Shutter Island
Never let it be said the Martin Scorsese can’t do thrillers. We have been anticipating this new film from Scorsese for more than a year and for those that loved his last real big thriller, Cape Fear, there is much here to satisfy you. If you were impressed by Robert De Niro’s performance in that, then you will revel in Di Caprio in this.
Scorsese protégé Di Caprio once again takes the helm of another of his pictures here, as he has done on so many occasions, taking the mantle from De Niro more than a few years ago. Charged in this with the part of Teddy Daniels, ‘Fedral Moreshall’. When a patient goes missing in a maximum security (it’s on an island in the middle of nowhere, so no chance of escape) mental institution, Daniels and his new partner Chuck (Mark Ruffalo) are sent via the only way on and off the eponymously titled island, via the none too salubrious ferry, to investigate the events that occurred prior to the disappearance.
To say that Shutter Island is a trip for the senses is something of an understatement and it is difficult to get a coherent grip of it the minute you have finished watching it, which is why I duly waited twenty-four hours after viewing it before writing the review.
Ben Kingsley plays the part of Dr Cawley, who has much in common with Dr Caligari in his tone and demeanour as anyone you will meet. His humour is dry and dark, but it is there, nonetheless. Rooted in what appears to be normality, Cawley represents himself as the Island’s ambassador with potentially dangerous motives that remain truly unclear until the end. Thriller legend Max von Sydow is also present, playing the potentially ex-Nazi Dr Naehring. He is to intelligent and insidious threat as much as Teddy is to patriotic righteous justice.
Lest we forget, though, this is all about Teddy. Di Caprio takes an anguished, grieving soul and pulls it to bits here, exposing the soft-underbelly of a conscience ready to break without realising it. When he does, of course, it is probably too late, but watching Di Caprio wrestle with Daniels’ demons is amazing and a testament to both his skill as an actor and his Director’s vision for Daniels’ tale, his past and his current surroundings.
Scorsese takes what seems at first to be an innocuous piece of land with some buildings on it and elevates its status to beyond the reverence reserved for the likes of Alcatraz. By the end of the film and without any direct intervention you will notice, even the Island itself becomes a formidable character, with its dark places, crashing seas, lightning strikes and unwelcoming rocky outcrops.
In all, a firebrand of a story, with sublime acting, cinematography, direction and scripting. There is no doubt that you will come away from the film feeling mentally bullied by it, but happy in the fact that you have seen, once again, a genuine master of his craft at work. Brilliant, memorable stuff.
Generally dripping with menace and ready to scare the bejeezus out of you at a moment’s notice, Shutter Island, goes to some very dark places. In actuality the film spends most of its time warming you up to an astounding final act. On the downside, you see the plot unravelling in the most formulaic way during the journey, but at the same time, you feel no worse for it as Scorsese is clearly giving the audience both what they want and expect in this aspect. I was reminded of a host of films during the viewing, from ‘The 39 Steps’ to ‘The Haunting’ and more. Scorsese takes his not inconsiderable movie making genius and also steals liberally from other thriller set pieces that are both memorable and satisfying.
Most surprisingly, however, is Scorsese’s decision to add elements of the paranormal, when the film did not really require it. Dream-sequences and open-mouthed scenes from Teddy’s back-story tell a continually evolving storyline that envelops the viewer the more complicated it becomes. You wonder then why did he add an element that could easily have taken away some of the reality. As I did, you will doubtless get at least three or four ‘aaaah, now I get it’ moments where everything starts to shift from one perspective to another and pieces of a very complicated and well told riddle begin to fall into place. Attention to detail is not, however, always a given, and one or two plot devices are left unattended to (I won’t tell you which, but let you see for yourself). These are easy to overlook given the treat you being given. As an example of how madness can come from apparently nowhere, this is absolutely first class stuff.
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