Shutter Island (2010)

Director: Martin Scorsese

Writer: Laeta Kalogridis

Based on the novel by: Dennis Lehane

"There is no moral orders as pure as this storm. There's no moral order at all. There's just this: can my violence conquer yours? "



I must admit, since the lukewarm times of the Aviator and The Departed, I felt that Scorsese might be a little over ripe so to speak. So, when I heard that his new project was being marketed as a psychological thriller with some mystery and horror sprinkled in the mix, I can tell you I wasn't exactly holding my breath. If you shared my reluctance, let me shatter it for you: Shutter Island is great. It's one hell of a ride, an intelligent, thought provoking and truly mysterious film. Something that actually engages the audience, rather than just passively throw bits of information at them. In the tradition of Citizen Kane, this film plays on things like perceptions and memories, and although the direction of the film is great, the real hero of this film is in fact the writer Laeta Kalogridis. I don't know if the source material was just so brilliant that it made it was almost impossible to screw up, but this is just one damn good story.

The fantastic story in which I'm referring to goes like this: Teddy is a federal marshal, investigating a missing patient at the center for the criminally insane on shutter island, off the coast of Boston with his new partner Chuck. A lot of bizarre and unsettling things are in the center, as details of the case simply don't match up. That's all I'm willing to say, I really don't want to spoil anything as you should really see it. What's unique about this narrative is the way in which it is told, by that I mean what perception we the audience see through the lens of the camera. We see what Teddy sees, how he sees it and when he does. We even follow him into his dreams, which play a very important part of the film, and being by far the best parts visually. This strict point of view narrative is reminiscent of the french impressionists, expect in Shutter Island it isn't achieved through strict POV shots by say but through a narrative arc that follows one person's psychological perception. There is also a lot of German expressionism here, but more about that latter. Themes of sanity/insanity, memories and perception are all pretty thick here, as well as a redemption story filled with guilt (it wouldn't be a Scorsese film if it didn't have guilt in it). This is the strongest part of the film, the story is truly engaging keeping you on your toes, guessing and trying to figure out just what the hell is going on.

Mentioned above was a strong german expressionist current running throughout the film. The sets of the film, dark hallways, in closing gates, confusing and often contradictory staircases, are used to convey a character's psychological disposition. This style fits perfectly with the films themes, and they are used to create some truly memorable moments. The use of lighting, space and shadows give the film an eerie unsettling tone that reminds me of The Shining. But where Scorsese really comes through here is the use of sound. The sound is simply eerie, certain sounds are highlighted and others are dampened at strategic points throughout the film , which really re enforces the psychological drive of the film. Although the music at times is very campy, it kinda serves a thematic purpose on it's on. Insanity, especially the paranoid kind, is full of bizarre, epic conspiracies, and although the music is over the top it fits the idea of some sort of elaborate conspiracy. I really want to write about a specific motif using the score, but I really don't want to spoil the plot.

See this movie. It is so far the best film of 2010.