04/06/2022
Shutter Island (2010)
Director: Martin Scorsese
Genre: Psychological thriller
"This place makes me wonder, which would be worse – to live as a monster, or to die as a good man?"
Set in 1954, Federal Marshals Teddy Daniels and Chuck Aule are assigned to investigate the disappearance of inmate Rachel Solando from the Ashecliff Mental Asylum for the Criminally Insane located on Shutter Island. But before they even step off the ferry, we know all is not well with Teddy. Suffering from seasickness and dark memories of his dead wife Dolores, it is clear that while Teddy may be our protagonist, he's damaged and we can't entirely trust him. An intense, compelling performance from DiCaprio pulls us in different directions as it's difficult to discern if his urgency is a result of his own trauma or the sinister vibe from the guards, nurses, orderlies, and chief psychiatrist Dr. Cawley.
At first glance, Shutter Island may seem like a twisting narrative that refuses to play fair with the audience, but it does the complete opposite. We are left guessing not because Scorsese's refusing to show us key elements, but because we are following an unreliable protagonist and seeing everything as he does.
Traversing the island, we see a twisted landscape of falling trees, jagged cliffs, hidden caves, an old civil war fort that houses the most dangerous inmates, and a lighthouse where lobotomies and surgical experiments may be occurring. There are no easy answers on Shutter Island but there are not any tricks either.
Known as a master of using music to elevate his movies, Scorsese pulls off one of his most difficult and impressive aural accomplishments to date. The eclectic soundtrack features music by Brian Eno, Johnnie Ray, Max Richter, and more. The film opens with the bold, oppressive "Fog Tropes," and without Scorsese's complete confidence and command of every other element of his film, this tune along with many others would feel corny and overbearing.
Shutter Island exists on the edge of a knife and rather than fall into genre conventions or into endless homage, Martin Scorsese carves his movie into something singular and unforgettable. Every element had to work to make this film a success. Any flawed element, from weak supporting performance, to a cheap narrative trick, to an indecisive music cue, and we had lost the illusion. Instead, Scorsese transports the audience to a world that is both captivating and claustrophobic. It is a psychological horror where viewers are scared by what is presented yet terrified at what lies in the periphery.
