DIFFERENT, YET THE SAME - ‘THE ASSISTANT’ AND ‘THE LIGHTHOUSE

R. SANDIFORD

For two films which would seem completely different, ‘The Assistant’, about the experiences of a woman in an exploitative workplace, and ‘The Lighthouse’, about two men trapped on an island driving one another insane, it is surprising that both films manage to conjure up a remarkably similar sense of dread, yet through completely different means.

‘The Assistant’ (released in January 2020 and directed by Kitty Green) opens with almost 10 minutes of near silence, as the titular assistant Jane (played by Julia Garner) makes her way to her deserted office building, the New York branch of a film production company, clearly based on Miramax and Harvey Weinstein. It’s through this silence that ‘The Assistant’

tells a compelling story of exploitation of women in the film industry.

It explores a day in the life of a woman working in film production, and after she has wandered around the office in the twilight of the early morning setting various things up, Jane goes through her regular duties: setting up meeting rooms, printing scripts, greeting guests and higher-ups in the company, and so forth. Through these mundane actions Jane, as well as the audience, uncover a creeping suspicion that something is deeply wrong in this company, yet every other person in the company either treads around the subject or jokes about it as if it is completely normal and acceptable. Everything, from even a discarded earring on the table to other mundane items, makes it clear that there is a seedy underbelly to what goes on at this company.

We never actually see the boss of the company, and indeed hardly ever hear him. He is not even named, yet his influence is present in every scene. He is powerful without needing to demonstrate it by even appearing on screen. Almost everyone in the company knows what he does, and yet nobody points it out as being unacceptable, a clear demonstration of the power that men like this unnamed boss and Harvey Weinstein hold over those that work for them, as well as shining a light on the culture that allows this repetitive abuse to go unpunished for so long.

Throughout the film, the audience feels a mounting sense of dread as you begin to question what Jane is going to do with this information. It’s a testament to the skills of Julia Garner, that we can almost see her thought process in every single scene, despite her saying very little, the dominant sound being not her but the jovial chatter of her colleagues, or else silence. You almost feel absorbed into this stifling

atmosphere, as it becomes more and more obvious that there is something deeply wrong, yet Jane is powerless to stop it. Instead, she still continues to perform her silent and thankless grunt work.

Perhaps the most important scene is the interaction between Jane and the human resources manager (Matthew Macfayden), in which she tries to explain why she thinks something is wrong in the company. Both actors are absolutely amazing in this scene, and the dread/tension that has been present throughout the film, becomes unbearable. So real are the performances here, that you cannot help but be sucked into the plot.

What makes this film truly exceptional, is the omnipresent silence. It’s not exactly what Jane says that matters, but what she doesn’t say, and while a film in which ostensibly little happens, the silence is captivating and gives such an insight into the culture of film production and the reality of what goes on in these companies. It’s easy to hear stories such as that of Harvey Weinstein, and think, ‘how could nobody have spoken up about this’, but 'The Assistant’ illuminates precisely how these abuses are dismissed and swept under the rug.

On the contrary, ‘The Lighthouse’ (released in October of 2019 and directed by Robert Eggers) is filled with constant, inescapable noise. Be it the crashing of the waves against the solitary island, the howling winds or the long-winded tales of Willem Dafoe’s Thomas Wake, there is hardly ever a calm moment in the film.

The constant sound is far from the only thing that eats away at the audience throughout this great film. From its first moments, one feels trapped by this film, the 1:19 aspect ratio creating a strong sense of claustrophobia, making it clear that neither the characters nor the viewer can escape this island. This is only made more effective when the insanity of both characters, but especially Willem Dafoe, begins to reveal itself, highlighted by the closeup shots of his manic grin, dominating the entire frame, trapping you with this madman whether you like it or not.

Much of the film goes through the hard labour of Ephraim, (played by Robert Pattinson) interspersed with primordial visions and often uncomfortable discussions with his superior, Thomas Wake. It becomes clear early on that life on the isolated rock will not go smoothly, with both men descending into madness and alcoholism. The passage of time becomes unclear, and an approaching storm means that they won’t be able to receive any relief or additional supplies. Thomas and Ephraim form a strange relationship with one another, flitting between violence and love as Ephraim’s visions become more horrific, and tensions rise.

As the morals of both men become more and more corrupted, the cancer seems to spread through the island as well and the film progresses with the sense that both Ephraim and Thomas will inevitably be destroyed by their actions/obsessions, and yet it is impossible to look away. It is captivating in the same way footage of a terrible accident is. Both actors throw themselves into the roles completely, with Willem Dafoe fully committing to the persona of the old sea captain, a jolly character who quickly becomes hostile and Dafoe’s performance keeps the audience guessing as to whether he is just an infuriating person, or else a deranged maniac. Pattinson is similarly excellent, embodying a tortured soul

who is gradually gnawed away at by the island, until he is very different to the man that arrived there initially.

Obsession is what lies at the heart of this film, with Ephraim becoming increasingly obsessed with what lies at the top of the lighthouse, which is a secret Thomas keeps from him. He also becomes obsessed with a piece of scrimshaw carved in the shape of a mermaid, which he finds soon after his arrival. It’s these obsessions that drive his mental decline and the effectiveness of Pattinson’s performance is palpable in the dread that his descent causes, with the viewer understanding from his subtle yet powerful characterisation, that it is inevitable that he will fall further and further. Thomas and Ephraim, contrary to their hostile thoughts and actions, become obsessed with one another as well, adding nuance to what could have otherwise been a predictable story about the affects of solitude.

The culmination of these factors is a film in which the audience feels uncomfortable the vast majority of the time, but cannot tear themselves away from what is happening before them, as the performances and direction are so captivating. While the overall message of the film is not nearly as clear as that of ‘The Assistant', the dread it creates is almost overpowering, making it a psychological horror that is hard to stop thinking about, long after the film is over.

While ‘The Assistant' and ‘The Lighthouse’ take completely different paths, one focusing on silence and implication of an almost intangible horror, and the other exploring the terrors of solitude in a way that overpowers the viewer’s senses and thoughts, both end up at the same destination of completely seizing the attention of the viewer, and creating a strong unease which dominates both films.