Shutter Island, the new film from Martin Scorsese, got some mixed reviews. I've heard the word "disappointing" thrown around a lot concerning this movie, and I think that is way off base. While I'm not ready to claim that Shutter Island is among Scorsese's best films (that's a pretty tall order), I still think it is a stunning example of what an amazing filmmaker he is. The performances are incredible and the visual style is masterful and perfectly sets the mood of the film.
Mood is everything in Shutter Island. It is a dark, ominous story, and I felt like gloom was surging through my blood as I sat in the theater. Every detail in the film is supportive of this mood, the feeling that something terrible is about to happen. This is film noir meets Hitchcock, and it is abundantly clear that this is Scorsese's intention. The haunting score consists of dark string music and quick notes that punctuate startling moments. The cinematography is made up of dreary grays, and the sky always seems like it's about to storm.
The story, based on the novel by Dennis Lehane, is set in 1954 and concerns a United States Marshall named Teddy Daniels (Leonardo DiCaprio) who, along with his partner Chuck (Mark Ruffalo), is sent to investigate a prison "for the criminally insane" on Shutter Island. A dangerous convict (Emily Mortimer) has escaped and cannot be found. Her disappearance is the initial mystery, since there is nowhere she could have gone on the remote island.
We learn that Teddy has an unseen past, as all good noir heroes do. He is haunted by dreams of his time as a soldier in World War II and dreams of his deceased wife (Michelle Williams) who died in an apartment fire. The mystery becomes about much more than the missing woman. We meet the suspiciously kind Dr. Cawley (Ben Kingsley), the head psychiatrist at the prison as well as Dr. Naehring (Max von Sydow), whom Teddy suspects is a former Nazi. They are hiding something, Teddy is sure. The mystery becomes more intricate.
The casting is perfect. This is one of DiCaprio's best performances (although there are many great ones to choose from). He plays Teddy with a sense of anguish and hardness that is essential to the film. Ruffalo is equally good with his portrayal of the loyal partner, helping Teddy put together the pieces of the mystery. Kingsley and von Sydow play their antagonist roles with a suspicious, sinister air that lurks just below the surface. There are also wonderfully frightening brief performances from Williams, Mortimer, Patricia Clarkson, Jackie Earl Haley, Ted Levine, John Carrol Lynch, Elias Koteas, and Patricia Clarkson. This is one of the best casts I've seen in a long time.
The only problem I have here is with the screenplay. It's not bad, it's just that the twist ending is a little too much, and I'm not sure it entirely makes sense. I'd have to see it again to know for sure. And I would be glad to see it again, because it's really a very good film.
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