Henry Saw: Shutter Island

At the very least this is among the top five films I've seen in theaters in the last year...and that doesn't begin to describe how much fun I had this past Friday...


Firstly, quickly, let's get some of the back-story out of the way. Shutter Island is the first feature film from Scorsese since 2006's Oscar winning The Departed. Based on a Dennis Lehane novel, Shutter Island was supposed to come out in October of 2009. Whether it was because of re-shoots, quarterly statements, or a lack of faith, the studio pushed back its release date to February 2010. The plot centers around a Massachusetts State Marshall named Teddy Daniels (Leonardo Dicaprio) who travels to a isolated mental institution for the criminally insane to investigate the disappearance of one of the "patients". Joined by his new partner Chuck (Mark Ruffalo), Teddy encounters a wide range of characters including the head physician Dr. Cawley (Ben Kingsley), the warden (Ted Levine), and a tormented patient (Jackie Earle Haley). Through all this Teddy keeps seeing visions of the concentration camp at Dachau and his dead wife (Michelle Willaims).



Very rarely do you see a film and know you are in the hands of a master. Every Kurosawa film has his hand-print. You can't watch a Hitchcock film without being aware of his skill and control of the camera. With Shutter Island I feel that Scorsese has entered this elite class of signature filmmakers. That's not to say that Shutter Island is his best film, far from it, but it's the film where I could most see Scorsese at work.

When's the last time you just had fun at the movies? Perhaps Avatar is your answer...it wasn't for me...but Shutter Island is. From the first scene on the ferry to the last moment on the hospital grounds...I was completely invested in the film. Every decision Scorsese made feels deliberate and appropriate. He's not afraid to show off a little bit, or make it obvious who he is referencing, but I thought that was part of the fun of the film.

It's very important that you go into Shutter Island not expecting high art. This is Scorsese having a good time. There are scenes that strive for, and achieve, greatness but the film is more concerned with simply entertaining the audience. Remember that when Hitchcock made North by Northwest, Psycho, and The Birds, he was not trying to make films worthy of study; he was trying to make movies that everyone would enjoy. In short, Scorsese has made a film that works both as a popping Friday night flick and a movie worthy of analysis in a classroom. Also standing out was the film's music, especially the use of Symphony No. 3: Passacaglia, which was another nice nod to the thrillers of the 40s and 50s.

Leonardo DiCaprio does a good job carrying Shutter Island. I think he might have been better in The Departed, but it's close, and I can't think of many other actors who could have anchored this film the way he does. Mark Ruffalo is perfectly cast as someone who is supposed to not be noticed. It's nice to see Ben Kingsly actually acting after a decade of work-for-hire appearances in Uwe Bole movies. Max von Sydow is incredibly entertaining (and Scorsese gives him a hell of an entrance) and Ted Levine is a part of the best exchange of the movie. Michelle Williams, given a tough and limited part, is riveting every moment she is on screen. Her final sequence, and it would be spoiling things to say more than that, is one of the most chilling I've ever seen. She is haunting.



I'm trying to think of negatives to say about the movie but I'm struggling. I suppose it's a bit long...and at a certain point you get a little tired of the build-up and just want the climax and denouement...but only barely. I loved Shutter Island. I recommend it to anyone and everyone. It's just so refreshing to watch a movie made by a director who knows what he's doing. Shutter Island knows exactly what kind of movie it should be and then exceeds its boundaries. I'll be surprised if I have a better time at the movies this year.

Grade: A

Best Scene: The last flashback...