Point 2 – Homage/Pastiche

The Shining is considered to be a postmodern film, exhibiting various themes such as the paranormal, family, and isolation. Kubrick displays this with his disorienting use of claustrophobia throughout the Overlook Hotel’s layout, through the labyrinth of endless corridors and his use of colour to further develop the atmosphere. Another concept also present throughout his film is what is now known as a liminal space – a transitional area; such as an airport, shopping centre, and in this case, a hotel – a place that should be full of people, that is completely deserted. Audiences often find this imagery discomforting, placing more unease on them as they watch the narrative unfold. These two ideas manage to forge an overwhelming sense of claustrophobia that can be felt throughout the film, further increasing the tension as Jack Nicholson’s character falls victim to the supernatural forces eating away at his sanity before the film’s climax.

Eggers’ film gives pastiche to some of these themes in one way or another, recycling themes of isolation and the paranormal and implementing it into a tale full of ancient folklore and mythology. In an interview with /Film, Eggers specified that for a previous film, The VVitch, he took great influence from The Shining, which clearly still has an effect in The Lighthouse. This effect can be seen through Eggers’ use of sound and the consistent droning of the lighthouse, imitating Kubrick’s use of the typewriter’s constant clicking in different scenes across The Shining to stir anxiety in his audiences. Similarly, Eggers also uses a storm to keep his characters isolated from the rest of the world, following the theme of the supernatural, almost as if the island itself won’t let the men go, as the hotel did to Kubrick’s characters. The Lighthouse also captures a strong sense of claustrophobia through both its 1.19:1 aspect ratio and the use of a digitally added monochrome filter. These two elements cause an audience to experience similar emotions of entrapment that Eggers’ characters feel stuck on the island, leaving them further distressed by the grotesque imagery combined with the dark and brooding colour palette.

Eggers’ pays homage to classic film with his use of the 1.19:1 aspect ratio in The Lighthouse, which is strikingly close to the 4:3 aspect ratio that was most commonly used during the late 20th century – when The Shining was released. It should be noted that whilst Kubrick’s film was shot in a 1:1.85 ratio, it was displayed on screens with a 4:3 ratio at time of release.

https://www.slashfilm.com/542687/the-witch-influences-the-shining/