Scorsese's "Shutter Island" suspenseful and satisfying
Addison Dillon
Issue date: 2/26/10 Section: Entertainment
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Add those parts together with excellent performances from the entire cast and a musical score to carry the hype placed on this movie and one walks out of the movie theater wanting to see the movie again almost immediately. Much can be said about the directing style of Scorsese but it cannot be said that he is not versatile. His delve into the thriller genre is both a refreshing and classic film, in which viewers can partake.
"Shutter Island" sets its sails as a ship emerges from the foggy sea ferrying two U.S. marshals. Teddy Daniels (Leonardo DiCaprio) and Chuck Aule (Mark Ruffalo) are summoned to the remote Shutter Island in order to investigate the peculiar disappearance of one of the patients, Rachel Solando (Emily Mortimer). This island is home to Ashecliff Hospital, a 1950's hospital for the criminally insane.
Daniels and Aule find an estranged group of inmates and a seemingly uncooperative staff of prison guards and psychiatrists who stand in the way of the investigation rather than helping it along. Daniels and his partner set off to uncover the mystery while investigating Daniels's hidden agenda, spurned by his past.
At face value, this movie might not look like much more than your classic thriller/suspense film. It holds many elements of a good thriller but when an artist such as Scorsese controls the helm, a truly good story emerges from the already well-written script. His use of the score to propel the motion forward is impeccable-from the throbbing build, to the first look at the detention facilities and the somber and almost airy feel of the dream sequences mixed with very saturated colors on the film end.
The cinematography is nothing short of brilliant as Daniels traipses the hallways of Ward C, lit only by a few matches that keep going out in his shaking hands and flickering ceiling lights that add to the overall mood. This scene makes the audience feel as if they are in the middle of a classic horror film, yet still maintains the suspense of the thriller.
The final scenes of the movie seem to channel some of Scorsese's inner M. Night Shyamalan as the story takes one last twist, which might have seemed a little predictable given the events of the story.
Where this movie takes a slight downfall is in one of the final scenes where the viewers are force-fed a recap of events through a new lens of revelation. The scene just seemed unnecessary and to some moviegoers, perhaps a little offensive, as if we were not smart enough to figure it out ourselves. We are, however, left with some mystery and are given the space to interpret some of the outcome in the final scene.
All in all, "Shutter Island" was both intellectually and visually satisfying. I highly recommend this movie for those who enjoy a quality, suspense-filled evening. This movie puts the viewers in the mind of a man who truly knows what it's like to be "a rat in a maze."
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