Summary
Two detectives search for a missing psych ward patient on Shutter Island, but there’s more to this island than meets the eye…
My Thoughts
Shutter Island finds our iconic director Martin Scorsese stretching his legs and dipping his toes into new waters, and for the sake of the audience and fans, gives us something new and different from biopics (The Aviator) and gangster dramas (The Departed) with a straight up genre thriller, leaning almost towards horror, but not quite, although it's the closest thing to mainstream horror that Scorsese has done since the brilliant Cape Fear. Based on Dennis Lehane's novel of the same name, we follow our two protagonists Teddy Daniels (Leonardo DeCaprio, Django Unchained) and Chuck (Mark Ruffalo, Avengers Endgame) two federal Marshals who are brought over to the island to investigate a missing person who escaped from the massive psych ward that resides there. Once the two detectives step off the boat though things get very strange, new layers of mystery unravel as the investigation goes on, secrets are uncovered and truths are realized, and by the end neither man will leave the island the same, if they leave at all.
I believe the critics are a bit harsh on this Scorsese picture, the infamous tomato meter definitely doesn't do this film justice, it's such a different piece of filmmaking from the director, but it also has plenty of his signature flare, it also shows Scorsese at his most unrestrained when it comes to disturbing violence, and we all know he has a knack for that, giving us a heart wrenching and dark back story between Teddy and his wife Delores (Michelle Williams, Venom) that involves mental illness and murdering children (that might explain some negative reviews), the imagery in Shutter Island is quite disturbing and above all it's effective.
Even on my multiple viewing of this I found myself aching with emotion for these two characters, showing us in unsettling detail what Teddy went through in the war, and what he had to go through at home. There's a flashback scene of Teddy in the war as he walks through a concentration camp, as he walks he sees frozen bodies of the victims, some women, some children, all staring at him, dead. All the men disturbed by the site they line up the remaining Nazi guards and open fire on them, in a technically impressive shot but narratively disturbing it tracks its way along as each and every Nazi is gunned down, it's brutal and bloody, and definitely not for every viewer. Shutter Island can be an uncomfortable watch sometimes, but with any Scorsese film, it's ultimately a very rich and rewarding experience.
As I stated above, this is a great study on mental illness, especially back in the 50s when that subject was a bit more taboo, it may be a thriller on the outside, but it's so much more than that, as one has come to expect from the masterful director. It's an exploration of the human mind, and what can trigger it and what happens when ones wires snap and cannot be mended back together. The interpersonal drama between Teddy and his partner then going back to his wife each time revealing something new about his psychosis, it can be intensely mysterious and wrenching, we feel the pain Teddy feels at the end with his brutal revelation, and it opens up a pain inside us that can't be rectified or consoled, it's something cold and fear inducing that can bring even the strongest of minds to their knees. The last bit of dialogue sums up the overarching message of this story, "Would you rather live as a monster, or die a good man?" It's this line that really solidifies Shutter Island as one of the best in the genre.
Scorsese has always been an amazing actor director, never settling for anything other than a genuinely authentic performance, and to get that outcome he also loads his movies up with the top tier of talent. I would say this is a career best for DiCaprio, but that man has so many performances that could be described in that manner that it's not fair to label just one as his best, although his portrayal of the broken Teddy Daniels is excruciatingly beautiful, especially in the final flashback scene in the lake. Ben Kingsley gives a terrifyingly awesome performance as the Dr. Cawley, headmaster of the ward, the whole time the audience knows he's hiding something from us and the characters, but we never really know until the sucker punch twist at the end. While I know the twist can go both ways for viewers, I personally love it as it does demand multiple views, especially for certain crucial scenes, such as when Teddy talks to the missing patient Rachel Solando (Patricia Clarkson, The Pledge) in a cave near the rocky shores of the island, it takes that second viewing to fully understand why it's there. That being said, any view after the second one it does lose some of its inherent mystery. But looking at the film with a new lens, knowing the outcome already can really add a different take on the film, it turns it into a different viewing experience as the audience finds new clues that show the twist was under our noses the whole time, and it gives a new layer to Teddy's tormented past.
Overall Shutter Island may not be Scorsese's magnum opus but it is certainly a refreshing change of pace for the director, showing us that he is capable of just about anything behind the camera, giving the audience an unrestrained, thrilling crime story, with just enough horror elements to leave goosebumps during the dark scenes. The social commentary on mental illness isn't just important, it's essential and still has a lot to say a decade later, and blends together perfectly with the crime story being played out. While it's not exactly scary, Shutter Island can be deeply disturbing with its subject matter, with scenes and imagery that will haunt viewers long after the end credits. The performances are top notch as we come to expect from Scorsese, DiCaprio once again transforming into his character, becoming nearly unrecognizable, just watch his facial movements when Kingsley's character reveals the big twist in the lighthouse, it's real and raw acting, solidifying Leo as one of the greats of this generation. I wholeheartedly recommend Shutter Island if you haven't seen it already, it's not for the faint of heart, but it's provocative filmmaking from a director who has always been at the top of his game.
I give Shutter Island 5 stars out of 5
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