When Less Could Have Been More

Rating: 6/10 (7 July 2010)

Watching Shutter Island, I asked myself the question who might have been a better director for this movie. I thought about a director like Sam Fuller, (someone Scorcesse admires) and I even thought of some possible obscure directors, who might not have had a huge budget, and would not have been able to shoot some of the scenes on their budget. Watching the film, like another writer here has pointed out, you think of the famous 1919 German film, The cabinet of Dr. Caligari, I also thought of the overrated 1970's British film, The Wickerman )esspecially when the lead character is going to the lighthouse. Also came to mind, a film which I think is superior to this, the 1987 film Angel Heart.
Is Scorcesse paying homage to these films, maybe. Before the film even began, I suspected Dicaprio's character would turn out to be a patient on Shutter Island. The poster for the film also seemed to be to much of a giveaway. Part of the problem I have with the film are the flashback sequences to the main character. Yes we know that his wife is dead, but for the director to have to show these scenes, and to have hallucination type scenes ruins the film, as we are clearly going to realize that Shutter Island, is not the search for a missing patient, but is about the mind of the Dicaprio character. Worse still are the World War II scenes of concentration camps, as if trying to give greater importance to a thriller. When the final denouncement of who the Dicaprio character really is, it should come to no surprise to the audience, if they are surprised, they certainly haven't seen many movies.
I wondered watching Shutter Island, what a great 1950's or 60's low budget film this would have been. What if some producer had given some money to a gifted director who just wanted to make a good film, and the producer said "Here is the money, go make the film, but don't go over this budget. Perhaps a taunt and shorter interesting thriller would have been made, and the events of the Dicaprio characters past, would only have been discussed, except for the important final flashback scene. I think such a film might be discussed some 50 or 60 years latter, which I don't think this film will achieve.
I enjoyed Shutter Island for awhile, there going to the Island, and introduction to the Island was fine, but after the scene where we see Mr. Dicaprio talking to his dead wife, her turning into ashes into his arms, it was downhill from their. The scene was so over the top. The last hour of the film, I just wanted it to end. The ending scene however is poignant, and Dicaprio's last line memorable. Some have even suggested that Scorcesse was paying some homage to the RKO produced Val Lewton horror films of the 40's. If so, what Mr. Scorcesse has forgotten is that Val Lewton did not have a great deal of money to throw around like he does, and probably made more superior films that Shutter Island.