in (Prometheus) his wisdom, and entrusted to him the task of creation and human beings, and he did what was requested of him but it took a lot of time, so all the forces went to the animal, but it seems from the matter that he fell in love with his hands making, and he contacted them spiritually, and gave them attention even They are able to make their way in life, as a powerful race that goes into difficulties, but they are now stripped of what distinguishes them from the animal, so he wanted to give them something, doubling their luck, so he leaned on (Zeus) and sought help from him, but his response was disappointing, so if they were weak Do not resist it. So he (Prometheus) stole and embezzled many of the gods for gifts, and granted them to humans, until he took a socket from the fire of the sacred Olympian mountain, and presented it to humans, as he deceived many of the gods, plundered from their gifts and provided human beings, so (Zeus) knew of his treachery, and he plundered the holy fire, and when Humans advanced on their own, hastened steps, confronted nature with inventions, anger (Zeus) was the strongest of wrath, inflicted the most severe punishment, chained him with giant chains, hung him on the Caucasus mountain, and commanded the eagle (Athon) to brush his liver, and every evening they grow his liver again as torment everlasting.
If we apply this myth to the film, for almost two identical outputs, Ephraim Winslow replaces (Prometheus), and Thomas Wake takes the role of (Zeus) the thunderbolt god, and the monopolist of knowledge, and the beacon remains the exorbitant treasure, light, and true knowledge. (Ephraim Winslow) who betrayed his former master or friend, and let him drown in the water, as (Prometheus) did with (Cronus), and in the end when he reached his wish, we find him lying on the ground, and the seagulls ravage in his flesh, just as the eagle with (Prometheus).
But there are several things that we must shed light on, such as another legend very similar to the character (Thomas Wake) who calls himself "the oldest old man in the sea", and in this he is similar to the god of the seas (Proteus) who is called "the old man of the sea", who from His talents are controlling the deepest seas.
And there is another projection that we should mention, and it is highlighting two gods favored by the philosopher (Nietzsche), namely,So I would like to say that adding the legend to the story is T. “Dionysus” which is the god of wine and fun, joy and joy, discord and emotions, instinct and risk that is endured by hardship and pain, and confronted with boldness, valor, singing, dancing and music. Then "Apollo" the god of peace and comfort, stillness and mental meditation, sedition of emotions and logic, philosophy, sculpture, poetry and photography. They are two different faces carried by the two protagonists, in particular the old man (Thomas Wake) and the connection between him and the god Dionysus in customs and preferences, or, as Nietzsche said: It is the Dionysian wisdom.
In addition to some myths that have spread in the past, such as the seagull are ill-fated, or the souls of the shipwrecked, and killing them brings misfortune and misfortune.
Legend and movie philosophy
Myth is the spoken unknown, it is an eternal life reduced to a stronger and greater symbol than a human being locked in words, it is complete life and enormous struggles, and despite the creativity and ingenuity on which mythical tales stand, stereotypes and traditionalism continue to gnaw at them with disorder, and lose sobriety in application. Here comes the role of the "films" in altering the content, and that comes by stripping the legend from its traditional supernatural dress - the struggle of good and evil traditional - and dismantling its symbols, plunging them into ordinary worlds, and providing them with vitality and life, in a framework that favors human interaction more than to the gods, but this meal does not It is served on a plate of gold. Rather, the recipient needs care as well as the director's diligence and insight. The symbolism remains symbolic, even if it is wrapped in a modern robe close to the memory of the living.
From legend to image
In his film, director (Robert Eggers) used a 35 mm camera, and locked the image inside a square of black and white at a ratio of 1.19: 1, which contributed to the export of the inconvenience, and generated a cloud and an eyebrow in front of the viewer who suffers somewhat within the frame to understand the story that presses him more strongly Because the film simplifies a kind of wonder and stubbornness.
The other thing is that the director and crew succeeded in bringing down the legend to real life, and the centrality of the event stems that art is not in isolation from life, it is a struggle between image and word, and that appears in the choice of place, a rock on the beach, and a beacon that was an ancient symbol in the stories of ancient sailors. What you have always found is the rapprochement between the highly written script and the thesis to be discussed through the film, which is a monopoly of knowledge on one side, and its desire on the other.
And by flipping between the scenes, the director will somehow carry the weight of the world and the torment of mankind on his back, in his search for the skin for knowledge and pleasure, and at other times siding for the eternal, and stripping the legend within which he reduces the roots of all that is fascinating, for the film is a match with tension between two parties. Perhaps serenity, happiness and beauty are the artistic overcoming of fear and pain, but the lighthouse movie here sends art from the spectra of ghosts, which carry nothing but ugliness and lust; because it plays in a region that fear and pain are all that can be found in that lighthouse, then it appears that there is a point From the light, throw it from the top and let them fight over it.
Influenced by literary and artistic legacy (Lovecraft - Henry Melville - Samuel Coleridge - Sasha Schneider)
The director was influenced by literature in writing the script and the story, and that effect appeared in his mention of (Captain Ehab), the hero of the most famous novel (Moby Dick) to the great writer (Henry Melville), and explains the extent of the rapprochement between the characters, especially the character (Thomas Wake) with the character (Captain Ehab) who drinks Wine reveals its reports in the midst of illness and sugar, in addition to his insistence to keep the light for himself, just as (Captain Ehab) decided to chase the whale. The motives may be different, but the hard head is the same.
Besides being influenced by the poet (Samuel Tyler Coleridge), in particular his poem “The Old Sailor Rhyme”, which goes a long way from being a part of our story. Their day, however, the sailor was once outraged by the bird, and a conversation took place between them, which ended in the killing of the bird by the sailor, so the sailors blamed him, and he warned him of his act, he regretted the most regret, took off his necklace and replaced it with something from the bird's remains, until he removed the curse of bad luck that they faced after that.
In addition to the previous two, the director was influenced by his storytelling style by the most famous teacher and writer in the field of horror (Lovecraft), because the latter was based in his novels on making a whole world, and by leaking the feeling and emotion to the hearts of readers through this strange dark world, as if he escapes from his world to a worse world The fiercest. This is what the director directed in the movie, his dependence on making a whole world, completely different, and not as horrific as films famous in this field, but rather I rely on moving slowly and confidently, and caring about the bartam that is going at a good speed.
He was also influenced by the German painter and sculptor (Sasha Schneider) and he clearly represented one of his famous paintings in the film, the Hypnosis (Hypnosis), which was painted in 1904.
Affected by previous cinema schools
It should not be forgotten to mention some of the cinematic schools affected by the director in his presentation, and we will suffice to mention the German Expression School, is one of the oldest cinematic schools, which was established after the First World War, and which depends on depicting and employing imagination somewhat inconsistent with reality, and this fits the case This movie is influenced by legends. The performance was also influenced by the classical school of acting, which relies entirely on movement and body language, features, facial expressions, and the power of eye presence. Overcoming the narrative stereotypes of horror movies
The truth is, the movie did not follow the approach of previous horror films that draw its strength from blood or frightening monsters, or even shocking snapshots, but rather overcame that narrative style, and set for itself a special approach, which draws its strength from the story, and complies with the action and the corresponding reaction Even if this act is against reality, that is simply because (Robert Eggers) would like from the first seconds of the movie to win the myth and legend.
Representative performance and lost Oscars
Of course, the Oscars would have had to nominate at least one of the great Oscars, if it wasn't necessary to nominate them both. (Robert Petenson) It was a surprise to me, this boy exploded without burning, and indeed he was on the fate of this crack that hovered around him after his selection of the role of "Batman" months ago ... The boy was wonderful in every sense of the word. The old man (William Defoe), as usual, plays the difficult roles, with an amazing performance, exceptional.
The directing was amazing, the gathering of light and dark was unique, cinematography is exceptional, it is an independent experience that may not have taken its right in the middle of the commercial frenzy, but it is definitely one of the best experiences of the year without any kind of compliment.