The Light Between Oceans

If one has seen a movie filled with emotion to the point of heart wrenching, “The Light Between Oceans” may be considered close to describing the film directed by Derek Cianfrance and adapted from the novel written by M.L. Stedman. The story centers upon a lighthouse located on Janus Island and involves the pivotal main characters Tom Sherbourne (Michael Fessbender) a veteran of World War I who returns home to Australia and finds work at the lighthouse and meets the daughter of Tom’s boss Isabel Graysmark (Alicia Vikander). What appears to be play out obvious and predictable within the storyline immediately takes a turn once the couple marries and attempts to conceive a child. It is from this point that the film and story becomes extremely dramatic and at times slow-pace but with immense intensity. The story is the core of the film but its strands of themes that emerge that are portrayed by the characters and the landscape in which they dwell. It is exceptionally captured by the cinematography and camera work that is not necessarily spoken within the dialogue but through their facial expressions and gestures. It is evident that Tom and Isabel experience challenges, especially attempting to establish a family of their own and after several attempts reaching to the point that it will never happen. And when all appeared hopeless, a dingy appears that may have come from a shipwreck and buried within the boat a man and a baby; one can guess what happens after that, Tom and Isabel are overjoyed. But before they can completely be at ease, other events transpire within the film that includes Rachel Weisz who plays widow and mother that had recently lost her child Hannah Roennfeldt, and the story further spirals as a mystery. And what looms in the balance one day, putting all of the pieces together to where the child came from and Tom confronting the truth while dealing with his own demons as a result of the war. “The Light Between Oceans” is enlightening as it is thought provoking and is worth an afternoon or movie night to watch.

Great movie.

This is the movie in which Alicia Vikander and Michael Fassbender met and fell in love - for real. Alicia is riveting in her performance, which encompasses so many facets of genuine human emotions. Her tremendous love and affection for her real life husband-to-be is palpable on-screen and a joy to see! Her unbridled joy descends to the the depths of human sorrow in the events which follow. No spoilers here. Buy and watch the movie. You won't regret your purchase. In my humble opinion, Alicia absolutely deserved to win an Oscar for her dynamic performance in this film also. She is a tremendously gifted actress who I believe will take home more Oscars in the years ahead. Her husband Michael Fassbender gives a heroic, albeit somewhat stoic performance, befitting his character's shell-shocked, post World War I nature. A superbly crafted love drama with twists and turns like no other which merits repeat viewings!!!

This movie is very long, very dramatic, and monotonous. Embark on watching this movie only if you're (1) prepared to spend 2 depressing hours, (2) you like heavy dramas or dramatic novels, and (3) you're not easily disturbed emotionally. This is a story about a World War I veteran who falls in love with a young woman and marries her. Then a number of tragedies come into the newly formed family, which leaves the family childless. Thereafter, the main characters resort to a very controversial move that changes their whole life, and the rest of the story is about the consequences of that choice. The movie touches on such themes as love to a man vs love to a child and moral dilemmas. It's generally about life and people's poor choices, love, resentment, forgiveness, and atonement. ------- PROS ------- -- a brilliantly acted movie -- philosophically rich -- stunning scenery, which is very symbolic of the main movie conflicts; this is something that would be hard to picture while reading the book, but the movie did a really god job picturing the atmosphere expressed in writing. -- the problem brought forth by the movie appeals equally to men and women -- despite deepest tragedies, the movie is somewhat life-affirming and doesn't give a one-sided view of what is right or what is wrong - the judgement rests with the viewer ------- CONS ------- -- a box of Cleanex may be much needed -- long, sometimes boring and action-deficient -- although the acting is magnificent, the characters are not fully developed -- possibly due to little action.. At the end of the movie, I cannot say much about the main characters, I feel I don't know them a lot.. Still I would recommend watching this movie. Despite it's long, heavy, and a little boring, it's so much better than other stupid movies on the market. It makes you think and reconsider your life values. And -- most important -- it gives good life lessons.

This is one of my all time favorite stories, beautifully portrayed in a movie. It's one of only a handful of movies, based on a book that stayed true to the original story. The acting is superb, especially Alicia Vikander.... she really brought out the heart of young Isabel.

This film blew me away. It is a heartwarming yet tragic tale of a childless couple who desperately want a child. When they find an abandoned baby in a small boat with the dead body of a man, they decide to keep the child as their own, leading to a tragic ending. Filled with twists and turns that kept my interest throughout. Beautifully filmed and perfectly acted, especially by the two leads. The music soundtrack was spellbinding. Filled with the atmosphere of the lighthouse island. Don’t expect a feel good ending. It is a real tearjerker. Keep a box of tissues handy. But don’t miss this 5+ masterpiece of filmmaking.

This was a wonderful movie. I enjoyed it quite a bit, yes some areas are slow, as others have stated in the reviews, but overall by the end I felt it was wonderful. Definitely a sad and tragic love story, but I was so invested in the characters that I wanted it to continue to see the life of Lucy-Grace and what led her to even look for them. It made me more curious to see if the book had the missing information I needed, but even if I just watch the movie and never read the book, it's a beautiful movie and worth seeing. I know the main characters date in real life, but it's evident they are great actors....not only do they convey so much chemistry onscreen, but they really bring the characters and story to life.

A dynamic cast featuring Michael Fassbender, Alicia Vikander and Rachel Weisz can't save the viewer from boredom in this very slow-moving film. THE LIGHT BETWEEN THE OCEANS is certainly a well-intentioned story about an overwhelming love story and tragedy. Tom Sherbourne (Michael Fassbender) lives along on a windswept island as a lighthouse keeper. Except for the boat that comes with supplies, he has no human contact, but on visits to the town, he meets beautiful young Isabel (Alicia Vikander). Yes, she is willing to marry him and live a stark life on the desolate island. Maybe being with your true love and soulmate is all you need but why not bring a baby into the picture? Here is where the story changes as Isabel tragically miscarries. But after her second miscarriage a miracle arrives as a lifeboat washes ashore with a dead man and a very alive baby. Tom knows he needs to report the incident but Isabel convinces him to raise the baby as their own. It's an interesting premise and the drama begins when Tom meets the grieving woman not knowing the fate of her husband and baby. It's a moral dilemma on an epic scale. Fassbender and Vikander are a real life couple and their chemistry is strong. Fassbender is one of my favorite actors and he never fails to deliver whether it is a Hollywood block buster or a smaller film such as THE LIGHT BETWEEN OCEANS. Vikander is am amazing young star with great potential. Of course, Rachel Weisz never disappoints so we have a great cast in a mediocre film. The film needs to have been tightened as far as story and length. How much time do we need to spend on a man alone on an island and then alone with his wife and finally alone with his wife and "daughter." Of course, the tone changes when Tom that another woman is in deep pain over their "innocent" deed. The scenery and the views of the turbulent ocean are breathtaking. There is a lot to praise about this film but in the end it is disappoints on so many levels.

A love story where the desire for children eventually bonds a difficult challenge to save a marriage. it is sad and rewarding to view this movie. The main actress is just wonderful and a beauty.

Poche volte ho avuto la gioia di vedere un film così ricco di emozioni perché sarà anche per il fatto che i registi di oggi sfornano per la maggior parte spazzatura ma nel mucchio si fa notare una perla rara, basta quella lacrima che riesce a strappare, quel cuore infranto, quella struggente storia d'amore che ha riscritto i canoni del vero amore! Insomma, la critica lo ha elogiato come un capolavoro, è stato premiato con 3 Oscar, il pubblico lo ha osannato, io personalmente lo ho amato fin da subito! Ecco, se siete alla ricerca di emozioni, questo sicuramente vi farà battere forte forte il cuore, la lacrima scenderà da sola come per incanto, una storia ben raccontata e ben diretta, un film che io preferisco al pari di La La Land (che amo tantissimo e che ho). Se volete una cineteca di qualità a casa vostra non fatevi sfuggire questo trionfo per l'anima, lo spirito ed il vostro cuore! Consigliatissimo! Nota finale: questo film non è in riassortimento, ciò significa che prima o poi terminerà e ci sarà il rischio di non poterlo più avere, quindi approfittatene!

Très beau film. Situé en Australie, au début des années 1920.

Darauf läuft es hinaus in Derek Clanfrances Verfilmung von M.L. Stedmans Roman -Das Licht zwischen den Meeren-. Großes „Schmachtfetzen-Kino“ mit Bildern, die einem unter die Haut gehen und einer Story, die dramatischer kaum vorstellbar ist. Besetzt mit drei hervorragenden Darstellern, die sich perfekt in die Geschichte einbringen. Wer da unbewegt rausgeht hat vermutlich ein Herz aus Stein oder das Wort Empathie noch nie gehört. Nach dem ersten Weltkrieg will Tom Sherbourne(Michael Fassbender) nur noch seine Ruhe. Er bewirbt sich auf eine Aushilfestelle auf dem Leuchtturm der Insel Janus Rock. 100 Meilen Einsamkeit trennen ihn dort vom Festland Austrailiens. Bei seinem Besuch auf Land lernt er Isabel(Alicia Vikander) kennen und lieben. Das beruht auf Gegenseitigkeit. Isabel zieht mit Tom auf die einsame Insel und erlebt dort die große Liebe, aber auch zwei tragische Fehlgeburten. Dann spült das Meer eine Jolle an Land, in der ein lebendes, kleines Mädchen und ein toter Mann liegen. Tom will den Vorfall melden, aber Isabel will das Baby. So nehmen Glück und Unglück gemeinsam ihren Lauf… Bis kurz vor Ende des Films war ich mit dem Plot nicht hundertprozentig einverstanden, doch die letzten Minuten rückten einiges zurecht, was man vorher nur erahnen konnte. Derek Clanfrance hat ganz tief in die Kiste mit den großen Gefühlen gepackt und sie alle herausgeholt. Das tut dem Film unendlich gut. Wer allerdings nicht auf eine klassische Geschichte in Old School Manier(obwohl Stedmans Roman aus dem Jahr 2012 ist) steht, der sollte den Film lieber nicht anschauen. Für all diejenigen Zuschauer, die noch heute mit Wehmut an Filme wie -Jenseits von Afrika- denken, ist -Liebe zwischen den Meeren- in jedem Fall ein MUST-HAVE…

“The Light Between Oceans”, I found to be an excellent film. The acting from all the cast is superb, and the directing from Derek Cianfrance is brilliant (there is information within the Extra Features on the DVD regarding the his approach to his directing during the making of the film), the cinematography is outstanding, as is the whole feel of the film with regard to costumes, sets, music etc. Characters and especially those characters as given by the lead actors (Michael Fassbender, Alicia Vikander and Rachel Weisz) are well defined and the narrative is given in a way that is paced brilliantly – it is not a rushed film and yet over the space of just a couple of hours you get a real feel for the length of time over which the story is told. It is a multi layered story that begs the question – “What would I have done in that persons shoes?” and Derek Cianfrance, the cast and all involved in the film have conveyed that brilliantly. This is no small budget film, but it has managed to avoid being spoiled by Hollywood clichés and I would highly recommend watching it to anyone who appreciated a good story well told. My review is of the “film” and not a review for the “film of the novel” if you see the distinction, as I think it can be unfair to make a comparison, as you are not really comparing “like with like”. I did though, read the novel when it was first published and though that it was brilliant, and remember being surprised after finishing the novel to see at least one review that said something along the lines of “a good bit of Chick-lit”, as I found the story to be very intelligent and absolutely stunning, and “a good bit of Chick-lit” would not suggest “stunning” to me. The story, whether one finds it in the novel or as it is portrayed in the film is an excellent story, and I would recommend the story to anyone who enjoys a good story told well. Watch and enjoy the film, and it goes without saying that I would wholeheartedly recommend reading the novel. The extra features on the DVD are definitely worth taking a look at. On the DVD you get: “The Light Between Oceans” (2 hours 7 minutes) Scene Selection Set Up: Audio English 5.1, English 2.0 Audio Description Audio Commentary with Director Derek Cianfrance and Film studies Professor Phil Solomo Subtitles: Optional English SDH (For the Deaf and Hard of Hearing) Bonus Features: Bringing “The Light” To Life (16 minutes) Lighthouse Keeper (5 minutes)