Shutter Island

SHUTTER ISLAND
PARAMOUNT
RELEASED 12 March 2010
Marking his fourth collaboration with Martin Scorsese (DeNiro has starred in eight Scorsese productions), Leonardo DiCaprio once again pushes his credentials as one of Hollywood’s finest actors. In ‘Shutter Island’ (based on the Dennis Lehane bestseller of 2003), DiCaprio plays Teddy Daniels, a US Marshal assigned to investigate the mysterious escape of a patient from the lunatic asylum Ashecliffe Hospital, located on the remote and inhospitable Shutter Island during the spring of 1954. Acessible solely by ferry, he is joined in his task by fellow Marshall Chuck Aule (Mark Ruffalo). In charge of Ashecliffe is Dr Cawley (Ben Kingsley), whose friendly demeanour is obviously hiding information about the true nature of the island and it’s practices. Teddy’s search takes him from a locked room in Ward B to the fortress-based Ward C, down a sheer cliff face, through a tornado, and to a final showdown in the lighthouse.
‘Shutter Island’ starts off with a boat appearing out of the fog, accompanied by ominous fog horn music, and then the landing of the two marshals on the island is accompanied by sharp, intense violin strokes that leave you in no doubt you’re about to watch an unsettling movie! The soundtrack to ‘Shutter Island’ is a collection of classical music assembled by musician Robbie Roberston, and it fits the film so well, I thought it must all be the work of a hired composer. If you remember how perfectly each piece of classical music fits the Kubrick masterpiece ‘2001: A Space Odyssey’, I’d go so far as to state that the music in ‘Shutter Island’ is as perfectly chosen.
The story weaves in and out of gothic horror, psychological mindgame, and straight-up thriller, with plot points being dangled in your face at every turn. You’re never quite sure if Teddy is going to get the outcome he wants, and the concept of being up against a whole island brought to mind ‘The Wicker Man’. The film also reminded me of Scorsese’s own ‘Cape Fear’ remake (1991). Unlike the usual Hollywood thriller that reveals a twist or surprise in the last ten minutes of the film and then wraps up too hastily, ‘Shutter Island’ possesses a lengthy denouement that only adds to the film’s intelligence, and this ending also lends great humanity to the film, which wasn’t apparent until all the facts are out in the open. Repeated viewings of ‘Shutter Island’ should prove quite satisfying.
Leonardo DiCaprio just gets better and better. As a man whose life is all but over, his zeal and need to bring closure to shocking and tragic events in his past will have you rooting for him til the very end. In the immediate years after ‘Titanic’ where DiCaprio struggled to play mature roles, he has now achieved true, leading man status. His confident nature gradually crumbles as he becomes unsure of where his quest will take him, and the film’s final scenes probably contain DiCaprio’s best work in cinema so far.
Supporting actors are all equally fine, and it’s a great collection. The already mentioned Ben Kingsley, Max Von Sydow, and Mark Ruffalo are joined by Michelle Williams as the dead wife, Emily Mortimer as the missing patient, Patricia Clarkson as a missing doctor, Jackie Earle Haley and Elias Koteas as prison inmates, and Ted Levine (serial killer Buffalo Bill from ‘The Silence of the Lambs’!) as a ridiculously memorable prison warden.
Martin Scorsese has constructed a film that will scare you, surprise you, and probably leave you wanting to see it again. For a man who is approaching his seventieth year, Scorsese still has no equal, and it will be fascinating to see him continue his love affair with cinema for many years to come.
FIVE OUT OF FIVE