Discussion of R. Eggers' The Lighthouse

On the British Film Institute's (BFI) website, film reviewer Samuel Wigley, in his review of Eggers' The Lighthouse, says in the very first lines that the most original films are often the ones that borrow the most. Indeed, Eggers' work is full of influences and symbols, from H.P. Lovecraft and E.A. Poe references to his work-in-progress The Lighthouse, which Eggers himself says was supposed to be a fantastic work, to the films of Jean Grémillon and Jean Epstein, the novels of Sarah Orne Jewett, and much more (112). Eggers's work is truly intellectual in its meticulous attention to detail, and in the visual solutions we can even see a rendering of Albrecht Dürers's engraving of The Sea Monster (fig. 53) (113), dated 1498-1500, which seems to refer to William Dafoe's transformation into a Prometheus, or to the marine hallucination of Robert Pattison's character (fig. 54).

Pav. 53 Albrecht Dürers The Sea Monster

Fig. 54 William Dafoe in Lighthouse

On the other hand, taking a step back, from the very beginning of the film, Robert Eggers presents the characters as a reflection on two mythological characters, Poseidon and Prometheus. Although they were not part of the same story, the director finds a common denominator in The Lighthouse. The skilful use of Poseidon and Prometheus' characteristics allows us to see two very powerful, charismatic personalities on screen.

In ancient Greek mythology, Poseidon was the king of the sea, the god of earthquakes, storms and horses. The half-man, half-fish figure is usually depicted with a trident, a crown and a long, silver beard, and is considered to be one of the most evil and greedy of the Olympian gods. When offended, Poseidon becomes vengeful. This description seems to fit William Dafoe's character Thomas perfectly. In one of the more allegorical scenes of The Lighthouse (2019), when Ephraim discovers that Wake has killed a previous assistant, it becomes clear that something bad is going to happen this time. Tom Wake stands firmly over Ephraim, a dazzling light emanating from his eyes. His appearance is reminiscent of many painters' and artists' projections of Poseidon, the muscular king of the sea, whose towering figure surpasses his enemies (fig.55) (114).

Fig.55 On the left is a still from the film The Lighthouse, on the right is Schneider's Hypnosis, 1904

The figure of Prometheus should also be discussed in relation to the latter film. First of all, Prometheus in Greek mythology was a titan who longed to be among the gods and even surpassed some of them in wit and cunning. Ephraim, referring to the Promethean figure, arrives at the lighthouse as an apprentice, not as important as Thomas. In a sense, this situation captures the relationship between the gods and the Titans. Ephraim is literally trying to steal the fire from Thomas as well - the radiant light that Thomas cares for. And finally, after waking up for the last time, Ephraim is lying on the rocks near the seashore, his body being torn apart by a flock of seagulls (fig. 56). This is the same way Prometheus died, but in the original version of Greek mythology, the seagulls are replaced by an eagle (Fig. 57), which devours the liver of Prometheus, who is nailed to a rock. Although in Eggers' original version we find inconsistencies with Greek mythology, it can be assumed that the discrepancies are essentially the breadth of the director's multilayered vision, which can also refer to other characters. For example, the sailing to the island at the very beginning, a kind of detachment and an increasingly macabre atmosphere, reminds us of the episode described by Joseph Campbell in his article "Schizophrenia: an inner journey". By exploring Greek mythology, the author takes us to the juxtapositions with mental disorders, in which schizophrenia is diagrammed as follows: At first, the schizophrenic breaks away or distances himself from the local social order and context, as if he were sailing out to an island; then he begins a slow, deep sinking - time is turned backwards, one might say, and the descent into the depths of the psyche begins; there is a whole series of chaotic encounters, grim, horrible experiences and finally (if the unfortunate person is lucky), a series of concentrating, inspiring, harmony-restoring, encouraging encounters, after which the patient embarks on a return journey - a rebirth to a new life. The same is, let us note, the pattern of the mythological hero's journey, which Campbell divides into (1) separation, (2) initiation and (3) return (115). In fact, this interpretation also has more than one episode in the film to substantiate its obviousness. The scene with the mermaid proves that Ephraim was not mentally stable. "The act of 'murder' may also be just a way of relieving his accumulated tension. A metaphor for rejecting the voice that was stuck in his head. So the interpretation of the film may also be different from the interpretation based on Greek mythology. Perhaps Ephraim could have been sent to the lighthouse after his predecessor accidentally drowned. If so, Willem Dafoe's character may have been Ephraim's delusion all along and a way of dealing with his unbearable loneliness and mental state (116).

Fig. 56 A scene from the film The Lighthouse

Pav. 57 P. P. Rubens, Prometheus Bound

And these are just some of the examples clearly reflected in the Eggers film, referring to different possible interpretations. On the other hand, these clear references and the film's multi-layered nature are undoubtedly part of the director's own interdisciplinarity. Having started his career as a designer, having worked in theatres in New York, in his own films, he pays particular attention to details that can tell a complex, multi-layered story. The subtle use of set design is revealed through the use of lighting elements to emphasise the symbolism on different levels. The top is always lit, rather too bright, while most of the scenes at the bottom are dark, uncomfortable and frightening. It should be borne in mind that the symbol-laden artwork eventually also hints at the possibility of extraterrestrial beings being present in the lighthouse and poisoning Tom's mind. Although the director has repeatedly stated that he is very fond of the occult and folklore, one can only manipulate the idea that The Lighthouse is a secret H.P. Lovecraft science-fiction horror film, solidly on the all-time list of cosmic horror films. This is the thought that haunts me when I try to explain the tentacles seen at the beginning of the film, when something shimmers over the head of actor Pattinson's character. In this case, both the creepy door that opens in the last scene and Ephraim's ecstasy become ambiguous. Perhaps the light is coming directly from the Lovecraftian creature (117)?

112 WIGLEY, Samuel. Robert Eggers: 5 influences that shaped The Lighthouse. [Žiūrėta 2022 m. balandžio 5 d.]. Prieiga per internetą: https://www.bfi.org.uk/interviews/robert-eggers-lighthouse-influences

113 Nors nėra žinoma, kurią konkrečią klasikinę ar šiuolaikinę pasaką Diureris siekė iliustruoti; žinoma, kad jis susintetino skirtingus šaltinius ir sujungė į vieną vaizdą. Vandens dievo vykdomas moters pagrobimas yra viena iš seniausių graikų mitologinių sampratų ir temų, žavėjusių iki pat Renesanso. Diureris scenai prideda sudėtingumo, nes moteris neatrodo pernelyg nusiminusi dėl savo likimo

114 CULTURAL HATER. Film Analysis: The Lighthouse (2019) Movie Explained. [Žiūrėta 2022 m. balandžio 10 d.] Prieiga per internetą: https://culturalhater.com/film-analysis-the-lighthouse-2019-explained/

115 CAMPBELL, Joseph.Šizofrenija: vidinė kelionė. Metai. 2007, Nr. 08-09. ISSN 0134-3211

116 CULTURAL HATER. Film Analysis: The Lighthouse (2019) Movie Explained. [Žiūrėta 2022 m. balandžio 10 d.] Prieiga per internetą: https://culturalhater.com/film-analysis-the-lighthouse-2019-explained/

117 CULTURAL HATER. Film Analysis: The Lighthouse (2019) Movie Explained. [Žiūrėta 2022 m. balandžio 10 d.] Prieiga per internetą: https://culturalhater.com/film-analysis-the-lighthouse-2019-explained/