The Lighthouse Review & Comments

Casimir Harlow

Movies Editor
Joined
Feb 28, 2005
Messages
9,258
Reaction score
18,871
Points
8,060
Age
45
Location
Reading
I do want to see this, but will probably wait till I can see it at home. Definitely my cup of tea, despite the weirdo aspect ratio which to me is more distracting than tone-setting. Thanks for the excellent review, Cas.
 
Definitely my cup of tea, despite the weirdo aspect ratio which to me is more distracting than tone-setting.
I don't mind different aspect ratios, as long as I know that they are coming. It is a bit distracting spending the first ten minutes of a film wondering whether the cinema has made some kind of mistake with the projection!
 
Seeing this tomorrow - not the biggest fan of The Witch but this certainly looks intriguing.
 
Interesred in this, but i'll catch it at home. Director Robert Eggers' next film has a much bigger draw for me - Viking epic The Northman!
 
I disagree with Cas about the symbolism because I don't think that's the point. Yes there's some fancy word play but in the end it's a very simple story about two troubled men initially choosing to be together, eventually being forced to be together in a claustrophobic setting. It's basically a pressure cooker, a slow burn until the pressure is released then all hell breaks loose.

Now I think about it, the ending does seem a bit left field, but when I watched it, it didn't feel out of place.

Easily an 8/10 for me. Parasite and Joker are depressing present day stories. The Nightingale and The Lighthouse are period pieces. But each in their own way is looking at a**se end of society.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Thanks for the Review, Cas. Sounds intriguing, but at the same time, not my regular type of Movie. Maybe one for me to watch on an otherwise slow, Stormy Day, when in the right mood.
 
It's certainly not got mainstream appeal but the performances and direction is very compelling. For me the cinematography deserves an oscar over 1979. The aspect ratio at time just lends it self so well to the dark foreboding and shadowy scenes. I'd love to see this on an OLED
 
It was not my cup of tea, however I do appreciate it for it's acting, cinematography and also forcing you to think about the subject matter. Unlike a lot of other films I've watched, I'm still thinking about it. I'd go 7.5/10. If you're an art house lover, you'll love it. If not, you should give it a go....
 
I really rather enjoyed this. It's as mad as a fish in places but somehow it all worked with the claustrophobic camera pressing in on Dafoe and Pattinson's stellar organic performances. The mix of the old world with Wake and 'his ways'; involving steadfast rules, drunken sea shanties and superstition fed tradition, set against the new with Howard and his attempting to escape both the and his past grate upon each other finely.
I agree, Cas, this is filled with symbolism from the basic prison labour-like island lighthouse setting to the haunting drawn out visions the men suffer - though Howard's are revealed to the viewer, whilst Wake's remain shrouded in mind but visible in his action.
Definitely a film to imbibe to, just to set the confused scene and fire up some subtitles (if you choose to rent/buy) so you can get all the old time dialogue and sing along like a drunken seagull.
Oh, yeah, an OLED really works well here what with the shades of black to white which, I'd imagine, could leave some LCD's needing panic disorder medication.
 
Thanks for the review as always Cas. Intrigued with this and like others, will probably wait for a home release. Thought the Witch was ok but not convinced this will be much better, despite the universal praise it's getting. One for a quiet night in I reckon.
 
I liked it better than the Witch and it has the right balance of real "horror" and Lovecraftian/Greek/seafaring mythology madness.The Blu-Ray is very good(decent sharpness and deep blacks) and the cinematography is really superb,as well as the direction,the acting,the sound design,the soundtrack,the editing and so on.The aspect ratio?It suited the mood of the movie,but i think that scope would be better.
 
Cineworld are only showing this in Crawley, Glasgow, London & Milton Keynes, so no cinema trip for Lucas :(. Looking forward to it eventually though.
ICYMI this is showing at Southampton Odeon, should you fancy a Meerkat Movies daytrip...

 
It was pretentious nonsense, unless you like watching two men fight, argue and sing with no actual point except maybe youth facing off the old.
 
Absolutely thrilled to bits with this movie.
I watched it last night and spent all of today thinking about it.
Can't wait to sit down with it a second time with all my ruminations.
A solid 9/10 from me in the common parlance.

"Why'd ye spill yer beans?"

My full thoughts are in my user review and elsewhere on the fora.
 
Just read all the trivia on this film on IMDB, some interesting stuff:


(BTW - 8.5/10 I'd score it, excellent movie)
 
I'll never get the two hours of my life back that was spent watching this...
 
Looks like this is getting a wider release at multiplexes this week, so might give it a whirl... could prove to be a good double-billing with Birds of Prey!

BDD754BF-9806-461A-9075-AF8DCDF0CCE9.jpeg897D7777-12DA-48C6-95DB-183FDF8B5C28.jpegDA527303-088E-4D78-A591-8A164C9E9240.jpeg
 
Last edited:
This popped up in my local Odeon so gave it a whirl last night; glad that this multiplex has got laser projectors since being upgraded to Luxe, as can only imagine how washed out this film would’ve looked with the ancient xenons they recently tore out.

Definitely preferred The Lighthouse to The Witch and concur with Cas’ 7/10 score. Superb visceral performances by the 2 leads with Patterson‘s impressively discordant accents just outshone by Dafoe’s preternatural flatulence!
 
Finally watched this (On a Dark Rainy Afternoon - only just noticed that was my prediction in my previous post!)
Very interesting Movie, loved the feeling that it always could all be one Man's Halucination. Mostly, watching these two Characters slowly go mad was the Hook for me.
 
I absolutely loved the cinematography in this film but I wasn't so keen on the actualy story/plot.
 

The latest video from AVForums

Is 4K Blu-ray Worth It?
Subscribe to our YouTube channel
Back
Top Bottom