In 1918 Tom Sherbourne (Michael Fessbender) moves to Australia in self exile after experiencing the traumas of WWI. As a taciturn, decent but guilt-ridden man, he asks why did he survive when so many of his colleagues died in the trenches?  He applies for a position as a lighthouse keeper.

What better place to quieten one's inner turmoils than the solitude offered on the remote Janus Rock outcrop (where the Indian and Southern Ocean meet) off the coast of Western Australia.

While on the mainland before departing for the lighthouse he meets briefly - and falls in love with - the charming, impulsive and spirited Isabel (Alicia Vikander).

They marry and eventually begin their life together on the remote island. They soon establish an idyllic existence replete with each other's familiarity. With Isabel's love, Tom slowly becomes more settled; he begins to experience happiness once again.  

However, utopia seldom lasts forever and the grief caused by Isabel's multiple stillbirths start to disturb their tranquility. Isabel gradually slips into a desperate depression. Tom and Isabel have damaged psyches: one from depression and the other from the trauma of war. They are both emotionally vulnerable and fragile.

One day, a mysterious rowboat washes ashore carrying a crying baby girl. Tom and Isabel face a life-changing decision. After much angst and desperate pleadings from Isabel, Tom is forced to act against his own nature when they decide to raise the baby as their own.

Tom is confronted with a Hobson's Choice: to keep the baby to appease his wife or surrender the baby and probably lose his beloved Isabel. But Tom's conscience weighs heavily.

Tom and Isabel remain unaware of the devastating consequences of their decision until years later, when the baby’s real story unfolds. It is then that the implications of their actions confront them in the form of Hannah (played brilliantly by Rachel Weiz): the still grieving mother of the baby girl.

And herein lies the dilemma faced by the viewer: Hannah's suffering is deeper than anybody's but our natural desire is to see her as an inconvenient truth. We unconsciously side with the romantic Tom and Isabel made morally impotent by their past traumas. We are presented with our own Hobson's Choice.

The Light Between Oceans is an unhurried examination of human behaviour. The film's emotional tempest 'shines a light' on two souls (oceans) striving for contentment and the moral anguish each face in this quest.

The desperately tragic set of circumstances converge to create a challenging look at grief, love, forgiveness, healing and the ethical consequences of our choices - superbly acted and exquisitely portrayed.

The movie is a classic love story with a dark undertow. It contains all the elements of a Shakespearean tragedy in which moral dilemmas abound.

The imagery of the desolate seascape is breathtaking. All the three main characters deliver powerful performances. Production, sound and costume design are exceptionally crafted. These factors combine to deliver an emotionally satisfying experience where the audience readily identifies with the characters and the dilemmas they face.