 "Photo: Photo courtesy of Paramount Pictures")
“Shutter Island” was adapted from the 2003 novel of the same name written by Dennis Lehane (author of “Mystic River”). Seven years after its publication, Martin Scorcese took the idea under his wing and crafted a seemingly suspenseful two-hour film adaptation.
Set in 1954, “Shutter Island” begins with U.S. Marshal Teddy Daniels (Leonardo Dicaprio) and his partner Chuck Aule (Mark Ruffalo) on a ferry set sail to the titled island, located eleven miles off the shore of Massachusetts.
Even though this is the first time the two detectives have met, they have both been called in to help find the most murderous patient that has escaped from the island’s Ashecliffe Hospital for the Criminally Insane.
During the investigation, Daniels suffers from intense migraines that leave him hallucinating about his very troubled and violent past. The visions are boldly vivid, depicting Daniels’ stint as a U.S. soldier and the day they seized Dachau concentration camp. He has visions of the apparition of his wife (Michelle Williams) who was killed in a fire caused by an arsonist.
Everyone on the island seems to know much more than they are letting on and secrets the island holds begin to break Daniels down. Apparent holes in the plot are eventually explained at the end when the truth of what has really been going is divulged.
The movie wasn’t as suspenseful as a typical Scorcese film; however, it is enough to keep the questions boiling until the end. Quick cuts of violent acts are used like subliminal messages, relaying the flashes Daniels is having as very jumpy tangents of arbitrary storytelling. Unfortunately, this is a puzzle that can’t be finished until the end when the final pieces come in to play.
“Shutter Island” is like a big can of long, sticky, delusional worms waiting to be opened. It is about a man’s realization of his past and how he can’t control his rage or what he sees because of the trauma he has experienced in his life.
These suppressed memories constantly haunt Daniels, both in and out of his sleep, causing him to become deeply involved with the case. Revelations of his past eventually lead him to the grim truth that he has been failing to see all along.
Learning to cope with trauma is undoubtedly a very difficult thing for any person to bear. Grief consumes each person differently resulting in a different grieving process for each patient. When others begin to notice that Daniels is having visions of his dead wife, people urge him to just let it go; yet each time seems harder than the last and he replies, “I just can’t.”
It’s difficult to disclose any more of the plot without revealing the deep mystery behind “Shutter Island.” The plot of “Shutter Island” is rather clever, which is nothing less than expected from directorial madman Scorsese and his ability to foil the audience.
Scorsese diligently followed the screenplay with finesse and was able to come up with a very ostentatious adaptation. Set in 1954, yet filmed in 2009, “Shutter Island” parallels aspects of fine contemporary cinema, bringing to life an imaginary island and a story that aims to enthrall in one way or another. Dicaprio’s acting is still of a very high caliber; it’s hard to have it any other way with “Shutter Island” being the fourth film he has collaborated on with Scorsese.
Critic’s Conclusion: The first half of “Shutter Island” made the film feel like a huge letdown but as more details were revealed, the film took shape and established a firm sense of logic and understanding. The film’s reflection of truth regarding humanity’s past is one of its strongest points, along with exact replications of medical care tactics that were used at the turn of the twentieth century. “Shutter Island” is gritty and averting, but it is an honest depiction of human naivety and barbarianism. A-
Be the first to comment on this article!