Dark film offers up predictable ending
Posted Mar 5, 2010 By Mark Haskins
Email
Print
Tweet ThisMOVIE: Shutter Island
STARRING: Leonardo DiCaprio, Mark Ruffalo, Ben Kingsley, and Max Von Sydow
DIRECTOR: Martin Scorsese
RATING: R
EMC Lifestyle - Shutter Island is one of the darkest films I've watched. Unfortunately, it's also one of the most predictable.
Shutter Island lies just off the coast of Massachusetts. Surrounded by rocky cliffs, and with only one way on or off the island it's the perfect place for an institution for the criminally insane. It houses those individuals so troubled and twisted no other prison would, or could house them.
Recently one of their patients escaped. Her name is Rachel Solando (Emily Mortimer). She was committed for drowning her children. She's delusional, dangerous, and the staff has no idea how she escaped.
They also can't find her which is why they've called in U.S. Marshals Teddy Daniels (Leonardo DiCaprio) and Chuck Aule (Mark Ruffallo).
The Marshals arrive just as a storm is rolling in. Immediately they're taken to see the chief psychiatrist, Dr. Cawley (Ben Kingsley). On the surface Cawley is the picture of helpfulness. Yet there's something about him Teddy doesn't trust. There are too many questions and not enough answers.
The further Teddy digs into the mystery the more confusing things become. He's convinced there's something sinister going on. However, the truth of Shutter Island may destroy him.
Martin Scorsese truly is a master filmmaker. Every detail of Shutter Island is carefully constructed to create a dark, foreboding and suspenseful atmosphere. He takes his time developing the characters and the setting.
He eases the audience into the story allowing us to become fully immersed in his film. He takes us into the deepest, darkest places of the mind, successfully showing how a good person could be pushed over the edge.
It's dark, depressing and even heart wrenching, just as I think Scorsese intended it to be, and yet it doesn't quite work.
The fault doesn't lie with the actors. Leonardo DiCaprio's performance is one of his most convincing. In his character's moment of crisis, your heart goes out to him in a way that few other actors could achieve. Mark Ruffalo, Ben Kingsley, Max Von Sydow, Michelle Williams, and Emily Mortimer are all outstanding. They each gives the kind of performances that raises the hair on the back of your neck.
No, the problem is the film's twist. The whole film hinges on the big revelation at the climax, but I had it figured out fairly early on.
Maybe I watch too many movies, or maybe the clues Scorsese gives are too obvious, but I could see there were only two possible ways this film could end, and there was only one that made any sense. Once you have a film like this figured out the rest of the movie becomes almost tedious to watch.
Shutter Island is saved somewhat by the quality of the film making. Unfortunately, it's a depressing film that leaves you depressed because it's done so well. If you see it, see it with friends, or your therapist.
Mark Haskins' column is a regular feature of the EMC.
blog comments powered by Disqus
