The Lighthouse and Gothic Literary Tradition
Please keep in mind that this is not a film review. With that said... *spoilers ahead*.
Watching Robert Eggers’ The Lighthouse is a unique experience that left me in awe of its sea-myth strangeness. The premise involves two lighthouse workers or “wickes,” Thomas Wake (Willem Defoe) and Ephraim Winslow (Robert Pattinson), who get stranded on an island and eventually go mad. The film is steeped in Promethean myth with strong echoes of Poe and Melville (among others) creating a strong foundation that transports audiences to another time and place.
There are various literary influences that have helped build the film’s ominous atmosphere, particularly texts of earlier centuries belonging to the Gothic genre. Many Gothic themes stem from anxieties of a particular period, but overarching distress generally includes fear of the supernatural/occult, and fear of mortality and the unknown. Many films within the horror genre have made use of these fears to comment on issues within its given time. In other words, Gothic elements attributed to modern films usually bend Gothic tradition to fit contemporary problems. Xavier Reyes argues that Gothic cinema “has adapted to reflect the anxieties of modern audiences through a myriad of literal and metaphorical ghosts in the machine” (402). For example, as contemporary films, The Ring, The Blair Witch Project, and Paranormal Activity relay the horrors that might result from becoming too absorbed by technology. There are also horror films that take place in earlier periods and use Gothic tropes to comment on pervading issues. One film that comes to mind is An American Haunting, directed by Courtney Solomon (2005). The film takes place in the 19th century and uses the supernatural and occult to comment on sexual abuse and trauma.
Due to varying Gothic uses within film, “the Gothic is now more generally accepted to be a ‘mode’ identifiable by a certain aesthetic alignment….one that is in dialogue with an artistic canon dating back to, at least, the eighteenth century” (Reyes, 395). Although this is true of the films previously mentioned, themes within The Lighthouse are not structured in a way that generate social commentary similar to some modern horror films. Instead, the film has a direct conversation with the eighteen and nineteen centuries by creating what might be a visual equivalent of reading Poe or other Gothic fictive works. As a result, the film provides the lure of a gothic-styled 1800’s tale, which provides a familiarity that keeps viewers attracted and open to the film’s bizarre landscape.
Dark Romanticism and Gothicism
Published in 1764, Horace Walpole’s The Castle of Otranto is considered the first Gothic novel, which also led to a division within Romanticism interested in exploring the supernatural. Beginning in the late eighteenth century, the Romantic era became a time for exploring intense emotion and humans’ connection with nature. Literature and art represented interest in the individual, the sublime, and an exploration of fear and anxiety explored through various means. Artists were able to express themselves more clearly through greater emphasis on creativity and the imagination -- including British romantics such as Wordsworth, Keats, Coleridge, etc. Dark Romanticism then became an extension of the Romantic era in that it focused on self-destruction, the supernatural, irrational and often violent behaviors, and human fallibility. It is no surprise that Gothic features - ominous settings, odd and maddened characters, and aspects of horror - were ingredients used to enhance the emotionally driven attitudes of characters reacting to uninviting environments. Some examples include Captain Ahab in Melville’s Moby Dick, Frankenstein and the unnamed creature in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, or the psychological decline of Poe’s characters in stories such as “The Black Cat,” and “A Descent into the Maelstrom.” Many of these stories contain terrifying, grotesque, and horrific images to convey the darker side of human thought and actions, not unlike The Lighthouse.
The Island and Lighthouse
Gothic settings are often isolated, mysterious, and threatening. They are established in a number of ways and tend to use decrepit castles, decaying buildings, or hidden regions without easy access. Characters often find themselves lured to these locations and have a difficult time escaping once there.The Lighthouse takes place on an unknown island that is sometimes foggy, cold, and stormy, creating an unwelcome environment. The opening scenes within the film establish an ominous atmosphere through the depiction of heavy fog spread across the sea. A barely visible boat is shown slowly traveling through the immense ocean, demonstrating an image of nature’s sublime power. Only then do we get a close-up of the boat making its way through the water, officially marking the introduction of Thomas’s and Ephraim’s story. These opening shots not only establish the mood of the film, but they also create a dream-like sequence that allows viewers to subtly enter into another time and place.
The island is also physically and emotionally draining for characters, particularly true for Ephraim. There are multiple scenes where he’s shown getting pummeled by wind, rain, and waves that violently crash against the rocks. As the weather grows more chaotic, Ephraim becomes increasingly drained and fed up with his duties. The tumultuous weather and felt isolation of the island are then reflective of Ephraim’s psychological state. As he descends into madness his environment becomes more chaotic, instilling a greater sense of terror and awe.
Within the Gothic genre or mode, buildings or locations can often take on a life of their own. The lighthouse is no exception and becomes a powerful force that drives Howard’s and Winslow’s obsessions. The beacon always remains a mystery to viewers -- incomprehensible, demented, and tied to the life of the island and sea. As the monstrous heartbeat of the film, the beacon fuel Ephraim’s delusions. Aside from Ephraim’s deranged reactions to the light at the end of the film, there is no resolution and viewers are left to their own interpretations. Ambiguity prevails, creating an intensity within the film driven by the fear of uncertainty.
Power and Prometheus
Imbalances of power are important within Gothicism; vulnerability becoming a key component in the struggle for authority between characters. In Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein; or, the Modern Prometheus, the creature holds immense power over Frankenstein, even killing family members as a way of asserting authority over his neglectful creator. In some ways the creature becomes closer to a god-like figure while Frankenstein is weakened and tortured by his own mortality and impending demise. The Lighthouse suggests a similar dynamic between Howard and Winslow, which can be more clearly defined though Percy Shelley’s Prometheus Unbound (published in 1820).
Prometheus Unbound is a re-imagining of Prometheus, a mythological character known for defying the gods by giving humans fire. As punishment, Prometheus is chained to a rock where his liver is continuously eaten by an eagle. Shelley has re-examined the Promethean hero through Prometheus’s refusal to submit to Jupiter's demands. The hero’s objective is to stop excess power by revealing the god’s exploits and ill will towards humanity. Shelley has also taken inspiration from John Milton’s Paradise Lost, as Satan is considered a tragic hero for rebelling against an omnipotent God. Although Satan’s ambition is fueled by envy and revenge, he is somewhat admired for wanting to reveal the truth.
In the film, the lighthouse beacon is carefully protected by Thomas who tries to establish enough dominance to deter Ephraim from pursuing the lure of the light. Ephraim is only able to gain access once he has killed Thomas, but is still punished for it in the end. The beacon may represent a truth unknown to viewers, but Ephraim goes mad in trying to seek it and endures an endless amount of pain as a result. In the final shot, Ephraim is shown slowly dying while seagulls peck at his organs. It’s a gory image but one that directly references Prometheus’ punishment. Ephraim may even be considered a tragic “satanic” hero. He’s not a good person by any means, and his motivations are certainly not noble, but his perseverance to take away Howard’s power in pursuit of the enigmatic light is in some ways heroic. Lighthouse beacons are typically used to guide sailors to safety. In the film, the light is a perversion of the island expressed through Howard’s and Winslow’s obsessions.
Mermaids and Sexual Desire
Plots with Gothic themes may also be driven by a character’s sexual desire. In the film, this is conveyed through Ephraim’s interactions with the mermaid. In the Romantic Era women were sometimes characterized as mythical seductresses. Poems such as Keats’s “La Belle Dame Sans Merci,” and “Lamia” include mythical women that hold a certain power over the men they seduce. Usually the men suffer or even die as a result of their encounters with these women. Although Ephraim’s interactions with the mermaid do not directly result in his death, her image is used as a tool of realization for Ephraim (however pleasurable, painful, or terrifying). Ephraim knows he’s being manipulated, but it only drives him into further distrust and madness.
Seagull Superstition
Seagulls are a superstitious force that torment Ephraim throughout the film. Not only do the birds foreshadow Ephraim’s gruesome demise, they also act as a catalyst for Howard and Winslow’s descent into madness. Early on, while Thomas and Ephraim are having dinner, Thomas makes it clear that it’s bad luck to kill a “seabird” as they are supposed to be the souls of dead sailors. Ephraim is not very superstitious and ends up horrifically killing a seagull that has been teasing him. Soon after, Ephraim has his first interaction with the mermaid and life on the island becomes more tumultuous and maddening. In Coleridge’s “Rhyme of the Ancient Mariner,” a man kills an albatross while at sea admitting that, “For all averred, I had killed the bird / That made the breeze to blow,” and “Then all averred, I had killed the bird / That brought the fog and mist.” As a consequence of killing the bird the sailors are stuck in the middle of the ocean without any wind or air to move them forward. The men suffer under the heat of the sun, unable to move and in continued isolation. For Ephraim and Thomas, the killing of the seagull is an act against the life of the island, holding them captive as a result.
Comedy
The use of comedy within works that explore the Gothic can provide a more intimate portrayal of characters and how they react against their isolating environments. Laughter within tragedy is widely showcased in the works of Shakespeare, and is also featured in Horace Walpole’s The Castle of Otranto.
“Comedy has always been intrinsic to the functioning of Gothic...Horace Walpole deliberately modelled The Castle of Otranto on Shakespearean tragedy with its graveyard humour and ‘low’ comic scenes. Thus ‘the comic turn in Gothic is not an aberration or corruption of a ‘serious’ genre but rather a key aspect of Gothic’s essential hybridity” (Spooner, 190).
Comedy can sometimes be used to lighten the mood in an otherwise serious story, but it can also be central in magnifying Gothic traits within a film or novel. For modern audiences, the use of laughter within a serious framework can come as a surprise. On the contrary, comic use can increase notions of the sublime and enhance the overall feeling of terror if used with enough finesse. In The Lighthouse, Thomas’s and Ephraim’s relationship can be described as a couple unsure of whether to love or hate each other. In one shot they might be arguing and spitting insults at each other only to hug and dance in the next. Although comical, the comedy is used to reveal their loneliness living on an isolated island. Their relationship is also fueled by aggression, manipulation, and madness. Any laughter derived from Ephraim and Thomas’s interactions uncover the men’s volatile behaviors.
Despite the horrifying and unearthly scene that depicts Ephraim’s first and final glance at the beacon, his long fall down the spiral staircase is funny because of its absurdity. Ephraim is so overtaken by the beacon he trips backwards and falls down the stairs, only to end up naked on the beach while birds eat him alive. The slight laughter that might arise from the staircase scene is quickly squashed by Ephraim’s (“Tommy’s”) tragic death - comedy and tragedy work together to create a forceful end. Throughout the film, laughter is ultimately derived from aggression and madness, which brings the suffering of both Ephraim and Thomas into sharper view.
Watching The Lighthouse is a strange experience, but an experience derived from a well-known literary tradition steeped in Gothicism. Although the story is new, the strange and distorted feelings the film invokes are not. As a whole, “gothic cinema has played a significant role in visualizing (and re-imagining) Gothic motifs and characters and, in doing so, has turned them into a symbolic code distinguishable even by those who may be unfamiliar with its long artistic tradition” (Reyes, 403). The film has absorbed traditionally Gothic traits to create a unique and grotesquely refreshing (excuse the paradox) horror film. Of course, there is always more that can be discussed relating to the above mentioned themes, but I hope these snapshots also provide some meaning into how viewers might experience the film.
Works Cited
Reyes, Xavier Aldana. “Gothic and Cinema: The Development of an Aesthetic Filmic Mode.” The Edinburgh Companion to Gothic and the Arts, edited by David Punter, Edinburgh University Press, Edinburgh, 2019, pp. 395–405. JSTOR.
Spooner, Catherine. “Gothic Comedy.” Twenty-First-Century Gothic: An Edinburgh Companion, edited by Maisha Wester and Xavier Aldana Reyes, Edinburgh University Press, Edinburgh, 2019, pp. 189–202. JSTOR.
Other Sources
Prometheus Unbound Full Poem: http://www.jacklynch.net/Texts/prometheus.html
Rhyme of the Ancient Mariner: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/43997/the-rime-of-the-ancient-mariner-text-of-1834