I have to admit, I have a strong penchant for well made psychological thrillers, and the fact that Shutter Island not only fits into that checkbox, but ALSO a variety of others including noir and horror, makes this movie a complete pleasure to watch. Everything about the movie is just quality – acting wise, cinematography-wise, audio-wise, script-wise, directing-wise….I don’t even know where to start in saying how refreshing it is to just sit down and enjoy everything this film offers. Shutter Island is a fairly long movie but like any other Scorsese film, it was so full of clever dialogue, visual aesthetics and gorgeous composition that each and every scene is so significant in foreshadowing the final, climax of the movie. Considering the psychological thriller genre is so full of rehashed ideas and cliché plots in the first place (mental health issues seems to be inversely proportional to how successful a psych-thriller movie is….), the tone and setting of the movie really sets the scene for an unforgettable and thrilling ride.
There seems to be two tiers to Martin Scorsese’s films – his older works, which are often highly underrated….and his more recent works, particularly in the past decade which have been both commercially and critically successful. It really makes you wonder how he’s been nominated 7 times for an Oscar but has only won Best Director for The Departed…which was, dare I say, one of his weakest films to date. Leonardo Di Caprio and Scorsese really seem to have worked out a divine working relationship though – especially since their previous collaborations: Gangs of New York, The Aviator and The Departed have been so well received. The new Tim Burton+Johnny Depp partnership of Hollywood perhaps?
Either way, Shutter Island seems to solidified their collaborational efforts as cinema gold, though it is undoubtedly the impressive acting skills of Leonardo Di Caprio, and vision of Martin Scorsese that really brings the script, and story, alive.
It is incredibly hard to talk about this movie without spoiling the ending, but in a general overview, Teddy (Leonardo Di Caprio) and Chuck (Mark Ruffalo) are two US Marshalls who are sent to Shutter Island, a secure island location which houses an asylum similar to that of Alcatraz, only it contains the criminally insane and mentally unstable.
In their 50’s style detective uniform and (seemingly)endless supply of smokes, their job is to find out about the disappearance of an escaped “patient” (not prisoner!), as Dr. John Cawley (Ben Kingsley) refers to. This patient, Rachel Dolonzo, has seemingly disappeared into thin air – escaping from a room with barred windows and a securely locked door. It is only when Teddy finds a handwritten note – “The law of 4. Who is number 67?” that the action really kickstarts into a carefully constructed and highly detailed plot centering on government conspiracy, paranoia, insanity and fear.
Scorsese really plays upon the contrasts between reality/dreams and sanity/insanity in Shutter Island, and the use of various horror elements really emphasizes the intense fear and paranoia that permeates the screen. Although there really are no jump-out-of-your seat shocks, the use of fantastically moody background music and setting combines to form an altogether creepy and often unsettling perspective of events from the eyes of Teddy.
Thompson and Thomson from Tintin immediately came to mind when first introduced to Teddy and Chuck, if only because their outfits and actions are so exaggerated and dramatized. The overstated hats, the bulky overcoats…sure Teddy and Chuck may not be the bumbling idiots as in Tintin, but there is something familiar about the entire premise that sets the tone for the discovery of something sinister, and the increasing need for the truth.
The Hitchcock and noir elements also seem to add another dimension to Shutter Island that really sets it apart from other psychological thrillers. While the entire setting of scraggly rocks and deep jungle against a generally stormy, grey sky highlights the moodiness of the film, the elements of smoke and fog are also extremely significant motifs that are used to great effect. Almost every other scene has either one of the two detectives smoking, taking huge, long drags from their cigarettes, which not only highly stylizes the scene and composition, but also relays the intense pressure and fear evoked through the characters. Wispy, thick fog is also utilized almost invisibly in many scenes in this movie to emphasize the complexity and confusion of the situation, which similarly help overstate the noir-ish features of the movie.
Visual elements of the film are also extremely well crafted – in particular the dream sequences Teddy has of his dead wife. Without giving too much away, the use of colour, falling pieces of confetti, paper etc. and slow motion close ups of feet and hands help in exaggerating Teddy’s conflictions and issues within himself as he continues with his job on the island. Whether or not the exaggeration of the elements in his dreams are intentional is contentious, but the intense redness of the blood, and the bright, sunny colour of his wife’s dress contrast greatly to the bleak reality of life on Shutter Island, and these fantasy like hallucinations definitely lend itself to signify something greater in the plot.
The real revelation in Shutter Island is the cinematography and sound however. Any Scorsese fan would know he really knows how to draw viewers into the scenes by using various camera angles and shots, and in this film, everything meshes together so seamlessly its hard to overlook the simplest of conversations between two characters. In fact, the quality of each shot is so interesting and so visually pleasing, it’s hard not to notice how much thought and effort has been placed into putting together a film such as this. Sound wise, this film is also incredibly impressive. One scene that comes to mind is when Teddy and Chuck are caught in a severe rainstorm while at the graveyard on the island. Not only was the camera angles and lighting perfect, the combination of the beating rain, howling wind and crystal clear vocals of Teddy and Chuck seriously makes the scene one of the most memorable.
While not as unpredictable or revelatory as movies such as Memento or The Prestige, Shutter Island makes use of some impressive visuals, sound and cast to enormous effect. Scorsese really has a knack for bringing a script to life, and his use of various cinematic conventions and elements of the cinematic medium are of incredible value – effectively enabling a foreboding sense of dread and unsettling disturbia to creep through the cracks of the plot unfolding. The entire cast really highlights the quality of the screenplay, and in particular, Leonardo Di Caprio and Ben Kingsley really complement each other in giving powerful and convincing portrayals. Mark Ruffalo is also impressive as Chuck – his accent just makes his character! There are so many features of this movie that you could analyze, that almost everything could be considered as a special element that has been closely constructed and directed. The end scene is so poignant and so picture-postcard perfect, that only serves to highlight the thought provoking closing line.
Shutter Island, is without a doubt a fine example of everything a movie should be, and the stellar cast, solid script and excellent vision makes for a refreshing and stimulating movie of the mind and of reality. Definitely recommended to any Scorsese fan, or any fan of quality cinema for that matter!
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