Representasi Depresi Dalam Film The Lighthouse (2019) Analisis Semiotika

Abstract

Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk memahami representasi depresi dalam film The Lighthouse (2019) serta mengidentifikasi elemen visual dan naratif yang menggambarkan dampak isolasi dan tekanan mental pada tokoh utama. Masalah difokuskan pada bagaimana akumulasi tekanan psikologis, rasa bersalah, dan isolasi sosial mampu menipiskan batas antara realitas dan fantasi. Guna mendekati masalah ini, dipergunakan acuan teori semiotika Charles Sanders Peirce yang membedah tanda melalui triadik ikon, indeks, dan simbol untuk menafsirkan pesanpesan psikologis dalam film. Data-data dikumpulkan melalui teknik observasi mendalam terhadap adegan, dialog, dan elemen mise-en-scène, wawancara ahli sebagai validator klinis, serta studi pustaka, yang kemudian dianalisis secara kualitatif deskriptif. Kajian ini menyimpulkan bahwa depresi dalam film ini direpresentasikan melalui penggunaan alkohol yang destruktif, ledakan emosi, dan halusinasi kronis yang dialami karakter Ephraim Winslow. Melalui analisis semiotik, ditemukan bahwa sinematografi hitam-putih dengan rasio aspek sempit serta suara monoton foghorn menjadi pendorong utama yang memperkuat suasana klaustrofobik dan ketertekanan batin. Simbol cahaya mercusuar dan mitos laut berfungsi sebagai manifestasi obsesi dan kehancuran batin yang tak terelakkan. Hasil penelitian ini menegaskan bahwa elemen visual dan audio dalam karya sinema berperan krusial sebagai instrumen komunikasi intrapersonal dalam enggambarkan kompleksitas gangguan kesehatan mental manusia. This research aims to understand the representation of depression in the film The Lighthouse (2019) and identify visual and narrative elements that depict the impact of isolation and mental stress on the main character. The problem focuses on how the accumulation of psychological stress, guilt, and social isolation can blur the boundaries between reality and fantasy. To approach this problem, Charles Sanders Peirce's semiotic theory is used as a reference, which dissects signs through the triadic icon, index, and symbol to interpret psychological messages in the film. Data were collected through in-depth observation techniques of scenes, dialogue, and mise-en-scène elements, expert interviews as clinical validators, and literature studies, which were then analyzed qualitatively and descriptively. This study concludes that depression in this film is represented through destructive alcohol use, emotional outbursts, and chronic hallucinations experienced by the character Ephraim Winslow. Through semiotic analysis, it was found that black-and-white cinematography with a narrow aspect ratio and the monotonous sound of foghorns are the main drivers that reinforce the claustrophobic atmosphere and inner depression. The symbols of the lighthouse and the myth of the sea serve as manifestations of obsession and inevitable inner destruction. This research confirms that visual and audio elements in cinematic works play a crucial role as instruments of intrapersonal communication in depicting the complexities of human mental health disorders.