The painting called The Lighthouse (2019) reveals a large number of contemporary problems.
What is the movie The Lighthouse about?
Two keepers arrived at the lighthouse.
An experienced caretaker teaches his young partner. But at night, he does not allow a new subordinate to stand on watch. The old caretaker remembers the old days. A young partner asks about what happened to his predecessor.
And he hears a story that the former caretaker dreamed of mermaids, and he considered the fire of the lighthouse mystical. Ephraim also begins to feel that strange things are happening in the darkness. A limping, bearded caretaker pushes his young subordinates around. The old man makes Winslow do all the dirty and hard work.
And something strange, mystical, frightening is gathering around the two caretakers. Ephraim can no longer figure out whether this is all in a dream or in reality.
A terrible monster with tentacles was seen by a young man. Ephraim continues to work. Strange visions do not cease to haunt him. The young caretaker saw a real mermaid.
The old caretaker endlessly tells stories from his life. Madness takes hold of the two inhabitants of the lighthouse. Terrible visions do not leave Ephraim. They drive the young caretaker crazy. Fear took possession of every cell of Winslow’s body.
In conversation, Ephraim admitted that his real name was Thomas. In anger, the young caretaker expresses to the old everything that has accumulated in his soul. And with horror he sees how the old man turns into a sea monster. There is a horn in his forehead, he threatens Ephraim with formidable tentacles. From terrible visions, the young man finally goes crazy.
He kills the old caretaker. The way to the top of the lighthouse is open. A bright light illuminates the young man, it causes him to have an attack of rage and frenzy. Ephraim lies on the ground, seagulls peck at his body.
Sleep of reason
The meaning of the film is that monsters are born in the fantasies of those people whose mind is asleep. Two people, cut off from the earth, and with it from reality, have lost their mind or are close to it. Therefore, they see what is not really there.
divine fire
The film also has a mythological meaning. The old caretaker does not allow his young colleague to go up to the top of the lighthouse, where the fire is burning. And here there is an indication of the myth of Prometheus. The gods hid the fire from people, but the hero was able to steal it.
So the old caretaker hid the fire of the lighthouse, carefully guarded it. In this fire, the old man hid his secret knowledge, the true light, which he did not want to share with others.
Bliss of Madness
The filmmakers tried to convey a curious thought to the viewer. Two on a lonely lighthouse live in some kind of completely crazy world of their own. But this does not burden the caretakers, they have grown together with this world, dissolved in it, these people are happy in their own way, they are not overcome by vain thoughts.
Nothing distracts the caretakers from the blissful contemplation of their inner world, everything human is already alien to them.
Psychology of loneliness
Hides the film and the meaning of loneliness. The old caretaker is already used to it. That’s why he treats his young subordinate. The wise old man does not want to part with his lonely position, he is used to it.
The caretaker is happy in his solitude, and wants to teach the young man the same. He will not allow interference in his free life.
Symbols
The mysterious film is filled with symbols. The main one is the lighthouse. The guiding fire, indicating the right path, symbolizes the right choice. Each person must strive towards the fire, adhere to the direction indicated by the bright beam wandering in the darkness. Woe to those who deviate from the right path.
From darkness to light
There is a divine meaning in the film. The lighthouse in this case personifies Jesus Christ. The light at its top is divine light.
He points the way out of the darkness of superstition to the light of truth and true faith. Amid the abyss of worldly passions, amid the restless waves of sinful life, the lighthouse points the way to salvation, and, therefore, to the savior himself.
Those who have eyes will see
Many mysterious things were hidden by the creators in their film. Only those who are able to discern the true meaning of a strange story in chaos and darkness are worthy of real enlightenment as a reward.
And it is hidden at the very top of the lighthouse towering over the world. The lighthouse is a symbol of innermost knowledge, a light illuminating the mind, a guiding star.
The meaning of the finale of the film The Lighthouse
The ending of the film has a mythological meaning.
The two caretakers go into battle. Suddenly, Wake turned into a sea god with tentacles and a horn. The son of Poseidon, Proteus appeared before Winslow. This is a real werewolf, a creature of darkness. The forces of evil have taken over the world. It was no coincidence that the old man guarded the fire of the lighthouse. He guarded the gates to the world of light. Winslow killed his partner, and with him the forces of evil. Now he can rise to a light that was previously inaccessible.
And Winslow goes crazy. Now he is like Prometheus, he stole the sacred fire from the gods. The new Prometheus was also punished. In mythology, an eagle pecked at the hero’s liver; at the end of a mysterious story, fantastic seagulls peck at the body of a young caretaker. He received punishment, and it will be eternal.
Prometheus received the light, and with it incredible secrets. And his fate is to endure eternal torment.
The ending also has another secret meaning, it is hidden in the conflict of two generations, as well as in the inevitability of punishment.
