Harry Lighton explores 'contrasts' in adapting 'Pillion' for cinema

Filmmaker Harry Lighton, whose first film Pillion received the BIFA award for Best Independent Film last year, recently had a discussion with the movie’s producer Emma Norton at Dublin’s Storyhouse screenwriting festival.

They explored how he transformed Adam Mars-Jones’ 2020 novella Box Hill into the film.

“A significant part of our conversation was about how to handle the contrasts in the novel,” Lighton shared with the attendees at the Light House Cinema.

“In the book, there's an intense contrast between the character’s innocent optimism and romantic ideals and the stark sexual dynamic of the relationship, which seems disconnected from romantic notions.”

The story centers on Colin (played by Harry Melling), a shy individual who is captivated by Ray (portrayed by Alexander Skarsgård), an exceptionally attractive biker who chooses Colin as his submissive.

In a frank discussion, Lighton, who confessed he “adores romantic comedies,” analysed certain scenes in the film and the reasoning behind each when adapting the details for the cinema.

Describing the scene where Colin and Ray encounter each other in a bar, Lighton mentioned he placed the scene during Christmas to bring out the holiday's cozy atmosphere before the narrative swiftly shifts to a sexual situation between them in a backstreet.

“Christmas is a period when you gather with family, enjoy films, and indulge in comfort foods,” he described. “It feels like being enveloped in warmth, allowing the audience to get immersed before, suddenly shifting to an alley scene, creating a jarring yet unsettlingly relatable moment for viewers. They might relate closely to parts they find familiar while being challenged by the elements that are unfamiliar. They’re not just spectators; they have to process the mix of the unfamiliar and the known without detaching entirely from the experience.”

Elaborating further on contrasts, Lighton explained the choice to feature Colin as a member of a barbershop quartet in the film, diverging from the Mensa association in the novella.

“Mensa isn’t particularly visually engaging,” he expressed. “I pondered what would starkly contrast with a sexy, dominant group and, strangely, barbershop seemed like the opposite of leather. They are donned in garish straw hats and unpleasant jackets, yet they sing in harmony—which represents equality and unity.”

He added: “It also has a sugary sweetness. Throughout the filmmaking, I often thought of balancing sweet elements with spicy ones. So, barbershop served as the syrup compared to the hot sauce represented by Ray and the bike.”