The Power of Recreating Historical Atmosphere in Films
How have films like The Lighthouse and A Portrait of a Lady on Fire utilised atmosphere to make the audience experience a historical period they haven’t lived in?
Film is one of the only mediums that atmosphere can be created in — and atmosphere has long been overlooked amongst historians, despite it having the ability to both tell a story about the past and possess a transportive or immersive element.
While many experts in the past have defined atmosphere as the ‘pervasive tone or mood’ that a film carries, it can be argued that it encompasses a lot more than this notion of background influence. Atmosphere consists of a much ‘broader’ range of elements and thus its importance has been overlooked, as the details “are not backgrounds, but totalities.” While setting, sound design and weather do impact on the atmosphere of a film as many experts have suggested in the past, lighting, acting, props, cinematography, costumes, music and dialogue serve an equal amount of importance. A mood may last longer than a film, which is empirical if it’s set within a historical context as these facets are what can lend a film its transportive and immersive qualities. It’s also important to understand that the mood fabricated within these films is not just the tone the filmmaker intended, but also the perceivers, as atmosphere encompasses all elements of the aesthetic work as well as the surrounding perceptions of it. Therefore, a period film that properly harnesses a historical atmosphere can be so transportive, as unlike the written word, it not only tells the audience about the past but can also supply image, sound and structure.
Transportive is an even more subjective term than immersive, however the goal of filmmakers has always been to “transport an audience into the world of the film.” It refers to how immersive a film is, and how it can make the audience truly feel as if they are experiencing the specific historical or fictional world. Robert Eggers The Lighthouse (2019) is a period thriller set in the late 19th century and has been described as having ‘atmosphere infused’ into it and an ‘atmosphere so thick you’ll choke,’ and in conjunction repetitively described as being ‘transportive.’ Not just to a fictitious world, but “to an earlier, perhaps more elemental, time.” Celine Sciamma’s Portrait of a Lady on Fire (2019), set in the late 18th century is ‘richly atmospheric’ and ‘transportive.’ With the protagonists in both stories either being based on myth or several historical figures, the films lack accuracy but are arguably entirely authentic. This juxtaposes interestingly with Unbroken (2014), which focuses absolutely on the accuracy of the character and lacks an identifying mood. It suggests that it’s not possible to have both a transportive atmosphere and accurately depict a historical figure; perhaps historical filmmakers need to focus on conveying only one of the two.
Period costumes are vital in ensuring a film remains visually authentic and avoiding a ‘static period accuracy.’ They help the spectator to be fully absorbed in the past, as visually the world that they’ve imagined or seen painted is coming to life, and so it needs to be historically accurate. It’s an element that heavily contributed to the overall atmosphere within both films. With music and dialogue rarely making an appearance in Portrait of a Lady on Fire, the clothing is integral in conveying and evoking emotion. Costume designer Dorothee Guiraud studied the period and made sure the dresses were historically accurate, by ensuring the clothing was stiffened with whalebone and the dresses had pockets. The character and costume are perceived as one so are integral for genuine authenticity. If a costume is historically inaccurate, the atmosphere is impacted as the disparity feels jarring. The protagonists are almost always wearing the same two dresses, which is similar in The Lighthouse. Costume designer Muir ensured the attention to detail went down to the number and type of buttons on the character’s jackets. While these details frequently go unnoticed by the audience, and should remain that way, the absence of them means the atmosphere isn’t as prevalent. Both designers have cited their devotion to studying paintings and imagery from the different time periods, which suggests that by building these facets off artwork the audience already knows, there’s a mutual experience. The costumes are understood because they’ve been seen before in different contexts, and from prior knowledge the viewers know them to be historically accurate, thus ensuring immersion in the story as even the details are believable.
Background props play a vital role in the development of a transportive atmosphere. These are props “built for the sake of designing the atmosphere of the film,” and serve no purpose in furthering the story. Instead, their purpose is to create a seamless environment that doesn’t disrupt the ambiance of the film at all. However, going by the idea that dictates historical atmosphere can be created through props and production design, then all historical films that accurately recreate this should have a transportive element. And yet some don’t. Props are objects that “everyone can relate to.” So, when the audience sees the characters interacting with the props, it creates a mutual experience that draws them in. Emma (2020), despite being rich with historical intricacies that usually make up atmosphere (set design, costumes, dialect), decidedly lacks a transportive atmosphere. The characters glide through their world as opposed to interacting with it, unless it’s to hold dainty China or sit in carriages; experiences that a current audience can rarely relate to. However, in The Lighthouse, a large portion of the film relies on the characters interaction with props. Whether it be nearly drowning themselves in alcohol, working the cistern or moving the wheelbarrow all over the island, the characters aren’t just moving through their world but consistently interacting with it. And so, whether their actions are relatable, the dedication they have within their world is something that the audience shares. Prop also becomes a character; the lighthouse itself has a mystical pull which drags the audience further in. While this creates the tense and ominous atmosphere, it also serves to ensure the audience is rooted in the historical period of the film by consistently addressing an authentic 19th century lighthouse.
Cinematography is incredibly important in portraying character and mood by serving the narrative, thematic and aesthetic demands of the story. The Lighthouse is shot on a 1.19x1 ratio to cut the audience out of aspects of the world, allowing the imagination to run wild while much of the visible imagery is oddly realistic. As Eggers primary aim is to ‘transport audiences,’ cinematographer Blaschke chose to shoot on orthochromatic film (meaning it’s sensitive to blue light), which was often used during the late 19th century. While this is of course historically accurate, it also gives the film texture. The slippery seaweed in comparison to the chipping paint can almost be felt, enhancing the atmosphere largely and dragging the audience to the period. However, Sciamma managed to achieve a similar transportive atmosphere without shooting on film. The digital shots still required a great deal of specific lights to create the desired atmosphere, which in actuality was to combine memories and period films, to “enhance [the] 18th century image to current realities.” These ‘physical traces of the past’ are what lend the film its authenticity. Cinematographer Mathon aimed to render the skin to bring “a bit of the period into the image.” By treating the faces as if they were landscapes, the idea that character can be involved in aspects that are “better represented on film,” is introduced. As “no facet of cinematography” escapes the production of an identifying atmosphere, these elements are integral to the final transportive tone produced. Both films have multiple long shots, which act to establish the atmosphere and causes the audience to feel like they are wholly within the world. The slow pace and lingering shots also mean the viewer is given time to explore the events and the historical period they’re being shown.
Another 2019 film set within a historical context and described as being ‘thick with atmosphere,’ ‘understanding atmosphere’ and even having a ‘dreamlike’ atmosphere is Sam Mendes’ 1917. An incredibly interesting similarity between the three films is that they feature two protagonists who are in all, or nearly all, of the shots. And something that all these filmmakers were able to do was shift the audience’s relationship with their characters. Instead of providing an entirely subjective, single view film, like in Unbroken (2014), or telling the story of a range of characters as in Hidden Figures (2016), these three films focus entirely on two protagonists experiencing the same event. This allows for elements of the story, such as props and settings, to come to the foreground, as the writers can’t rely on dialogue carrying a lot of the film. Silence, sound design and soundtrack become some of the leading aspects of the stories, which account largely for the overwhelming, identifying atmospheres, potentially suggesting that less dialogue can offer a greater feeling of immersion. It also offers a counter argument to the idea often posed that film can only tell one perspective. While these films have a fictitious or mythic plot set “with[in] a historical setting intrinsic to the action,” they still portray various perspectives of these fictitious characters. And in actuality, these changing views impact the atmosphere. The Lighthouse’s ominous and tense atmosphere derives from the power struggle of the two men, which is something that unfurls over time. Eggers offers up the question of what’s real and what isn’t, and the storyline raises more questions than it answers — something that historians often put emphasis on. Its ambiguity also allows the audience to be rooted in its story for longer, as it is a film that requires thought long after viewing. Portrait of a Lady on Fire also conveys a changing relationship, communicated largely through colour, silence and lighting. The audience is made privy to both sides of a developing relationship that deals with class, abortion and queer love within an 18th century setting. The films redefine the idea of a linear story, and so heavily rely on atmosphere to ensure the final piece is cohesive.
As discussed, mutual experience is something that lends a film its transportive element and so enhances the atmosphere, which is specifically crucial to historical films. This means that the political climate of the film’s releases is particularly important. One of The Lighthouse’s most pervasive themes is toxic masculinity. The protagonists take part in a kind of primal struggle for dominance and possess a specific desire to avoid ‘womanly’ tasks, thus conforming to gender roles. They also discard the feminine form of the mermaid in pursuit of the phallic symbol that they dedicated themselves to (the lighthouse). In 2019, at the time of the film’s release, The Atlantic, The New York Times, APA, The Guardian and Forbes were just a small handful of mainstream media sources that released articles debating the nature of toxic masculinity. While Eggers has said that when writing his scripts, he doesn’t have any intentions to reflect current issues, he immediately recognised the overt theme of toxic masculinity after completing the story. This juxtaposes Celine Sciamma, who “wanted to make consent sexy” and went into the process with the specific intention of shooting a film under the female gaze. She wanted to discard the notions of sexualised and forbidden love, and instead write a historical story that is rarely told. These contrasting themes allow the films to be more accessible to the audience, and with accessibility comes transportation as the audience can think “okay, they’re human like me.” Themes like this also create a stronger identifying atmosphere, because they have a cohesive and mutual point of conduct.
It’s regularly suggested that genres and subgenres display “differences at the levels of… atmosphere.” However, it’s possible that genre affects atmosphere as well as atmosphere affecting genre. The Lighthouse is a thriller, which serves to hold the audience’s attention. The ominous tone and mythic themes draw the audience in, but the historical intricacies are what transport them to the specific period. Eggers believes that there’s more detail within history than in fictional worlds and therefore there’s greater opportunity for atmosphere, which is conveyed in his films as the final atmosphere is so overwhelming. And so arguably it is also the atmosphere that influences the genre. If the same story occurred in a brightly lit, current day house, as opposed to the black and white, 19th century lighthouse, it can be speculated that it would not be a thriller. Instead, this combination of frightening imagery and historically accurate details, creates a cohesive and transportive piece of work. It needs to be understood that “cinematic history conforms in some ways to traditional practices of the genre,” which is evident in Portrait of a Lady on Fire. Sciamma resorts to fictionalisation to take the audience to a queer, female dominated world living under the patriarchy, which was rarely documented in work from the time of her narrative. However, she does focus on issues rather than just personalities. She conveys themes of the silent impact of the patriarchy, abortions and queer love, through a distinct atmosphere. Her romantic story relies on the colouring, lighting, costumes and language to ensure the audience is fully rooted within the time period. Without these aspects that create atmosphere, the narrative itself is only relatable and not immersive. Film gravitates toward atmosphere rather than fact and this is what allows for interpretation and for “pull[ing the audience] into the past” — fact alone cannot achieve this.
While Portrait of a Lady on Fire relies much more on the strength of its narrative than The Lighthouse, its atmosphere is of equal importance. The story is a slow burn, with the characters not expressing any romantic connection between themselves until well over halfway through the film — one hour and nineteen minutes to be exact. And without the (frequent) cheap gag of being caught that exists in queer period films, Portrait must rely on something else. Its atmosphere comes largely from its colour palette and its silence. Music is rare within this world — only played when Marrianne shares it and in the final sequence. While this is designed for a more impactful emotional response, it’s also an accurate reflection of the historical period. Music was quite inaccessible unless people had access to a theatre, or the ability to play an instrument; traits reserved for the bourgeoisie. The silence that the characters experience can be shared with the audience and simultaneously portray the historically accurate space that existed at the time — something that cannot be achieved in any other medium. During the Silent Era, King Vidor envisioned a “motion picture without a story.” He wanted a production in which the primary interest would be “about the atmosphere and background rather than in the acting or the plot.” Arguably, this is what Robert Eggers achieved with The Lighthouse. He’s articulated that the premise of the film could be quite boring, as it’s essentially the same scene over and over just with changing power dynamics. However, the enticing and transportive aspect of it comes from the visual atmosphere. His “obsession with being [historically] accurate is unique” about his films, and lends them their rich, identifying atmospheres.
Cinema can provide a basis for reproduction of atmosphere of historical events much more accurately than written or verbal history can. While historians have continued to suggest that filmmakers distort history through fictionalisation, filmmakers have also criticised historians for writing history that doesn’t “take into consideration popular imagination.” This is where atmosphere can be utilised, and even exploited through various elements to direct attention to certain historical moments and moods. Both mediums shape historical consciousness but are separate entities, and so authenticity is best achieved when films represent values, relations and issues in a period, just as The Lighthouse and Portrait of a Lady on Fire did. These ideas can be more easily conveyed when a film is rich with atmosphere as it makes clear that it continues to entertain with a thrilling climax, while also having the rare ability to transport the audience to a period they’ve never experienced.
