The Lightship

The Lightship belongs to the middle part of Skolimowski’s career, in which he focuses on the relationship between father and son - on this occasion played by the director’s real son, Michael Lyndon. The film is set in the mid-1950s and has as main character Captain Miller, commander of the lightship ‘Hatteras’, floating off the coast of Norfolk, Virginia. Miller takes on board his rebellious teenage son Alex, and soon becomes subjugated to the terror of three gangsters on the run, who invade the ship. The challenging situation is a test of the closeness and understanding of father and son.
Although based on the novel Das Feuerschiff (1960) by German writer Siegfried Lenz, which was interpreted in the context of the Germans’ behaviour during the Second World War, Skolimowski regards The Lightship as his closest approach to Joseph Conrad’s work, especially his Victory (1915). An important connection between The Lightship and Victory is the aura of foreboding and utter pessimism, which can be linked to the Polish, romantic heritage of both artists, with its tragic heroism and ‘culture of disaster’. The Lightship was difficult to shoot, largely because of Skolimowski’s conflict with his star, Klaus Maria Brandauer. However, the effect is a very assured film, in which all means are used to convey a simple, yet powerful story. (EMK)