SHUTTER ISLAND

by Gordon

Directed by: Martin Scorsese

Released: 2010

Rating: R [disturbing violent content, language and some nudity]

Runtime: 138 min.

Main Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Mark Ruffalo, Ben Kingsley, Max von Sydow

Rotten Tomatoes: 67%                    IMDB: 8.3/10

 

   In terms of filmmaking, Steven Spielberg has for decades been THE master storyteller. Love his movies or not, he’s nearly perfected the art of set-up, conflict and resolution. Though Spielberg may still hold that title, a deficiency seemed to exist in his ability to capture the finer, more subtle, and ultimately more interesting plot elements beneath the story’s more obvious shell. It was a deficiency that for me went unnoticed…until I started watching Martin Scorsese films.

   The extra attention to detail from the slightly older, considerably more bushy-eyed director reveals itself most notably in his particular dedication to setting. It’s a key factor, visible in such greats as Goodfellas, Casino, Gangs of New York and The Departed, and in many ways crucial to the cohesiveness and realism behind the story. A variety of characters walk us through a variety of hometowns and landscapes, at times narrating us through a bit of backstory, and often these settings spanning a period of decades, always expertly recreated by the director. These elements swirling around and through the characters bring the story to life as Scorsese serves up a bit of high drama surrounding good guys chasing bad guys (or more often perhaps, vice versa). So when I heard last summer that his upcoming film was a spooky psychological thriller revolving around a singular man searching for answers on a singular island, I was a bit scared.

   Leonardo DiCaprio plays Teddy Daniels, a U.S. Marshal who along with his partner Chuck (Mark Ruffalo) is called to investigate the disappearance of a patient at a hospital for the criminally insane. Without an accent DiCaprio just wouldn’t hold the screen’s attention the same, and the Massachusetts location suits his character well. Set in the 1950s, Scorsese gets yet another opportunity to successfully prove his skills with period authenticity (and the only thing scarier than a mental hospital is one set in the ’50s).

   Once there, Teddy must deal with what he sees as inadequate help from the hospital’s chief psychiatrist and administrator (the great Ben Kingsley) and his head physician (the great Max von Sydow). Furthering the story’s tension is the boxed-in effect the tiny island on which the hospital sits is having on the two marshals. As Teddy and Chuck dig deeper in their investigation, aided by a handful of disturbing patient interactions, Teddy begins to question the motives behind the establishment itself after a series of sinister human experiments are revealed to have taken place. Teddy becomes increasingly confused, and in reverse-Scorsese form, the audience grows much more aware of Teddy’s life and background, after much of the plot has already unfolded.

   The success of Shutter Island is so pivotally rooted in its execution of the climactic twist at the end that mentioning further plot progression would seriously jeopardize the viewing experience for those who have yet to see the film. For the purposes of this review, however, what can be said is that Scorsese, unsurprisingly, sculpts a better crafted set-up to that climax than what can be said for what follows, though with twists, perhaps that’s much more the point anyway. Still, I stood up feeling a slight void in the grandeur that usually pulses through the final scenes of the more memorable films to come from the director.

   There’s no question, though, that there’s a lot to like about this movie. The story, as well as its closing sentiments, though not altogether original, still begs thoughtful debate as a classic point of intrigue for those both interested in psychological thrillers and not. And DiCaprio, by now per expectations, delivers another pitch perfect character, unique as the rest in his repertoire, line for line. His emotion in one scene in particular gave me chills. The same rings almost as true for the rest of the performances all around. And who am I to blame Scorsese for tackling new territory? He’s shown us what he can do and this movie only broadens the spectrum of his abilities. But now I can’t help but hope he swiftly returns to the conventions of his roots.