Upon theatrical release, Martin Scorsese’s Shutter Island received mostly positive reviews, but was almost unanimously dismissed as a lesser effort. Much like the Coen Brothers’ Burn After Reading, the film was seen as a slight, inconsequential departure after the Best Picture Oscar win. What those reviewers missed was that this is Scorsese’s most purely enjoyable effort in over ten years.
While Gangs of New York, The Aviator and The Departed were all solid-to-great efforts, they remained stifled by Scorsese’s seriousness and intent on making Important Cinema. With Shutter Island, Scorsese takes a step back, relaxes, and directs a film for the love of it, paying tribute to classic noir films of the past, and just making it look as darned good as he possibly could. The result is a truly great and complicated work, more worthy of multiple viewings than any of the aforementioned three.
A Hypnotically-Watchable Jigsaw
Leonardo DiCaprio returns for the fourth time as Scorsese’s muse as Teddy Daniels, leading an investigation on a mental institution housed on an island, looking for a patient that seems to have vanished. Based on Dennis Lehane's novel, the typical nothing-is-as-it-seems gimmick of the films Scorsese is paying homage to could not have even conceived of the plot contortions contained herein. The unreliable narrator is a tricky narrative device that rarely works, but it does here.
DiCaprio puts in a competent performance juggling the multiple and almost meta-layers demanded of his character, though his accent wavers and is completely absent by the end. Instead, he is upstaged by nearly everyone around him, from his sensitive partner played by Mark Ruffalo and mysterious doctor Ben Kingsley, to the bit-part scene stealers by Jackie Earl Haley, Patricia Clarkson, and Elias Koteas.
Much has been made of the film’s ending twist, some saying it was unnecessary, predictable, or just bad. But it simply couldn’t have gone any other way, and it isn’t central to the enjoyment of the film. Knowing what’s coming doesn’t detract from the viewing, but only makes it more interesting to see all the angles. It’s a rare thriller that doesn’t spoon-feed, one that gives you only as much as you are willing to put into it. A modern masterpiece, regardless of genre.
Blu-Ray Offers Stunning Visuals and an Atmospheric Soundscape
Debates about the merits of Blu-Ray have raged since its release, and frankly, it’s utterly unnecessary for most of the films being released on the format. But Scorsese’s stunning angles and brilliant explosions of detail and color are exactly what the technology is meant for. It’s an incredible artistic achievement, which is substantial coming from the director of Goodfellas and Raging Bull.
Another aspect of the film that did not garner much attention on theatrical release is the soundtrack. Simply put, it’s terrifying and completely seamless. At times, it is unclear whether the sounds you hear are music or ambience. Using modern composers and experimental instrumentals, this is a sharp departure for the rock ‘n’ roll lovin’ Scorsese, and it’s all the better for it.
Extras with Cast and Crew Insightful But Underwhelming
The extras, while interesting, are very short and skirt along the lines of basic PR and talking heads. The 15-minute “Beyond the Shutters” offers some insight as to how the various actors tackled their incredibly complicated roles, having to consider the various factors and layers grinding away underneath. But all in all, much of the feature remains as cast and crew patting each other on the back.
The longer and more interesting feature titled “Into the Lighthouse” is more illuminating, interviewing prison psychiatrist James Gilligan on his thoughts and input he offered the filmmakers. Having lived in the time the film is set in and having written a book about it, Gilligan provides a fascinating and downright shocking history lesson of the school of medical thought at the time. He draws parallels that show how accurate Scorsese’s film was to the period, making it all the more disturbing.
Richard Lam - Recently graduated with a degree in business and communications, Richard's interests have always remained fully immersed in the arts. From ...
