Martin Scorsese's Shutter Island falls somewhere between the director's grand commercial pictures and smaller more artistic endeavors, and thus ends up being a bit of a mixed bag.
Shutter Island, based on the novel by Dennis Lehane, is well-made, with great performances from its cast, excellent cinematography, and an eerie, creepy atmosphere. It's a classic psychological thriller - slightly reminiscent of Hitchcock - that delivers some suspenseful and jump-worthy moments. That said, it's nevertheless tarnished by the some of the elements that have left a blemish on so many other thrillers from the past - red herrings, familiar genre devices, overpowering ominous background music and an overall reliance on bait and switch techniques come to mind. Fortunately, because it comes from one of the world's greatest filmmakers, many of these missteps can be forgiven. When it comes right down to it, a mixed bag from Martin Scorsese is still better than the best work of a lesser filmmaker.
Shutter Island Plot
The year is 1954 and US Marshal Teddy Daniels (Leonardo DiCaprio) and his partner Chuck Aule (Mark Ruffalo) are sent to Ashecliffe Hospital, an institution for the criminally insane located on Shutter Island off the shores of Boston. Their job is to investigate the mysterious disappearance of psychotic patient Rachel Solando.
Having disappeared from a locked room without a trace, Rachel Solando's escape is a mystery to everyone on the island. The Marshals have only the puzzling message she left behind to help them find her. The doctors, nurses, guards, and orderlies don't seem as concerned as they should be and the Marshals quickly realize that those assigned to help them may not be entirely trustworthy.
It doesn't take long for Teddy to realize that something isn't right. A woman has vanished, the people in charge tell half-truths, and to top it off, a deadly hurricane is pummeling the island. Not only that: Officer Daniels has some mysterious reasons of his own for being on the island – reasons that lead him into some very dangerous areas.
Still devastated by the death of his wife, Teddy Daniels is on the hunt for the man responsible, a man he believes is somewhere on the island. He's also discovered some disturbing information about experimental and inhumane treatments being conducted on Ashecliffe's patients. Teddy's decided that it's up to him to figure out just what's going on and how to stop it. Too bad he's slowed down by debilitating headaches and vicious hallucinations.
Shutter Island Toys With the Mind
Shutter Island plunges audiences into a bizarre and frightening world; one based on mysterious happenings and people who can't be trusted. Fear and paranoia take over as the story unfolds and Teddy – and the audience – doesn't know who to trust. Did he choose the assignment himself, or was he led there by other circumstances? Is he suffering from paranoia or is he being led into a trap? Who is sane and who is truly insane? One thing is sure: when the one person he trusts the most disappears, Teddy has do everything he can to save himself before the island's inhabitants turn him into a patient, keeping him a prisoner forever.
Shutter Island Movie Review
Shutter Island doesn't deliver as many surprises or shocks as one would hope, and fans of psychological thrillers will be able to figure out where the story is going fairly quickly - fortunately it doesn't take too much enjoyment away from the movie.
Scorsese's Shutter Island is a real looker, with ominous settings, a terrific gloomy atmosphere, startling special effects, superb production values, and some great performances from its cast. Leonardo DiCaprio is excellent as Teddy Daniels, a man on the verge of losing his grip. The character is a complex one, and DiCaprio brings just the right amount of depth and sincerity to the man who will at any moment become completely unhinged.
Despite a few missteps, Scorsese and his team have created a suspenseful, if not scary, modern day noir movie that will keep fans of the visionary director, and psychological thrillers sufficiently entertained. It doesn't always hit the mark, but for anyone who enjoys movies like Alfred Hitchcock's Spellbound (another great thriller about altered reality), Shutter Island is a definite must see.
Rating: 8/10
- Shutter Island
- Directed by: Martin Scorsese
- Written by: Laeta Kalogridis
- Starring: Leonardo Dicaprio, Ben Kingsley, Mark Ruffalo, Michelle Williams
- Runtime: 138 mins
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