Martin Scorsese’s Shutter Island (adapted from the bestselling novel of the same name) is set in 1954, on a remote and isolated island where the only way on or off is by ferry, and the only real feature is a mental hospital for the criminally insane; a hospital that takes in, and attempts to treat, patients so delusional, and so violent, that no other hospital or prison in the country can even hope to control them.
It begins on the ferry journey undertaken by a U.S. Marshall (Leonardo DiCaprio, The Departed), who disembarks and enters the institution on Shutter Island with his new partner Chuck (Mark Ruffalo, Zodiac), and the intention of investigating the disappearance of a missing prisoner/patient called Rachel Solando; who apparently vanished from her locked room and escaped past several of the hospitals orderlies without being spotted.
He naturally begins by talking with the head psychiatrist, Dr. Cawley (Ben Kingsley, Sexy Beast), and interviewing the orderlies who were there that night, but is constantly met with a degree of distain and feels that not only is his investigation being hindered, but that he is being lied to at every turn.
What follows during the investigation involves the Marshall delving deep into his own psyche, as he is presented with contradictory information every step of the way, and is never sure exactly who or what to believe; is there a 67th patient on the island? Has he been lured there on purpose? Where have the rest of the missing patients gone (he’s most interested in finding a disappeared man called Andrew Laeddis (Elias Koteas, Fallen), whom he believes set the fire that killed his wife, and whose records have mysteriously vanished)? Are the doctors conducting experiments on the inmates of the cordoned off Ward C? And can he trust a partner that he has never met before?
The film’s main success stems from an uneasy curiosity that every viewer will have while watching, because nothing ever seems to fully add up, and as the various arguments for what is happening start to unfold and it becomes clear that the movie will either end in one of two places, it never becomes predictable; as every single clue that’s presented seems to contradict the last, and you’re never quite sure who’s telling the truth, or which way the story will turn, right up until the climax (or even a few minutes after it’s finally been explained, because it could just be another ruse).
And the climax itself is brilliant, because while at first it may seem like a tired let down, the excellent explanation for the film’s events is superbly told, excellently acted, and magnificently shot, and even after the explanation, Scorsese’s final scene presents another clever little twist that can be open to interpretation, and cements the place of Shutter Island as a thoroughly intriguing thriller.
In terms of acting talent this film rates just about as highly as any of Martin Scorsese’s other features; Leonardo DiCaprio, who it seems is fast becoming Marty’s new De Niro (Robert De Niro has starred in nine of Scorsese’s movies, and Shutter Island marks DiCaprio’s fourth film with the director), is on top form as the Marshall who’s constantly being torn every which way and doesn’t know who to believe; he’s extremely adept at playing both the sad scenes (which occur generally when he remembers his late wife, and during some emotionally uncomfortable flashbacks to liberating a WWII death camp), and the scenes where he is in an utter state of confusion (often after dream sequences, or supposed clues and explanations are given to him by other characters), as well as appearing just as official and tough as he needs to; another stunning performance.
The supporting cast is also made up of stellar actors that include Ted Levine (Silence of the Lambs) as the Warden; a strange and somewhat hostile character who seems like an antagonistic, slightly reformed, Buffalo Bill with a decent job and a tendency towards violence; Mark Ruffalo as Chuck; Marshall’s partner, who seems to know little about using his weapon, but is always ready with a new conspiracy theory or piece of evidence; Max Von Sydow (Minority Report) as another psychiatrist at the hospital; insistent on analyzing the Marshall and always comfortably distant; and Elias Koteas (Defendor) and John Caroll Lynch (Zodiac) among others, who all play their respective parts to an exceptional standard; all remaining suitably weird and off colour.
But when all is said and done, Shutter Island is an immensely suspenseful thriller, and although it may be a very confusing film upon first watch, it has such an air of mystery that it is completely engrossing and totally tense. It has a great setting (both historically and in terms of location) and a brilliant cast that play every one of their parts excellently, and although the movie’s climax is half predictable (it was only ever really going to end in one of two ways), it is pulled off especially well and, like The Sixth Sense, practically demands a second viewing.
