The Lighthouse Seagull Explained - SPOILERS!

Spoiler Warning!
After 2015's The Witch, it's no surprise that Robert Eggers' second film, The Lighthouse, is a major conversation starter and, to a degree, open to interpretation. Since catching the movie at the 2019 Toronto International Film Festival, I've had countless conversations about the varying analysis of the film's curiosities like the use of the seabird, the mermaid and so much more. If you haven't already checked it out, Vinnie Mancuso just posted a great piece exploring how myth and symbolism come into play - be sure to check that out right here: collider.com/t... but now we're putting the focus on some "answers" Robert Eggers himself gave.
#TheLighthouse #TheLighthouseExplained
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[@mattw.433]

I have so much respect for a creator that confidently invites us to interpret his art, rather than saying "this is what this means and this is how you should think." He wants you to ask your own questions, not give you answers. Nothing against Perri, she's asking the questions that we all have for Robert, but I truly appreciate his restraint from giving us all of the answers. Robert understands that this is the beauty of film; that we can debate and discuss and have fun connecting the dots. If we already have all of the answers, what is left to discuss?

[@BonafideShaunDent]

But what fun is it to never know the truth? I like trying to figure things out but eventually I would like the real answers. Me having 7 different interpretations of this movie does not good if I can't find out what is the true meaning. That is like readings a mystery, having all the clues and never getting the reveal. It would be like the Scioby Gang is about to take the monster mask off of the villain to show their identity and the shot ends just before.

[@Cash42]

But what if you can’t fully connect all the dots to any theory and therefore form a storyline that makes sense? I like the ambiguity, but i don’t know how to fully understand it in any way regardless of the theories I hear or form

[@atableinthewilderness680]

If there isnt at least an intentional interpretation then any discussion of the film is pointless because anything you figure out will be false.

[@JuanTheBone]

This is a fairly common stance for artistic directors, I actually find it more refreshing when directors make an art piece and explain it unabashedly while also allowing for interpretations

[@scampoli25]

The gull is the reincarnation of Old Tom's former assistant, the one Young Tom pulls up in the lobster trap.

[@creativeperson5858]

It's him reincarnated in the Gul.

[@scampoli25]

@@creativeperson5858 is there an echo in this comment section?

[@Gpeixoto98]

It's old Tom's former assistant in the form of a gull

[@scampoli25]

Gustavo Aguiar So there is an echo, good to know

[@elsaanna4711]

@@scampoli25 ok Thad

[@neilvarma]

It’s the Prometheus story and the gull is the spirit of the dead sailor

[@RP_Williams]

Except Dafoe is Proteus in this, not Zeus...so it's a weird version of the story.

[@RagdollRalph]

These questions are really something special. A few are a bit so-so but the final question about the final shot for example is really interesting and something I would never have come up with myself :)

[@leosanalien9904]

I’ve learned so much from this video

[@sirephraimgrayson202]

anyway i need to know that the seagull isn't really harmed in the movie making right ? Robert Pattinson didn't really kill it right ?

[@g.rathbone764]

When he slams the seagull against the rock my fucking jaw dropped

[@mrb14]

I was so waiting for this!

[@swisscheeseplease97]

2:43 oh I’m so glad there are real answers and it’s not up for interpretation.

[@Lizthegreat91]

Well if we know what happens to willem defoes character, and the one eye seagull...... makes sense.....

[@123rebelguy]

That guy is a fucking genius ...

[@Sharkman42]

I wish this movie hit theatres in South Africa. Still the best movie of 2019

[@harrisonhoward5814]

Why is this mans trousers so short

[@kurtoogle4576]

I loved this film!

[@heffalump111]

why does he go to an interview if he does not want to answer any question?

[@notimportant3686]

they are not mutually exclusive... perhaps he is prepared to answer some things but not all things.... and she happened to question him on the stuff he didn't want to outright give away but wanted people to pay better attention to and figure out feel better?

[@heffalump111]

@@notimportant3686 perhaps. But my first impulse I get when a question is not answered is that the person cannot answer it. It is obvious that people demand the answer--the interviewer does not answer out of the blue irrelevant questions. I understand if a magician does not want to give away how he creates his illusions, but this is not the same, people want to make sense of what the watched and giving away the "real" rationale behind the movie does not hurt anyone. To be fair, it is not just this particular director, but MANY directors are refusing to answer these questions. Does not make me like it more though.

[@WillingCrawdad4]

I believe Press junkets like this generally work in the Fashion that the press team behind his film invites media outlets & their people (journalist, pundit, critic etc) and there are rules/guidelines for the interviewimg press. Sometimes it's ask anything, sometimes the questions are approved before time. Then the interviewers takes turns while he sits there and gets asked sameish crap all-day. And usually the artist asks how they want. Plus, he's just generally a very very guarded and private guy .

[@Gpeixoto98]

I feel bad that he doesn't have much charisma when answering these questions. I mean, there's nothing wrong with the mystery, but he could put it in a better way

[@bennyfaziocriminalmastermind]

Bad luck to kill a seabird

[@siddharthshrivastava4389]

Useless interview

[@Cookiemunster779]

What is the point of a spoiler talk if the director whenever asked about the specifics of the movie is like “go watch the movie first” I already did asshole just talk about your movie! I’m not unaware that he wants to keep the movie “ambiguous” but I really dislike that he won’t even give his own original thoughts as to what he wanted the movie to say. It’s borderline pretentious

[@gokulsuresh6604]

The interviewer got scared after watching the movie "Joker". She didn't like Joker, she says. But she loved Captain marvel and Ant-Man &wasp

[@nireviews8492]

How does this relate to the Lighthouse?

[@SomeGuy-xg5nl]

Joker has nothing to do with The Lighthouse

[@bookeblade]

Cry fanboy.