Reviews of Martin Scorsese’s psychological thriller, Shutter Island, have been mixed. The film is of the sort where only the last act brings to light the true understanding of the story you’ve been watching unfold for the last hour. (Read: twist ending.) The thing about telling stories this way is that the build up to the finale still has to be engaging, or else, who cares what happens in the end? Whether or not Shutter Island’s first hour is worth watching will likely depend on your personal taste.
It stars Leonardo DiCaprio1 and Mark Ruffalo as U.S. Federal Marshals Teddy Daniels and Chuck Aule, who have been called to Shutter Island to investigate the mysterious and inexplicable disappearance of an inmate from Ashecliffe Hospital for the Criminally Insane. The year is 1954 and as the two detectives begin their investigation they discover that (as you might have guessed) nothing is as it seems.
What the film does exceptionally well is create a thoroughly Gothic atmosphere which invites comparison to the fiction of H.P. Lovecraft and Mary Shelley. Shutter Island is a dark, craggy, foreboding place constantly bombarded by heavy rain and strong winds. There is a fortress on the island constructed during the Civil War that has been converted into a mental hospital. Shortly after being introduced to the film’s setting you begin to wonder what’s really up with this island.
Shutter Island should also be praised for its excellent performances. DiCaprio possesses an unparalleled gift of looking extremely severe. His character is troubled by his past and its strange connection to the island and DiCaprio does and excellent job of conveying this hardened-exterior/tortured-interior convincingly. Also note-worthy is Ben Kingsley as the head of the Ashecliffe staff. He is positively chilling as Dr. John Cawley and sends shivers down your spine when he smiles.
What audiences may find alienating and bizarre, however, is Scorsese’s dream sequences, flashbacks, and hallucinations. They occur frequently, intricately complicating the plot and purposefully leading the film’s viewers into a state of confusion. Some may find it frustrating spending the bulk of the movie only asking questions while receiving no answers. Others (myself included) will enjoy letting Shutter Island take them on a dark journey through Ashcliffe Hospital and the human psyche.
1. Shutter Island is the director’s fourth film with DiCaprio, including Gangs of New York (2002), The Aviator (2004), and The Departed (2006); the last of which was awarded best picture at the Academy Awards.