Movie Review: Shutter Island

Mar 17 2010 by Ian Bunting, Airdrie & Coatbridge

Shutter Island

SHUTTER Island sees legendary director Martin Scorsese team up with Leonardo DiCaprio for a fourth time.

Based on the novel by Dennis Lehane, the story follows DiCaprio’s US Marshal Teddy Daniels as he investigates a murderess’ escape from the Shutter Island Ashecliffe Hospital for the insane.

When a hurricane cuts off communication with the mainland, unusual clues surface and Teddy begins to doubt his own sanity.

Shutter Island is Scorsese’s first film since The Departed and is a very powerful psychological study into the human mind. It’s not an instantly re-watchable movie but grips you from start to finish.

DiCaprio has steadily become one of the strongest actors in Hollywood. This is no ‘old pals act’ with Scorsese as he has brought real quality to all of their collaborations.

This may rate as his best performance yet. DiCaprio is constantly on edge and as he starts to unravel the pain is etched on his face, with furrowed brow and sweats taking over.

Scorsese helps his lead convey frantic behaviour and an erratic mind through his camerawork, lighting and music.

Quick right and left pans show Teddy’s darting eyes, dark and bright colours the conflict in his mind, and an unnerving, frantic, score pierces the ears like nails dragged down a blackboard.

A top supporting cast sees Ben Kingsley (Dr Cawley) as a man clearly with something to hide, Max von Sydow (Dr Naehring) as a creepy ex-Nazi and Mark Ruffalo as Teddy’s loyal partner, and welcome calming figure, Chuck.

Set in 1954, there are plenty of nods to World War II and the location offers a real feeling of isolation and no escape, which increases the threat posed to Teddy.

There are touches of dark humour but this is an intense two hours. Striking images include frozen bodies and Teddy’s dreams and visions of his late wife Dolores (Michelle Williams).

She perished in a fire and Scorsese uses her as Teddy’s motivator to discover the truth. One vision containing falling ash, blood and flames is a disturbing, but remarkable, visual.

The story is undoubtedly an intriguing mystery with plenty of twists and turns but I saw the ending coming.

It didn’t make the conclusion, like a cross between The Game and Identity, any less memorable, though. DiCaprio, Kingsley and Ruffalo deserve great props for how they play it.

Shutter Island isn’t Scorsese’s best work but would still easily better anything by most other directors.

It might not go down too well with mainstream audiences as the pace is slow at times and the subject matter isn’t the most cheery but don’t let that put you off.

Stick with it and let Scorsese and DiCaprio take you on another excellent journey.

Rating - 8 out of 10.