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Rating: 3.5 out of 5
Have you ever seen a good psychological thriller that makes your skin crawl or really makes you think? Some directors pretty much make a career on this. For example, the legendary Alfred Hitchcock was prominent in this genre with such films as Psycho, Vertigo, and Rear Window. Some directors make you freakin think hard, like Darren Aronofsky with PI, the Fountain, or even Black Swan. If you want another example of a psychological thriller, how about Seven and the what’s in the box? Shutter Island is a new psychological thriller that might make you think and wonder what is going on.
Shutter Island is directed by Martin Scorsese and written by Laeta Kalogridis that is based on Dennis Lehane’s novel with the same name. Shutter Island begins in 1954 when U.S. Marshal Edward “Teddy” Daniels (DiCaprio) and his new partner Chuck Aule (Ruffalo) take the case of investigating the disappearance of patient Rachel Solando (Mortimer/Clarkson), incarcerated for drowning her three children. Rachel is currently housed at the Ashecliffe Hospital for the criminally insane on Shutter Island in Boston Harbor. The facility houses the most deranged minds and is run by lead psychiatrist Dr. John Cawley (Kingsley). On their first day, they find their only clue is a cryptic note found hidden in Solando’s room: “The law of 4; who is 67?” During Teddy’s and Chuck’s investigation, they get zero answers from anyone. Everyone on the island seems to not want to talk, whether it is staff, patients. Dr. Cawley and his psychiatrist partner, Dr. Naehring (von Sydow), refuse to hand over any records which seem strange and out of place as they state everything must be kept confidential. Soon Teddy and Chuck begin to wonder what is really going on as Shutter Island seems to be hiding a dark secret with the disappearance of Rachel Solando.
I am going to be real with you about this movie. I will say that in terms of Martin Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio movies, it’s aight. It’s good and entertaining, but towards the end, you will figure it out about 75% through the film if you are paying attention. Now, is it a trip to go down and see how everything is revealed at the end? Sure. If you like psychological films, this one is pretty good. It’s a tad bit long, with it being 2 hours and 20 minutes. If the movie was cut down by 20 or even 30 minutes and had a tad bit decent editing, then it would be better rather than aight.
As for a psychological thriller, it is pretty good, and the story sends you on the path of madness as Edward “Teddy” Daniels goes deeper and deeper in his investigation, only for it to end on a twist that you really should see coming and shouldn’t be surprised. For one, nothing in this film seems or looks at what it should be if you listen closely. The person they are looking for is a patient named Rachel, who drowned her three kids and her husband died in Normandy during the war. When Edward and his partner start their investigation, they look in Rachel’s room and find a note when everyone said they cleaned the room from head to toe. They investigate the area and think she left, but it is fully covered in jagged rocks and a strong current. Teddy and his partner then interview the staff and ask if she was looking off to their response that everyone is off and not normal in a mental institute. Yet, people are mysteriously on vacation and don’t give straight answers. Even Dr. John Cawley and Dr. Jeremiah Naehring seem completely off and like they are hiding something as Teddy can’t get access to any of the staff files. Yet, when he threatens to get someone else on the case, he completely forgets Hoover’s boys, aka the FBI, but this could be attributed to him being upset and dealing with frustration. Even investigating the patients are off as one writes “run” in Teddy’s notebook.
Like I said, as Teddy and his partner investigate deeper and deeper, they are met with a rainstorm that seems to signify the destruction of the mind. Yet, subtle clues are given as Teddy’s mental state appears to deteriorate through the whole movie. For one, Dr. Cawley, at the beginning of the film, asks Teddy and his partner if they know the fields of mental therapy. He explains that the old school likes to lobotomize patients where they either become zombies or a little better. He believes in a new way where you treat the person with respect where he tries to listen and understand a patient to reach them. When Teddy goes to Dr. Cawley’s study or home, he looks at the record player and starts having intense flashbacks. When he is hit with a migraine, he starts losing it and questions everything on the island. The one scene is when Teddy goes to Ward C and meets a person he used to know where he claims they are doing experiments, and if you are taken to the lighthouse, you will be lobotomized. Everything comes to a head when Teddy blows up a car and finally makes it to the lighthouse, where things are truly revealed and what is actually going on. I am really trying to not give too much information or the ending. Still, you see one mind deteriorate, and for a reason, that is somewhat predictable but a few twists.
Now of the biggest aspects of this film is the use of flashbacks. When Teddy is talking about his wife, he states that she died, which is true, but we learn more about Teddy. Teddy fought in World War II before becoming a U.S. Marshall. He saw some horrors at a concentration camp where the commander botched a suicide attempt as he blew off his face. Then he participated in the executions of Nazi soldiers. Then we get the ultimate reveal about his wife and kids that will make you go yup. I see why this happened.
One of the best aspects of this movie is the music, tone, style, and cinematography. That staff needs to be applauded because this movie would probably be a lot worse without them. First, in the beginning, when Teddy and his partner are on the boat. They speak about the case, and then as the skipper talks about the island, we get a clear view of it. The island looks menacing and a place you really don’t want to be. As they approach the island, the music is dark with a rumbling sound making it seem like the characters are about to descend into some serious darkness and unknown. When they are picked up, they are surrounded by heavily armed guards with guns. The music is dark and intense, like in Bram Stoker Dracula starring Gary Oldman. Even the mental facility is nicely structured. Ward A and Ward B look like clean college buildings, but Ward C is like an aww hell new building. It is a dreary Civil War fort where the most derange go.
Another aspect of how well this movie is visually appealing is when Teddy dreams of his wife or even has a flashback. He sees his wife in this brightly colored room during a dream, but it looks like it is raining ash around them as they talk. She is standing in front of the window, and the background was the city; she walks over to another window, and it changes to them looking out in the lake while ash is falling. You know something is wrong. You can tell he misses his wife as she disintegrates in a pile of ash in his arms, and the room is on fire before waking up. In another scene, just how dreary, depressing, and dark, Ward C is. It added to the overall tone and element that it is not a place you really want to be, with Teddy having to light a match just to see anything.
You need to watch this movie at least twice to really appreciate what the actors are doing because, in the first go-around, it looks like a complete and utter mess. DiCaprio does most of the heavy lifting playing a man that is seriously messed up. After you watch the film a second time, you see that DiCaprio’s character is the one that leads this movie, and everyone else is following along for the sake of the plot. It’s confusing to read, but once you listen to the ending, you realize why everyone acts the way they did. Kingsley is always a pleasure to watch as he has this subtle style to him where he is secretive and can tell his character is holding back information but just can’t reveal it. Ruffalo somewhat seems out of place as just helping DiCaprio’s character with the investigation.
I will say that the film does have a nice supporting cast to it. First, there is Ted Levine as Warden. This dude still creeps me out from his Buffalo Bill role in Silence of the Lambs. When he first appears and looks towards DiCaprio’s character, it just gives me chills and makes me want to run away. Jackie Earle Haley as a distraught inmate, also freakin creeps me out. I remember him as Rorschach in Watchmen, and I feel like he is just as crazy as ever. It is always a pleasure to watch Michelle Williams. She does a great job as Teddy’s dead wife when she appears.
I was surprised that this was a Scorsese film. Usually, he does the gangster films that many know and love. Honestly, this isn’t a bad movie but an aight movie. The story is a little clunky at times, and the ending is somewhat predictable. Like with most psychological thrillers, this one needs to be seen twice to fully understand the little secrets and performances.
