The Spectator The independent student newspaper of Valdosta State University
“Shutter Island” starring Leonardo DiCaprio is a thriller that will definitely keep you on the edge of your seat the entire time. Set in 1954 Boston, widower and war veteran, Federal Marshall Teddy Daniels, played by DiCaprio, is assigned to investigate the disappearance of a patient/murderer at Ashcliff Mental Hospital for the Criminally Insane. Mark Ruffalo plays the role of DiCaprio’s partner, Federal Marshall Chuck Aule.
Ashcliff Hospital is located on Shutter Island, which is 11 miles from any sort of land and is surrounded by freezing water. There is one way onto the island and one way off. Needless to say, once you’re there, you’re there. There are 66 patients on the island; however, Daniels discovers a 67th.
After a while, Federal Marshall Daniels discovers a conspiracy and begins to question if he is being set up by a series of crooked doctors. Soon enough, Daniels begins to question reality itself. Then when a hurricane cuts all communication with the mainland, Daniels and his partner are sitting ducks.
Complete with eerie classical music, dark lighting, and eccentric special effects, “Shutter Island” will keep you guessing the entire time; in fact, you may even become confused. Let me re-phrase: I was confused for the majority of the movie.
This is one of those movies where you are given pieces of a puzzle and the more you try to put together that puzzle, the more confused you become; that is until the last five minutes of the film, which I liked. It’s one of those movies where you do not want to get up to use the restroom or re-fill your popcorn for fear of missing something important.
With a director like Martin Scorsese, my standards were set pretty high. DiCaprio has worked with Scorsese on “Gangs of New York,” “The Aviator,” and “The Departed.” Of these, “The Departed” is my favorite. “Shutter Island” definitely wasn’t as good as “The Departed,” but I still liked it.
This film seems to be getting mixed reviews, so here is my input. I thought this movie was good, but the ending was fairly predictable. I was hoping that the ending would be a complete blind-sider that would completely shock me and it didn’t. However, it’s still a movie that I would recommend. Is it one of those movies that you can see over and over again? No. Even though I wasn’t extremely impressed, I still say that Leonardo DiCaprio was the best person for the role of Teddy Daniels.
Michelle Williams and Ben Kingsley complete the cast. If you’re in the mood for a mediocre psychological thriller, go see for yourself!
Tags 2009-2010 2010-02-25 Mallory McLendon
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Worked at a VA Mental Hospital after Viet Nam, had just got out of the Navy. Thought this would be a good job since Viet Nam Vets got to study 1/2 their shift and other benifits but boy was I wrong. The place housed the last patients that had Electro Shock and Labotomys. The place was a daily horror show along with the Doctors who were working for the Government because they were not from the US or homegrown Doctors that has lost their ability to work anywhere else if you get the picture. Had patients from WW I to freaked out Viet Nam vets it was pitiful.
The movie was not exactly the done where following it made any sense, the casting and location were great just wish the show made a bit of sense at all. One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest has to be hands down the best movie about this subject the end result was the same, the patient was too much for the place a lobotomy solved all of that. Then they were just a Zombie in every sense of the word, a horrible end for someone that needed some GOOD help, which I’m sure there are too many good Doctors in that field, easier to keep the patient wacked out so they don’t cause any trouble. Shameful waste of life… Don’t be so quick to discount this if you haven’t been there you just don’t know!
I think the beauty of the entire movie is you don’t know how to feel and you don’t know which to believe. You are very much in the mind of Leo’s character. Paranoid and stuck between two different things that both could very much be true. I called it very early on. The fact that it didn’t show him anywhere else but the Ferry and the Island. He has experienced Trauma. The Doctor said he does experimental procedures. Patients seemed coached. Just met his partner. And there wasn’t much to the movie unless he was crazy. Frankly, practically from the beginning I just felt that’s the only way it could have been.
“If you are in the mood for a mediocre psychological thriller, go see for yourself”
….NO!!!!!!! ………..but YES!!!!!
I want to save the $10!!! Thank you for the references to some of Scorsese’s recent films, it gives me a base to go by. If you like “Goodfellas” or “Casino” maybe you’d be a big fan. Scorsese’s fims are for sure a fan preference and by no means the average bears preference. So shoot me in the face! His films are great, (according to the Oscar’s) but by no means the greatest, and maybe I am speaking for the average audience. Lets get focused, they are primarily, predictable, bland and over-amped. I’m stoked that this review is about a typical, below-average Scorsese film that is out there. He knows his capabilities and he should be ashamed at just how lazy he is being. Seriously Scorsese, we know your capability, lock it up and get it out there…………get to producin!