This is the first movie from Robert Eggers I have had the pleasure of experiencing, and it most certainly did not disappoint! Everything about this movie is completely and utterly mesmerizing. The story, at times, makes no sense in the slightest but somehow remains fairly easy to follow. I must admit that this may be my favorite watch of the year so far!
The entire movie is shot in black and white on 35mm film using Panavision Panaflex Millennium XL2 cameras equipped with vintage Bausch and Lomb Baltar lenses. This is absolutely genius on Eggers part, I strongly feel that if this movie had been shot in colour it would have had an entirely different effect (one that may have been detrimental to the point of the film), There's nothing more unsettling to watch in the dark than a black and white psychological horror set in the 1890s. This movie also only contains two main characters, both men, who are played by Willem Dafoe and Robert Pattinson. Do not let this put you off! Despite there being only two characters, it most definitely does not become boring or slow, in fact it's quite the opposite. It’s very humorous in places but can also become incredibly dark and disturbing in a matter of seconds. However, this only adds to the brilliance of it.
I do, however, feel like I should warn people that this movie is not necessarily an easy watch, a lot of what happens is left open to interpretation. You could talk to many different people about what they think happened and probably come away with 100 different answers. For some people this may put them off, but for me, that's what makes this movie so interesting. Whilst this is not a new concept, the way Robert Eggers portrays it can't be called anything but an original. I have never seen anything like this before in my life and I am planning to watch his other movies sometime in the near future!
I know I've talked a lot about the way this movie was filmed but I must also comment on the sounds. Throughout the entire movie there is a foghorn coming from the lighthouse, and I'm not entirely sure how Eggers managed it, but it never becomes annoying or frustrating. As well as this you have the sounds of the storm and the seagulls and the waves that crash along the rocks. With all these sounds going on at once you would think it would become slightly overwhelming, but this is never the case and, in my opinion, only adds to the eeriness and mystery of the island.
I wish I could comment more on the actual story line, but I don't want to give away any spoilers! If you have been considering watching this film, I hope this convinces you too. I will not soon forget this brilliantly disturbing film and I am looking forward to seeing what else Robert Eggers has to offer.
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