An Extensive Analysis of The Lighthouse

“Should pale death, with treble dread, make the ocean caves our bed, God who hears the surges roll deign to save our suppliant soul.” - Thomas Wake

1. An Overview

No movie has disturbed me as deeply as the 2019 A24 film The Lighthouse. Knowing A24, I had high hopes when I began the film, expecting absurd and existential themes with unconventional filming practices. However, nothing could prepare me for the mosaic of dreadful madness this movie was plagued with. The movie begins with the repetition of a foghorn, playing over shots of waves, rock, ship, and light. The most important themes in this film. There is an uncomfortably long absence of dialogue or speech, the only sounds being natural caws from seagulls, crashing of waves, blowing of wind, or the eerie, reflective soundtrack produced by Mark Korven. Robert Pattinson's character, Ephraim Winslow, discovers a small figurine of a mermaid, the beginning of his adventure with sea creatures, also representing his loss of self-control. Winslow is the assistant to Willem Dafoe’s Thomas Wake, a seasoned sailor infatuated with the light from the lighthouse. Wake is quickly proven to be an authoritative, tedious man, ordering Winslow to complete all chores around the island, clearly identifying their positions as oppressor and subordinate. However, at the dinner scenes, Wake educates Winslow on rules and guides to follow. Wake noticed Winslow was sparring with a one-eyed sea gull, and scolded him that killing seabirds is bad luck; for they are reincarnated sailors. Wake reserved the light solely for himself, barring Winslow from entering. At night, when finishing his chores, Winslow would often see Wake naked in the light room, admiring the light. As the only two humans on the rock, Winslow would use the mermaid figurine as content to help him masturbate. When asked about his previous wickie (lighthouse keeper), Wake explains that he died after going mad. Winslow reveals to Wake that he used to be a lumberjack in Canada. 

After some time on the island, just a day before he’s scheduled to depart, Winslow finds a dead seagull in the cistern, a well that contains their drinking water. When observing the animal, the one-eyed gull returns and bothers Winslow, provoking his anger before he snatches it by the neck and brutally bludgeons it to death against the rock of the cistern. The killing of the gull is a significant moment in Winslow’s development as a character, for it represents his loss of morality and the evil omens that are to come. Due to a storm that rolled in, Winslow’s ship wasn’t able to arrive, and his departure was postponed. The next day, Winslow finds the body of a mermaid near the shore, and he admires the creature’s body out of loneliness and lust before it screeches at him, scaring him away. In the house, Wake informs Winslow that due to the storm, they’ve lost all their rations, leaving them in dire circumstances and with scarce resources. Winslow’s edge into insanity is becoming more and more noticeable, as he only believes they’ve been stranded for a day; Wake says it’s been weeks. The two get drunk each night and shift from nights of intimacy and hostility, showing their need for one another’s company. After stealing a kitchen knife, Winslow contemplates killing Wake and taking his keys to the light, but decides not to. Winslow sees the image of Wake’s former wickie’s head in a lobster trap, and later confesses that his real name is Thomas Howard, and that he stole the name of his late foreman after watching him drown. Howard begins to feel threatened by Wake and attempts to leave the island by a small boat, but is chased inside by Wake with a fire axe. Reality begins to muddle as Wake accuses Howard of chasing him with the axe, instead of the other way around, as shown in the movie. Left without alcohol after losing their rations, the two resort to drinking disgusting concoctions in order to get drunk, evidence of their will to block out the horrors of critical thinking and sobriety. After a rogue wave destroys part of their house, Wake and Howard argue about the logbook, where Wake has described Howard as an incompetent employee and should be fired without pay. Their fight turns physical, and Howard beats Wake senselessly, hallucinating him to be the mermaid he once imagined, as well as a Lovecraftian creature, of which has strong cultural and literary ties to throughout the movie. Both drunk on turpentine and insanity, Howard leashes Wake and forces him to bark and walk like a dog (another recurring theme) before attempting to bury him alive. Wake talks, as if reciting a poem or cursing Howard for his curiosity for the light. Wake’s monologue describes his last assistant who wanted the light, the same one that died from insanity, and how it acts like Pandora’s Box: it is a comprehension not suited for curious men, and their curiosity will be punished. Wake seemingly passes out in the dirt, and Howard attempts to head for the lantern. When taking a cigarette, Wake returns, bloodthirsty with the axe used to destroy the dory, fueled with passion and selfish obsession for the light. He lodges the blade into Howard’s shoulder, but his old age and deteriorating health gives him a disadvantage, and Howard takes the axe and kills Wake, destroying his own fight with authority. Weakened with weeks of malnourishment of both his body and mind, Howard struggles up the tower, unlocks the room to the lantern, and watches the god he now worships. A pane opens, and exposes the interior of the light to Howard, which overwhelms him with truth and blinding brightness, before sending him tumbling down the house. The last shot of the film is a dying Howard on the beach of the rock, a deformed eye and skeletal body, his internal organs splayed out and being picked at by vulturous seagulls.

2. The Mechanics

Obviously, there is a lot to unpack with this film. Before beginning with the gory themes, the analogy and allegory for unkempt, dangerous human selfishness, there are aspects that lend themselves to the overall power of this film. Firstly, the obvious unconventional cinematography of the movie. Shot on film rather than digital — despite releasing in 2019, in an era of cinema dominated by the latter — the director Robert Eggers was able to reach the tone he was searching for. Filmed with a 1.19:1 aspect ratio and a black and white camera, Eggers aspired to achieve a new and unusual form of picture with the film, reminiscent of 19th century photography, furthering the setting and mood of the film. The first shot of the film, a slowly fading wide shot of the ocean, horizon, and bleak gray sky, with the only sound being the monotonous groan of the foghorn, makes the audience feel as if they’re viewing a painting. Then the shot changes, and each frame could fit as its own, individual painting. This means that even for cinephiles who have seen countless movies, it can only be described as watching a movie for the first time ever; an effect definitely intended by Eggers. For the first few scenes of the movie, there is no dialogue. There is no speech, no talking, just natural sounds of the island as the audience learns what they can about the two characters. Not until the first dinner scene does Wake speak in a maritime, sailor accent, reciting his prayer. His speech is almost unintelligible, slurred, and difficult to understand from his decades on the water. Dafoe’s performance as Wake, in both emotional and dramatic acting, as well as his vocal characterization are admirable. Pattinson is a younger character, and therefore has less of a drag in his voice, sounding much more polished compared to his elder. However, when studied against someone from today, he is still much more difficult to comprehend, as this movie also shows the evolution of mankind, proving that just a few centuries ago, men spoke and acted vastly differently. 

3. Themes

I could write a dozen essays on each theme in this film. It’s such a broad and expansive topic that I find it incredibly difficult to narrow into one specific topic. However, it is still analyzable, and the themes (I feel) are worth discussing, even if they can be vague, unending, or dumbfoundingly confusing. But that’s all art is: finding worth where you wish it to be. 

To begin, I hypothesize that the overall theme of The Lighthouse is how barbaric men become when forced unconditional isolation and lack of hope. The movie is set in the 19th century, and so compared to modern standards, Wake and Howard are already more reserved by the start of the film: they’re rude, silent, and stoic. They reek of entitlement, but that’s simply because that was the norm of the year. It was about respect, and they expected it without having to offer it as well. But by the end of the film, not only have their attitudes amplified, they lost their minds and became savage members of the animal kingdom, barely recognizable as human. The film explores the loss of self-control and the rampant manipulation that impulses can have over humans; men, to be specific. When confronted by allegories of the mermaid, Howard begins to lose himself to lustful desires, floating into the water when seeing logs (a hallucination of his past as a timberman; also a theme of how tightly wound people can get when confronted with their past), touching and admiring the naked mermaid, and masturbating to the figurine. The image of the mermaid in The Lighthouse represents lust, and this can be proven through historical evidence of the mermaid itself. Mermaids have been folklore for thousands of years, and are often described as predators to men; luring them into the oceans by their siren song to be consumed. In myth, mermaids use the weakness of lust and sexual gratification to punish lonely sailors. This same theme can be seen in The Lighthouse, as when confronted by the mermaid, Howard loses himself in lust, admiring its body before being attacked and fleeing. Although the mermaid likely doesn’t actually exist in the movie’s reality and Howard’s interpretation of the creature is likely his imagination, it still holds incredibly deep themes and ties Howard to the same lust of other sailors, foreshadowing his lustful desires with Wake. Furthermore, when the idea of the mermaid is introduced to the film, Howard pulls the figurine out of a hole from his cot, as if it was hidden there by Wake or his previous wickie. It’s likely to have been by Wake, however, as when Howard is shown to be retiling the roof, he sees Wake moving promiscuously against the bed, using either the figurine or the hole in the cot to fulfill his desires. This is also a heavy influence on how Howard sees Wake, and how similar they are to one another. A further theme on the loss of individuality and identity, which is also heavy in this film. Lust doesn’t just appear through the allegory of the mermaid, however. Wake and Howard have an unpredictable, questionable relationship as their insanity furthers. They shift from hostility to intimacy within scenes, and even point to having sex at one point. To a certain degree, this relationship can be expected, as two lonely, lustful men on a stranded island only last so long before indulging in one another, searching for the affectionate touch they desire. However, it interests me that Wake and Howard never have a clear and loving relationship, as they falter between that and despisement. They argue constantly, yelling at one another in a fight for dominance, which leads into another strong theme: authority.

This movie reminds me of Golding’s Lord of the Flies, because of the shifting of power and superiority. In his book, a group of boys are stranded on an island after a plane crash, and they must fight and learn how to control one another, usually using authority from the conch shell. Ralph starts as chief, but when the choir boys prefer pleasure and hunting over the fire and a fulfillment of rescue, Jack becomes the new leader of the “barbaric” clan. In the beginning of The Lighthouse, it’s obvious where their roles are set: Wake controls Howard. Wake orders Howard. Wake watches the light naked, Howard does the work clothed. They have very clear and digestible roles, and Howard is treated lower than Wake because Wake is experienced. He’s older, he knows more about the gulls, about the island, and about the light. But after the expected departure, Howard loses his sense of self. He becomes animalistic and begins to question the authority of Wake. Being younger, Howard is more physically capable, and so it becomes a fight for dominance and which they prioritize: strength or wisdom? Howard complains about his work more and more as the movie continues, and Wake maintains his stubbornness on the light, saying only he can see it. But by the end of Wake’s life, before he’s brutally murdered with the axe and yelled at by Howard, he is beaten within inches of death due to Howard’s hallucinations of the mermaid, another allegory for his lust (this time to kill Wake). Howard orders Wake to bark, and he does so (very uncomfortably). Howard leashes Wake like a dog and drags him outside, burying him alive. Howard’s burial of Wake shows that Wake has finally lost his control over Howard, which is an incredibly significant turning point, as this shows Howard is loose; he is in control and he will see the light. As he’s being buried, Wake describes a Promethean punishment upon those who wish to see the light, and compares Howard to his late wickie. Prometheus, a titan from Greek mythology, stole the fire from the gods and gave it to man, and for that he was eternally punished. Wake’s comparison of Prometheus to those like Howard shows his arrogance, as if only he deserves the light, while those willing to kill out of curiosity shall be punished, much like Pandora’s Box. The struggle for authority ends after the burial, when Howard returns to the house to see the light. Wake returns with the axe, and the fight for power ends, and we get our answer of which wins between strength and wisdom. Strength. Howard no longer respects Wake as an elder or a source of wisdom or information, and he kills him for his own benefit, while also in self-defense. 

IV. Part of the brilliance of this movie comes from the extraordinary performances by both Willem Dafoe and Robert Pattinson. When they speak, it is abundantly clear how they should be portrayed and who they are characteristically just by their vocal quirks. Dafoe interpreted Wake as a slurring sailor with an entitlement to power, while Pattinson portrays Howard as a curious, obedient servant. Not only do their accents cement the setting as 19th century New England, but it defines a difference between Wake and Howard. Wake speaks almost unintelligibly; he’s difficult to understand and speaks with little care if Howard understands him. Howard is more soft-spoken and thoughtful with his tone, making it easier for both Wake and the audience to understand him. The difference in how they speak highlights their expectations of respect, where Wake feels entitled to a listener while Howard feels he must speak to the standards that a listener requires. But their voices aren’t just what makes this movie incredible. One of the most distressing scenes is when Wake gets buried by a wrathful Howard. It begins when Howard learns that Wake has been describing him as a bad wickie in the log book, initiating Howard’s rage and finally tipping him over the edge of insanity. For the past few weeks, these men have been stranded on an island with no rescue in sight. They have no materials to live off or build a new life, as their rock is dead and serves only as a beacon for ships. Instead, they become drunk and slowly lose their minds, but this scene is the climax of Howard’s craze, as he rants at Wake with a powerful monologue. Pattinson was able to capture all the hate, unfairness, and disgust that Howard felt for Wake incredibly well. They fight physically, and Wake loses due to his old age and deteriorating health. The fight itself isn’t anything extraordinary, however the following shot is one of the most uncomfortable portrayals of insanity I have witnessed on screen. When catching his breath, Wake is ordered to bark by Howard. This is a flip of authority that Howard relishes in, as if calling Wake his subordinate, displaying the power he has over his mate. This authority doesn’t just come from the humiliating practice that Wake is forced to do, as imitating animals is well-known as strange or insane, but because of Wake’s constant referral to Howard as “dog”. Wake referring to Howard as a ‘dog’ throughout the film can be interpreted two ways, but I feel it is proven to be dehumanizing the way Howard treats Wake in this final scene. Sailors use the term ‘dog’ for one another similar to ‘mate’, and is a name of endearment and camaraderie, and although Wake could have had this intention when talking to Howard, I believe he meant it in a much more literal term, as if he was putting Howard down, calling him a literal dog. In the 19th century especially, dogs were known as mongrel and savage, sometimes vulturic. Dogs were domesticated and obeyed the command of humans, so Wakes’ use of the name could have been foreshadowing the flip of authority, as if he called Howard a dog to prove that he had power over him; Howard was Wake’s pet. When Howard demands Wake barks, he has all the power in the situation, and Wake’s obedience shows that he understands he lost the authority. Wake is leashed and crawls alongside Howard into a dug hole, where he is buried and speaks again. It’s especially significant that Wake is old when leashed, as he is forced to crawl on his hands and knees through the dirt, something that can be painful or difficult for an old, malnourished, crazy man to do. This is another piece of evidence that Howard does not care for Wake; he has power over Wake now. All of this ties back to how Pattinson and Dafoe portrayed their characters, as their tone of voice, their expressions, and their performances led to the insinuations made in this review.  

V. A large portion of this movie is the disturbing physical discomfort forced upon the viewers. There isn’t just gore when Wake is killed or when Howard overpowers his superior; many scenes include masturbation and insinuations to sexual intimacy either between the characters or on their own. A good question posed is: why was this graphic content necessary? Although there is no graphic nudity (exempting the nude mermaid on the rocks), the scenes are still incredibly uncomfortable to watch, as it is abundantly obvious what is occurring. Howard’s bouts of masturbation in the sheds, as well as his sexual relationship with Wake are to prove his lack of self-control and desire for lustful actions, which accurately portray the disturbing truths of humanity: another important theme of this story. By showing unconventionally disturbing parts of humanity, the audience feels more uncomfortable. It’s not like they don’t know it’s happening, as they would have been able to infer that these events were happening, but to actually put it on screen forces the audience to comprehend it; to be there with Howard or with Wake. Additionally, it also makes the audience process it as it happens and makes sure that no content is lost in translation, as this movie’s goal is to disturb the audience with the cruelty and grotesque work of humans when they have been isolated.

VI. There are plenty of connotations and allegories that fit into this film. After Wake is killed by Howard, the younger wickie is no longer restrained and sees the light, which lights up the screen as Howard screams distortedly, as if he perceives the light as a deity beyond his comprehension, and it was too much for his mortal mind to bear. In this movie, the lighthouse represents God, and Howard’s obsession with seeing the light is his search for truth and knowledge, while Wake already has this, playing into his wisdom. Wake’s obsession with keeping the light to himself also supports the allegory for religion, and Wake somewhat acts as if he’s entitled to this pious intervention and refusing to let Howard see it represents his fear of the loss of authority; if he has what Howard wants, Wake can get Howard to do whatever he wants. The conflict arises when Howard loses his morality and critical thinking and decides to be rash and barbaric to reach what he wants, instead of orderly and lawfully. After all, nothing was holding Howard back from the light apart from his own self-restraint to kill Wake and steal the keys, which he eventually did. But people usually don’t think about that option to get what they want, because murder typically goes against laws, ethics, and the empathetic bricks that people build in their own minds. This movie reminds the audience that this option will always exist, and the only restriction from your desires usually insists on arbitrary societal norms. Another connotation to religion is the gulls. In the film, seagulls are commonly seen flying around, perching, squawking, and generally being nuisances (specifically to Howard, representing his inner turmoil with religion, as well as framing him as sinful). Wake originally tells Howard that killing a seagull brings misfortune, as they hold the souls of lost sailors. One specific gull that constantly annoys Howard is the one-eyed gull, and he eventually loses his temper, grabbing the animal and bashing it against the cistern until it’s dead. From this point on, gulls are much more conservative with their appearances, and I believe this represents Howard’s descent into brutality and a loss of humanity. The gulls don’t bother Wake because he’s a pious man; he controls the light, he sees “the light” (another allegory for religious truth). But Howard has a darker past, and he doesn’t show much affection for God. The gulls bother him because they dislike his character, and he retaliates. But religion isn’t the only recurring theme, as lust and self-control also make up a lot of the movie’s meaning. In cinema and theater, there is a device known as Chekhov’s Gun. Created by Anton Chekhov, he states that “a gun should not be placed onstage if no one is thinking of firing it”. The idea of Chekhov’s Gun is common in these forms of art, and typically takes the shape of a specific object or idea, either tangible or metaphorical. Plainly speaking, if a gun is mentioned hanging on a wall every time a character enters that room, it should be fired at the end of the story, or else it has no purpose being mentioned. I believe that the Chekhov’s Gun of The Lighthouse is the idea of the mermaid. The first sign of mermaids in the film is when Howard uncovers the figurine in the cot, which foreshadows his interactions with the sea creatures. They’re seen again one night when Howard wades into the water, plagued by his past at the lumber mill. He’s scared away by the siren, and it returns on the rocks like a beached whale. Everytime Howard sees the mermaid, he gets closer to it, as if yearning to be with it. He originally only saw it as a carved piece of ceramic or wood, then saw it in the water, and again on the rocks, where he actually touched it before being scared away. The final time Howard sees the mermaid is when he’s strangling Wake after being stranded. He sees Wake as the mermaid as he’s attempting to kill him, possibly hinting toward the fact that Wake and Howard had a sexual relationship, as it is clear that is what Howard yearns for with the mermaid because of how he reacts to seeing it on the rocks. This relates back to Chekhov’s Gun because the idea is fired at the end of the film: the final shot shows a mutilated Howard almost dead on the rocks, identical to the mermaid. His eye is grotesquely injured, and gulls feast on his innards. The detail about his eye relates him back to the original one-eyed gull, as if it’s forcing itself into him; making him ‘pious’ in a disturbing way. It also may mean that the original one-eyed gull was a future version of Howard, as if it was his soul in that gull, maybe trying to warn the past version of Howard about the grim future. This brings more meaning to Howard’s slaughter of the one-eyed gull, like he was killing himself, sealing his fate on the island. A final detail I’d like to note is the first thing the audience perceives when they watch the movie: a monotonous, repeating foghorn as Howard’s ship approaches the lighthouse. The sound is low and reverberating, setting a sense of dread in the audience as it continues to blare. It’s an omen to the watcher; foreshadowing the terrible events that transpire on the island. 

The Lighthouse deeply disturbed me, but it also gave me more to analyze than any former movie. It provoked me into a lengthy review where I can display every thought I had during the watch. I love this movie for every frame, but I hope to God I never have to watch it again.