Vaughn On Movies – The World's Toughest Movie Critic™

A 1950s ward for the criminally insane isn’t a pleasantry for anyone. The terror behind the walls has a mystique to the public. It’s as though unspeakable acts of torture can exist within the confines of padded rooms so long as the public never witnesses first hand. The isolation, or in the case of Martin Scorsese’s Shutter Island the possibility of it, could be enough to drive you insane.

Leonardo DiCaprio stars as U.S. Marshal Teddy Daniels. Having met up with new partner Chuck (Mark Ruffalo), he’s on assignment to investigate the disappearance of Rachel (Emily Mortimer) from the secluded mental hospital on Shutter Island. During his visit, Teddy is plagued by vivid recollections of his days as a soldier liberating a Nazi death camp and visions of Delores, his deceased wife (Michelle Williams). These tie in with Teddy’s ulterior motives: investigating rumored inhuman experiments and locating his wife’s murderer.

I didn’t read the book; get used to it. I watch movies and I review them on their own merit. I’m not one to bicker about the source material being wronged when I know full well that a book typically contains an unfilmable heap of situations that need to be whittled down into entertainment in a convenient sub-three hour block. I care about the movie, and in the case of Shutter Island I speculate that fans of the book will have a far different experience since they should have a very solid notion of what happens. For me, someone new to the material, Shutter Island is captivating.

When it comes to the plot there is a ton that I’d like to discuss, but can’t simply because this is a puzzle film and I don’t want to ruin it’s intricately woven pattern of suspense. I’ll say that some elements are very familiar, but that doesn’t stop it from being a shocker. Elsewhere I can say that it’s a well-crafted film on technical levels. The visions of the dead wife are often complemented with CGI that’s used with discretion. Cinematography is strong, showing the colors reminiscent of a similar era prison film, The Shawshank Redemption. Originally I felt that the theatrical score was beating me over the head, but it didn’t take long to assist in providing atmosphere. Editing also plays a role as cuts are made in unorthodox fashion, purposely creating misaligned audio, but this pertains mostly to the dream sequences. The cast even excels as each role becomes deeper than speculated. Leo gives another powerful performance now that he’s cleared the hurdle of being typecast as “the kid”.

When it comes to the twisted thrillers, I prefer endings to be less blatant. With Shutter Island the longwinded conclusion spells out every last possibility. I’m not looking for something open to interpretation, but requiring more participation. There’s still plenty of evidence to spot that you’d want to view it again for the details or chat with friends. As I think more about it, that’s what separates the thrillers from the horrors. The thrillers make you think about outcomes, motives, and twists. Shutter Island doesn’t tie itself into a knot, but it gets close. That frustration can polarize an audience, but if you’ve trusted in me this far then you’re ahead of the game. ***½

NOTE: If you are playing the Shutter Island drinking game, be sure to take a shot each and every time Mark Ruffalo says “boss”. That’s the only rule you’ll need.