Michael Fassbender, Alicia Vikander Shine Bright In ‘The Light Between Oceans’
In my senior year of college, I took a history class that took a look at the different perspectives surrounding the events of World War I. Most of the assigned reading was from journals and letters of those who lived through ‘The Great War’. Of the countless entries I read throughout the course, one journal completely blew me away: Testament of Youth by Vera Brittain.
Prior to this class, I had absolutely no idea who Vera Brittain was or her legacy through her writings. I went above and beyond the assigned reading by reading every last detail I could. Her thoughts about growing up, school dealing with romances — all set in the backdrop of the biggest war the world had ever seen — made for some sensational reading.
Her story also made for a sensational movie.
I immediately tracked down Testament of Youth, released in 2014, after reading the book. The hype was real. Sitting alone in my apartment, I was equally thrilled with the movie’s re-telling of Vera Brittain’s story. As a solid film should, the film stuck to her story and told it in a beautiful manner. The biggest takeaway, however, was the one who brought Vera Brittain to life: Alicia Vikander.
Vikander was perfection in Testament of Youth — a conversation for another time — and I have been following her career ever since. From Ex-Machina to The Danish Girl (Oscar winner!!!!), her movie choices have been the highest of quality. Thanks to Testament of Youth, I arrived a few days ago to theater to see The Light Between Oceans — Vikander’s latest film.
Unlike Testament of Youth, I had not read this book. Based on the novel by M.L. Stedman, The Light Between Oceans tells the tale of a young, married couple (played by Michael Fassbender and Alicia Vikander) in 1920s Australia living together on an island — as the husband is the lighthouse keeper. The couple rescue a baby girl and raise the the girl as their own. From there, the story takes on complex twists — testing the couple’s emotions toward one another. The film is written and directed by Derek Cianfrance.
(I’m not looking to spoil this film. I will say as much as I can about the plot, but this is not one where I want to go in-depth.)
The biggest takeaways, for me, were the direction and the performances by Fassbender and Vikander. The wide range of emotions was astounding and both captured the essence of the ordeal they go through with convincing clarity. Fassbender is a former soldier, looking for work after his service during World War I. Throughout the movie, he is a thoughtful yet distant man and husband. Utterly devoted to his wife, he always wants the best — but also doing things “by the book”. Coming from a military background, he follows procedure and is, sometimes, unsure on how to approach social events.
Vikander is his guiding light. She is understanding and warm toward the new lighthouse keeper. Their love is, almost, instantaneous— the very definition of love at first sight. There is not a clear message what she see or feels, in the beginning, toward Fassbender. Why is she so quickly attracted to him? At times throughout the movie, her point of view is lost to Fassbender’s. What we do have is the acting of Vikander, which gives us some voice to what she is thinking. Like always, Vikander knocks this performance out of the park.
In terms of these two characters, their most interesting time on the screen is the first 45 minutes. Until the baby arrives, there is a strong bond — with a hint of mystery — to the couple which is incredibly intriguing to watch on screen. Once the story starts to take its twists and turns, the characters voice their thoughts and feelings — mainly through letter reading (which is not the most interesting to watch) — and the characters become a tiny bit 2-D.
The other high point for this movie is the directing. This film looks phenomenal. Impeccably shot by Cianfrance and his team, the island looks and feels like the worst of the worst when it comes to isolation. The beauty and power of the ocean is brilliant photographed and showcased in the film. Throughout the film, the sound of wind is constantly a part of the conversation and setting of the film. At times, it covers up what the actors are saying, but it drives home the point that the elements reign king in areas where the movie takes place. It was a neat little touch to elevate the film.
On the flip side, this film is way too damn long. There is so much “fat” that needs to be trimmed. There are tons of scenes where, mostly, Fassbender worriedly or with a guilty expression looks in the distance. Those scenes should not be there. We know from the expressions he has when conversing with others and the letters he writes how he feels about what is happening to his family. There is no need for solitary scenes of him looking a certain way.
I do not want to spoil anything, but, characters are introduced half way through the film and given precious time for flashback scenes. I found them unneeded. As much as its need to understand where these new characters are coming from, re-telling their stories can effectively be done via dialogue. The multiple flashback scenes are a waste of time.
The Light Between Oceans is a period piece that looks fantastic. The film is long and, sometimes, feels like a chore, but the story is complex and fantastic. Where the film really needed it, the stars come through. Fassbender is effective and Vikander steals the show. I do not recommend this film for everyone. For someone who appreciates a well done period piece, seek this out. If not, you can pass.
Though I enjoyed it, the question on my mind after seeing this film was: where the hell in my copy of Testament of Youth? The rewatchability factor of The Light Between Oceans is incredibly low. For me, watching Alicia Vikander act tremendously once again was worth the price of admission.
