The "period drama" genre is not the most popular in cinema. And Light (at 132 minutes) often seems to be wandering off its harsh intentions, hinted at in the beginning. But there is classical cinematic romance too, and Cianfrance’s stealthy approach gradually seduces you — leading you to feel almost too crushingly a vision of young love in a remote and lonely lighthouse.Then, somewhere off Australia, physical and emotional remoteness become a heartbreaking spectacle of love gone wrong, and of the pain that comes from wrong choices. But the brilliance of the main players transforms a windswept universe into suffocating intimacy.Light is for those prepared to allow nuances to infuse their evaluation of the material: it’s no blockbuster.The land and seascape mise-en-scène is almost pristine: a world not for men or women. The remote rock is unutterably bleak, subject to oceanic tides and storms. Before Tom (Fassbender) takes up his duties as keeper of the flame, its solitude has driven ...
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