‘Shutter Island’ is a Gorgeous Production with a Reasonable Conclusion
-----In 1976, Director Martin Scorsese had to alter the color of the blood during the climax of his soon-to-be classic ‘Taxi Driver.’ There was simply too much violence in the final showdown to stay within the confines of the R-Rating standard of the 70’s. Suffice it to say, amid all of the confusion in Scorsese’s latest film, one thing that isn’t left to question is the lurid realism of every frame, dark and pasty blood included.
-----Federal Marshall Teddy Daniels is on his way to Shutter Island, a holding facility for the criminally insane. Together, he and partner Chuck Aule have been tasked with finding a missing patient, who seems to have “evaporated through the walls” as the island’s lead psychiatrist Dr. Cawley observes. But something’s not right. Daniels is no fool, and it’s clear as day that someone’s lying; with possibly the whole island in on the conspiracy.
-----Leonardo DiCaprio continues to establish himself as one of Hollywood’s premiere talents with every ongoing performance. His role as Teddy Daniels is drenched in authenticity and carries a supreme handling of the 1954 setting the film takes place in. Playing the age old role of a sly detective against unimaginable odds, DiCaprio’s performance is delivered with the perfect balance of enthusiasm and realism that avoids caricature and relates to the audience. Playing his even-tempered partner Chuck Aule is Mark Ruffalo in a strong supporting performance, which also capably captures the era and mood of the film’s gripping narrative. Playing a man with an apparent secret is Ben Kingsley, as the island’s shady principal psychiatrist and manager, Dr. Cawley. Kingsley gives a calculated and sincere performance as yet another fine weapon wielded by Scorsese’s near flawless Direction. Also turning in an excellent cameo role is Jackie Earle Haley, who gave one of 2009’s finest performances as the violent vigilante Rorschach in the comic book adaptation ‘Watchmen.’ Here he plays a battered inmate on the brink of a mental explosion and thus another benefactor to the film.
-----First acts don’t get much better than the opening to ‘Shutter Island.’ With an exotic air and energy unparalleled by the vast majority of Hollywood’s efforts, Scorsese exceptionally sets the stage for what is sure to be a wild ride of mystery and corruption. Employing a tone in the tradition of film noir, he capably displays an atmosphere reminiscent of the spectacular neo-noir yarns in 2005’s ‘Sin City.’ Not to mention a brilliant lead in DiCaprio’s detective, which harkens back to some of the greatest detective figures in film noir history, namely Jack Nicholson’s smooth private eye in 1974’s ‘Chinatown.’
-----Yet despite all of its numerous pluses, the more ‘Shutter Island’ progresses, the less it is able to capture the sense of wonder instilled in its earlier minutes. While the conclusion is agreeably sound, it fails to pay the hefty bill promised by the premise, instead providing a decent but familiar ending to the finely crafted film. Indeed many elements of the film’s third act seem built into the subconscious from crime stories and psychological mysteries past, yet it’s hard to complain with the steady execution and brilliant justifications of the endgame. Not to be faulted for just how fast-paced and entertaining the opening is, the rest of the film still holds up to a solid degree, just one relatively less spellbinding than its premise.
-----The production values of ‘Shutter Island’ put the high majority of everything else being made in Hollywood to shame. Featuring an Art Direction that is truly entrancing, supplemented by magnificent costume designs and thrilling performances, the film practically sets the bar for A-List genre productions. The cinematography is also stupendous, making every single shot a work of art teeming with brilliance. Perhaps the cou'degra of the film’s storytelling devices is its stirring musical score. With ominous tones and vibrant strokes, it proves to rank in the realm of last year’s ‘Inglourious Basterds’ and 2008’s ‘Slumdog Millionaire’ and ‘The Dark Knight’ as far as instrumental potency goes. Perhaps the primary mood elicited by the film’s untouchable production is one that recalls Stanley Kubrick’s own venture into the realm of horror, with techniques inevitably reminiscent of 1980’s ‘The Shining.’
-----While the ending is less fantastic and more darkly horrific than the film’s captivating earlier scenes, the quality of the finale isn’t left to question. While I would have preferred an ambiguous ending open to interpretation, as was the case with Scorsese’s aforementioned ‘Taxi Driver,’ there’s no denying the emotional gut-punch of ‘Shutter Island.’ And so it becomes not so much a film that redefines its genre, but rather one that fulfills it. While perhaps hoping for a completely original ending to blow us away in the fashion that ‘The Matrix’ and ‘The Sixth Sense’ did is unrealistic, the fact remains that ‘Shutter Island’ can be vaguely predicted with a viewing of the trailer and some blind speculation; though the gritty details are left in question along with indisputable revelations skillfully held to the film’s very final scenes.
-----All in all, ‘Shutter Island’ is a first-class genre film that flawlessly tells a tale we’ve seen bits of before, and remains strong though it doesn’t provide anything exceptionally new with its concluding narrative; with one particular film standing out in my mind as a superior exploration of such themes, though I won’t list it for the sake of avoiding spoilers. Regardless, anyone who’s ever debated the finer points of technical filmmaking will having nothing but praise for the presentation of the Scorsese’s latest, which proves to be a fascinating display of acting prowess and filmmaking craft. Furthermore, when one considers the other films associated with the thriller genre over the last few years, ‘Shutter Island’ proves to be a relative masterpiece; one that deserves plenty of credit for its uncompromising determination and untouchable filmmaking.
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