O Farol

Um drama psicológico com elementos de horror, hipnotizante de forma visual, artesanal e de atuação e extraordinariamente impressionante, inspirado em contos de marinheiros, na obra de Herman Melville e na mitologia antiga. Não se pode evitar admirar a sua atmosfera depressivamente claustrofóbica, a sua elaborada mise-en-scène, a sua incrível câmara, o seu trabalho sonoro e a sua iluminação com significado, bem como a atuação de ambos os protagonistas, aos quais é dado o seu justo espaço pelo argumento (para além de várias cenas marcantes em conjunto, cada um deles brilha no seu longo monólogo). Um trabalho realisticamente cru e intransigentemente autoral, no qual, surpreendentemente, o humor também tem o seu lugar, destaca-se pela sua fascinação visual e máxima precisão de direção, e felizmente, em comparação com A Bruxa, já não parece ser um pouco pesado, sobrecarregado ou involuntariamente ridículo. (08/10/2019)

Trata-se da forma nerd, dos grandes atores e do destemor do realizador em fazer experiências e ambição de fazer algo nunca visto. Uma banda sonora maravilhosamente envolvente, quase sinistra, com o zumbido profundo dum farol. Uma grande composição a preto e branco 4:3 no estilo dos filmes de terror do início do século XX. Ambiente da febre de cabine deprimente dum local remoto, nebuloso, ventoso e dentro dum local húmido e fedorento. E o conflito entre dois personagens masculinos, que não é ajudado por todas estas circunstâncias. As suas parvoíces bêbadas não são tão estimulantes, mas fazem um bom trabalho de descrição dos personagens e do lugar da época. (08/01/2020)

After The Witch, Robert Eggers directs another period and psychologically challenging piece, this time in black and white and square format, making it feel like it was made in 1910. that initially repulsed me, but eventually I found myself immersed in the plot and enjoying the nightmare driven to madness. Both Willem Dafoe and Robert Pattinson give great performances, the dialogue is impressive, the atmosphere thickens and there are a few disturbing scenes (a seagull being bludgeoned to death, a live burial, masturbation over a mermaid and the final scene is very raw). Here I can understand 10 stars and 0, so it depends on you, but I was not bored. 7/10. (08/01/2020)

In its reconstruction of 19th-century life and visual style of old films, The Lighthouse is an unprecedented curiosity made with great care and, in one view, makes perhaps as much sense (and is thus as carelessly blind) as a drunken sailor who has read Moby Dick and a few paragraphs of Greek mythology (particularly the story of Prometheus) and psychoanalysis (you reach the id only after pacification of the controlling superego). The plot stands on water, the relationship between the two men on alcohol. Instead of drama or any character development, there is only the building of an atmosphere which, in the end, leads to nowhere and serves no purpose; it is not legitimised by any unifying theme to which the film would adhere. It simply just is. The vagueness, eccentricity and signs of cognisance of the film’s pulpiness give the impression of being an intentional act on the part of the screenwriter, an attempt to sell a simple, self-regarding horror story to dramaturgs of A-list festivals. When everyone finds something in a film, that does not necessarily mean that there is actually something to be found in it. Due to the degree to which it depends on its two actors and sound effects, I would rather see The Lighthouse in the form of an absurdist stage play in which the riveting acting performances could overcome the terrible repetitiveness, predictableness and utter lack of flow. 55% (03/01/2020)

Just like in his The Witch, the director relishes creating the right atmosphere, but his film is very inapproachable; he makes every effort to spoil your viewing experience. The actors in the leading roles (Dafoe and Pattison) deliver superb performances, moreover in black and white, in a spooky, morbid environment with a hidden evil like from Lovecraft. I like all of this, but the inapproachability of the film makes it hard to give it better than average rating. It is, however, definitely a unique experience. (30/01/2020)