THE LIGHT BETWEEN OCEANS: Review of the movie based on the novel by M.L. Stedman – A touching love
Warning: Small Spoilers
This is the first time I have ever gone to a movie without reading the synopsis first. All I knew about it was the location was a lighthouse off the coastline of Western Australia and there was a tiny lost baby involved. I have no idea why I didn't read about it prior as I had even picked up a flyer in the foyer before going into the cinema and there was plenty of time to do so before the movie got underway. In saying all that, I'm ecstatic it worked out that way as the whole story was a glorious surprise. Truly, this has to be the most heart-wrenching movie I have ever seen. The tears were flowing for approximately the last twenty minutes of this beautifully tragic saga and they wouldn't stop - as were the 50-something gentleman's sitting beside me (not my husband!) and we commiserated together while the credits rolled, saying what a couple of silly old softies we were!
For the first hour or so I sat in breathtaking wonder watching this touching love story unfold - a returned soldier fresh from the First World War trying to come to terms with what he had witnessed in that gut-wrenching conflict, and a gentle young woman devoted to her parents and living in a small town where eligible suitors were few. He is a fill-in lighthouse keeper, seeking solace in this solitary lifestyle until this beautiful young woman quickly works her way into his heart. Their unfolding love story is every romantic's dream - caught up in the joy of first love, completely isolated so they can be as one with both themselves and nature in all of her fragile beauty and raging fury. Their marriage abode is perched on a tiny island far off the West Australian coastline, with only the sun's rays, bitterly cold winds and torrential rain, surging tides carrying pounding waves onto the rocky shoreline and silvery moonbeams to keep them company - along with that solitary shaft of light warning sailors to stay clear of this perilous outcrop. Every three months, a trusty wood-fired vessel drops off supplies and gives them news of the outside world.
The chemistry flowing between these two to begin with is every writer's dream and I sat there in the darkness wishing I had been the one bringing these soulmates to life, on both the silver screen as well as the pages of the novel. Until tragedy strikes with a duo of gut-wrenching mid-term miscarriages two years apart, leaving both of them, but most especially the wife, shattered and distraught. And then, out of all this sadness, what seems to be a miracle occurs - a fragile row boat comes to rest on the island's sandy shore with the cold and lifeless body of a man lying beside a very small baby, crying pitifully and in desperate need of a loving set of parents.
The subsequent hour was the moving unfolding of the following four years of this trio’s new hope-filled lives - the coming together of everyone's dream family, while hiding a terrible guilty secret. I dare not give away any more in-depth revelations, except to say that your heart will most likely be wrenched out of your chest several times over in the concluding half hour, and for each one of the characters involved.
Florence Clery is the most adorable little girl playing the role of Lucy Grace as a four-year-old, although the baby and then the toddler in this same role earlier on were just as endearing, with their happy natures balanced by the pure luck of amazing timing for tiny tots.
Michael Fassbender and Alicia Vikander, in the main character roles of Tom and Isabel, share wonderful chemistry and I found my heart plunging head first into their enfolding love story ... as well as the tragic consequences that followed. Rachel Weisz plays the role of a grieving wife and mother with all the pathos and yearning necessary, while still keeping the dignified manner of her high bred status in this small town. Jack Thompson, Bryan Brown and Garry McDonald, all well-known Aussie actors, add some fine touches to their lesser characters.
The ending is the gentle progression of turning full circle and breaks your heart all over again, which is why I, and this temporary neighbour of mine, ended up blowing our noses loudly when the screen went blank. For a few minutes afterwards, we both bemoaned the tragic consequences of a momentary decision once made which then could never be changed without a mass of dire consequences for a host of people.
My only criticisms were in no way to do with the story itself, purely because they were simply a lack of attention to detail: Firstly, the mispronunciation of the town of Albany on two separate occasions by different people – said as though uttering the word ‘All-bany” rather than its actual clipped form as in the name “Alan”. Next, the German who died in the rowboat had a full Australian accent, even though his distinct German accent was mentioned by the townsfolk earlier, and because of the many hours I sat through court cases, the questioning of Isabel had a glaring error when the answer was already included in the question put to her.
My favourite quote from the movie had a beautiful sentiment and something we can all take into everyday life ... “You only have to forgive once. To resent, you have to do it all day, every day.” And the second time it is quoted makes your soul sigh for the teller...
With a stirring score that captures both the romance and tragedy of the four main characters, along with the rugged beauty of the windswept setting; magnificent mood lighting and cinematography that captures glorious seascapes, including sunsets that take your breath away; and all enhanced by a descriptive script oozing with pathos, this film has everything a movie lover with a romantic heart could want.
As always, I am so glad I saw the movie first as the suspense was fully spellbinding through the most crucial and heartbreaking portions. It also means, once I read the book, I will be able to picture all the locations and expressions of those involved and enjoy all the parts that needed to be left out due to the time constraints associated with a movie. Now I can’t wait to bury my head in its pages.
And the most fitting conclusion to this whole experience happened when I walked outside. A huge thunderstorm was in progress and it was as though the heavens were crying with me.
This truly was the perfect storyline: a heaven-sent love story for two lonely souls, the quintessential family unit that every person dreams of and the most heartbreaking tragedy you could ever imagine. Definitely 10 out of 10 from this reviewer.
