Martin Harris

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SPOILERS Shutter Island We are dropped right into the middle of a situation (like in a dream, this happens in a few scenes throughout the film) middle of the sea, no land in sight and the 2 partners meet there n then for the first time.. how were they on the boat for a while without already talking? Clues everywhere that all is not as it seems, at least from Leo's perspective. Some are obvious plot points, some more abstract in visuals or editing e.g. the woman patient drinking water, or the steps in the lighthouse at the end. The lighthouse is the key to finding out the truth and it looks different each time we are shown it, sometimes seen as a high point, sometimes low, sometimes surrounded by craggy rocks, sometimes surrounded by grass, all to disorientate us. There is a plaster on Leo's head for the first 90 mins which disappears after he's told something about his partner.. I'm unsure of the significance of this but I imagine it is saying that the truth can heal you, and/or leave you more exposed. Alot of the events are intentionally too convenient to be believable and organic.. leo is always where he needs to be, meets people who can 'help' along the way, sees and hears what he needs to.. all to fabricate this mystery and keep him on the trail. All these somewhat give the game away so even subconsciously the viewer begins to suspect more and more as the film goes on. This is a mystery thriller that really doesn't try very hard to conceal the nature of the truth. Kind of creepy/spooky visually, musically but also with the setting i.e. only one way in/out, guarded, stormy, lots of locked doors/gates. It gives a really uneasy feeling all the way through, there are lots of examples of film craft at work. There's so much going on it makes you feel like no matter how much you notice, you always will miss bits, which i like. Love the violin music for the scenes of leo with his ex. Camera movement and placement is great as always with Scorsese, it helps to make memorable reveals and disorientate the audience. Leo does a good job of making his character seem nervous and unsure of himself but still hide it well, and does the extreme emotional stuff well. Ruffalo also good at always being behind Leo but kinda leading him at the same time, alot of decisions made between the 2 actually come from him. Lots of great actors in the minor roles, Ted Levine as the warden stuck with me. I like the last scene; 'is it better to live as a monster or to die a good man?' leaving Leo's conclusion open to interpretation, without this, my rating would be lower. As with The Departed, this is another of Scorsese's that slightly over promises and under delivers for me. I know none of this film is meant to be subtle, but after 100 mins of building, i find all the revelations at the end a bit hectic, even silly (especially the anagrams) making the film more about the ride and the bigger questions, which is both good and bad but at least it knows it's for fun and not meant to be taken seriously 100% of the time. I think it unfortunately mostly sidelines the interesting stuff about trauma, shown here in flashbacks, and a man breaking down, in the interest of 'thrilling'. Personally i think many other films (e.g. A Beautiful Mind) do a better job of revealing the truth of someone's reality, gradually and much more subtly. The plot is bordering on ridiculous but still very entertainingly shown and told.