'Shutter Island' is an unsettling, haunting journey

Rating: 8/10 (23 February 2010)

In the Martin Scorsese's new film Shutter Island, Leonardo Di Caprio plays U.S. Marshal Teddy Daniels, who is assigned to investigate a disappearance of a female patient in a mental hospital for the criminally insane on the remote Shutter Island. As he uncovers clues, he suspects a conspiracy involving the doctors performing mind-altering experiments on patients. When a hurricane cuts off communication from the mainland and many dangerous criminals escape, Teddy finds out that the happenings on Shutter Island are a lot more twisted than he realized.
Since Martin Scorsese's big Oscar win with The Departed, he returns again with Leonardo Di Caprio in a starring role. Given the fact the movie takes place in 1954, one can't help approaching the film as some sort of a biopic, helped by the similarity of look to Scorsese/Di Caprio period pieces like Gangs of New York and The Aviator. However, one would be better prepared to approach it like a Hitchcockian thriller, or perhaps even a horror film. While there are many details that take place outside the island, the focus is really on the island itself and Teddy's relation to it.
The ominous setting, lighting, and the attention to period detail is quite intricate, with stark shadows and grey skies giving an oppressive atmosphere of gloom. One is reminded of Hitchcockian motifs of rocky shores, dangerous cliffs, punctuated by moody score, mixed with dizzying dream sequences involving dead people reminiscent of David Lynch's work. As he does with his other films, here, Scorsese has created a world that engulfs you, as he has a special talent of getting under your skin, making it an unsettling experience.
Leonardo Di Caprio's engaging performance truly sells this movie, as he breathes life into Teddy Daniels with a lot of conviction and pathos. It is this character with a haunted past that pushes the plot forward, as it is important that we the audience discovers with him what he uncovers (and we do). Mark Ruffalo as Chuck Aule, his partner in the case, does a fine job as his sidekick. Ben Kingsley brings a lot of weight and sinister intelligence to the role of psychiatrist Dr. Cawley, while Max von Sydow as Dr. Naehring has a cold candor and look that reminds one of a Nazi doctor. These characters, along with the inhabitants of the hospital, help contribute to the overall atmosphere of paranoia.
I enjoyed this thriller and appreciated the way the suspense was built gradually, not relying too heavily on the usual scare tactics. The film is suspenseful, unsettling, and dark. It is not a "pleasant" film to watch, or a popcorn film—it's just not that kind of film. It demands attention. I did notice that the plot itself didn't have to be as large a scale as Scorsese presented it, but it helped. If left in different hands, the film would've been a lot different, and certainly not as strong. At 138 minutes, the film can feel like a sensory overload for some, yet it's immersive. Whatever opinion one may have of Scorsese's films in general, they aren't comfort films—they're often potent and leave an impression. I appreciated how the plot was a little different than his previous works, yet a style that's still his own. It is a haunting, unsettling thriller that kept me thinking more about it afterwards. I'll say it's even closer to a horror film, a pretty good one. I give Shutter Island *** out of **** stars.
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