SHUTTER ISLAND - Analysis

Shutter Island (2010)

• This thriller is based on the 2003 novel of the same name by Dennis Lehane.
• STARRING - Leonardo DiCaprio, Mark Ruffalo, Ben Kingsley, Michelle Williams, Patricia Clarkson, Max von Sydow.
• PRODUCED BY - Mike Medavoy, Arnold W. Messer, Bradley J. Fischer, Martin Scorsese.
• STUDIO - Paramount Pictures, Phoenix Pictures, Sikelia Productions, Appian Way
• DISTRIBUTED BY - Paramount Pictures
• RELEASE - 19 February 2010 (US), 12 March 2010 (UK)
• BUDGET - $80 million
• BOX OFFICE - $294,804,195

The opening sequence of this film does not include any titles, apart from the production companies ident then the film title. It then goes straight into the establishing shot, which is a long shot view of the sea. There is visible fog in the setting, however it fades and a boat is seen in the shot. The first character introduced is the protagonist, played by Leonardo DiCaprio. The diegetic, asynchronous sound of him retching is heard before he is seen in the film. We can see that he is in the boat and can assume that he has sea sickness as he ways to himself "pull yourself together, Teddy...it's just water".

We know that the film is set in a different time, because there is text shown that says 'Boston Harbour Islands 1954'. However, this is also evident by the costumes of the characters. The first two characters seen are both in suits with top hats and long trench coats, which aren't clothes that are worn in the modern world.

Once the two first characters leave arrive at Shutter Island, there is dramatic non-diegetic asynchronous music that starts to play, which gets louder. This clearly suggests that they are entering a dangerous place and that there is a situation that the audience don't know about yet.

The police officers on Shutter Island are all armed and look unsettled. The police officer gives the main protagonist directions and finishes his dialogue off with "is that understood?" which suggests that the protagonist doesn't have much control over himself and he does not have much power in the film. This is evident by the fact that he was ill in the very beginning so he may be fragile, and he clearly follows the orders given to him by others.

These elements of the sequence compliment the film's genre as a mystery/thriller because the audience is unaware of what the problem is and why there are so many police officers at Shutter Island and why they're so on edge.

In relation to editing, the opening uses continuity editing but an interesting element to it is that it is quite slow in the very beginning. However, as the characters reach Shutter Island, the speed picks up in order to create tension in the audience.