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2 Lighthouse stories
Nov. 8th, 2021 08:39 pmI have lighthouses on my mind lately.
I watched the film "The Lighthouse" because it was nominated for Festivids, and for some reason I did watch to the end, but I fast-forwarded through many parts of it.
The premise involves a new assistant lightkeeper arriving at a lighthouse in 1890, to join the more experienced keeper. Their relief does not arrive due to heavy storms, and they start having visions and nightmares and get violent. The setting is depicted as bleak, cold, disgusting; it's filmed in black and white with a sort of squarish aspect ratio.
It's supposed to be psychological horror, though I did not find it scary; I was hoping the mermaids and monsters were real. I enjoy the weirdness of Robert Pattinson and Willem Dafoe, but that was about all I got out of it. I'm mystified by how this was nominated for an Oscar. I suppose the film was trying something, being experimental, but in my mind it did not succeed.
So anyways, then I read a very good Harry Potter fanfiction with a similar premise, but that is worlds better.
That Which Shall Not be Unearthed by anonymous (I believe the author will be revealed at some point as it's part of a challenge).
Harry takes a job as a lighthouse keeper because he wants to get away from society and live somewhere peaceful and remote, to deal with his depression and PTSD. When he arrives, he finds that the other keeper is Draco Malfoy, and they will both be working the job for the next year. It's been long enough since they saw each other, that they are different people now, and are accepting of each other's presence.
This story has a creepy element to it which involves dreams and visions, but of course the magic is real, and it's not some kind of lesson about isolation driving someone mad. This mysterious magical through-line complements the cozy romance of Harry and Draco getting to know one another in a beautiful, small, remote place. They see the aurora borealis and admire the sea. They drink whisky in front of a fireplace and cuddle on the sofa. Their work is soothing to them, as it involves physical activity and straight-forward tasks that can be accomplished with not much difficulty. It's a balm for these damaged people to work this job.
Lighthouses are inherently interesting, and it was fun to read a story that takes place in one.
I watched the film "The Lighthouse" because it was nominated for Festivids, and for some reason I did watch to the end, but I fast-forwarded through many parts of it.
The premise involves a new assistant lightkeeper arriving at a lighthouse in 1890, to join the more experienced keeper. Their relief does not arrive due to heavy storms, and they start having visions and nightmares and get violent. The setting is depicted as bleak, cold, disgusting; it's filmed in black and white with a sort of squarish aspect ratio.
It's supposed to be psychological horror, though I did not find it scary; I was hoping the mermaids and monsters were real. I enjoy the weirdness of Robert Pattinson and Willem Dafoe, but that was about all I got out of it. I'm mystified by how this was nominated for an Oscar. I suppose the film was trying something, being experimental, but in my mind it did not succeed.
So anyways, then I read a very good Harry Potter fanfiction with a similar premise, but that is worlds better.
That Which Shall Not be Unearthed by anonymous (I believe the author will be revealed at some point as it's part of a challenge).
Harry takes a job as a lighthouse keeper because he wants to get away from society and live somewhere peaceful and remote, to deal with his depression and PTSD. When he arrives, he finds that the other keeper is Draco Malfoy, and they will both be working the job for the next year. It's been long enough since they saw each other, that they are different people now, and are accepting of each other's presence.
This story has a creepy element to it which involves dreams and visions, but of course the magic is real, and it's not some kind of lesson about isolation driving someone mad. This mysterious magical through-line complements the cozy romance of Harry and Draco getting to know one another in a beautiful, small, remote place. They see the aurora borealis and admire the sea. They drink whisky in front of a fireplace and cuddle on the sofa. Their work is soothing to them, as it involves physical activity and straight-forward tasks that can be accomplished with not much difficulty. It's a balm for these damaged people to work this job.
Lighthouses are inherently interesting, and it was fun to read a story that takes place in one.
