Shutter island (2010)

Review: written October 2010

Scorcese's simmering psychological head-scratcher

This really was a return to form in many ways, for Scorcese the film-maker. We're in Cape Fear territory here, inasmuch as our Martin clearly wants to show off his directorial skills, and his movie knowledge. This is not a case of the director being invisible to the process to serve the story - here he is key in using all sorts of tricks and magic to entertain and surprise, visually, aurally and narratively. Movie referencing is rife (look for the scene running up the stairs in the lighthouse, then go watch Vertigo - 50th Anniversary Special Edition [DVD] [1958 ] again), and the nature of the story itself lends itself to some startling imagery.

So what's it about? Well, the less said going in to the movie the better.. suffice to say, that DiCaprio (on blistering form) and his colleague (Mark Ruffalo - understated yet also excellent in the role) arrive in 1954 on the eponymous island as two Marshalls, sent to investigate reports of a missing person. The island is a sanatorium for the criminally insane, lending a creepy and unsettling atmosphere from the first moment it appears through the mists. They meet the doctors, Ben Kingsley and Max von Sydow in their wonderfully Gothic setting, crackling fireplace and thundery soundtrack from the brewing storm. However, as time goes by, DiCaprio feels his grip on reality loosening. Is there a conspiracy on the island? Is his past trauma in the war catching up with him? Why do the facts signally fail to add up? It's a great build - and even, if some have said, the plot is somewhat easy to guess at early on, the machinations to get there never fail to be interesting at the least, and mesmerising if like me you relish getting into the atmosphere of the movie.

Much credit to maintaining the atmosphere goes to the cinematography which is simply magnificent, lending an eerie, sepia toned hue to the period setting, and yet some startling colour imagery in the dream scenes. The soundtrack too should get an honourable mention, using modern classical music to create the off kilter feel, rather than one sound from one composer to unite the tone. You really get the feeling that Marty was enjoying himself to bits making this - if giving him an Oscar encourages him to have this much fun without the weight of expectation, for goodness sake give him another one.

Bluray serves this movie very well - the clarity of those sounds, the storm, even the aforementioned crackle of the fireplace, all feel exactly where they should be, and the images are so vivid and startling in high definition it's worth going high def on this one.

In a nutshell, this is utterly brilliant - at the same time revelling in the love of cinema of old, while adding his own distinctive Scorcese touch, topped with a performance from DiCaprio which roots you in the drama, this is one for those who love pure cinema. It's eminently watchable, and as the best movies are, eminently rewatchable too. Recommended.