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Shutter Island (2009)

Director: Martin Scorsese

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41 reviews

Movie review

From Time Out London

Kitsch is most enjoyable when it doesn’t know it’s kitsch. Everyone involved in ‘Shutter Island’ – most obviously director Martin Scorsese and star Leonardo DiCaprio – seem to be taking this berserk, meandering story absolutely seriously, which only serves to make an already fun psychological thriller all the more ludicrous and entertaining.

The film is set in 1954. DiCaprio plays Teddy Daniels, a US marshal dispatched to the titular oceanbound asylum to investigate the disappearance of a criminally insane inmate from her locked cell. He soon begins to suspect that this remote facility isn’t all it appears – is Ben Kingsley’s avuncular psychiatrist really as kindly and welfare-conscious as he seems? Why are the guards so heavily armed? And what’s with the mysterious lighthouse that all the patients seem so terrified of? To make matters worse there’s a hurricane coming in, the generators are on the blink and Teddy’s new partner Chuck (Mark Ruffalo) is starting to look decidedly shifty. ‘Taxi Driver’ this ain’t.

Actually, the Scorsese movie it most resembles is his previous exercise in Hitchcockian overkill, 1991’s ‘Cape Fear’. With DiCaprio rather limp and forgettable in the lead, ‘Shutter Island’ lacks the centrifugal might of De Niro’s powerhouse central performance in the earlier film. But it compensates with pure visual, aural and narrative excess: this is modern gothic taken to its (il)logical extreme, a work of pure operatic delirium. The closest ‘Shutter Island’ gets to a commanding, De Niro-like presence might be its perverse, overbearing soundtrack, a selection of the most doom-laden pieces by modern composers ranging from Kryzstof Penderecki to Max Richter. Every twist in the tale is accompanied by a frenzied flurry of violins, every moment of violence underscored by a pounding, atonal piano crescendo.

While the narrative, adapted from Dennis Lehane’s 2003 novel, is hopelessly convoluted, the film is held together by the sheer bludgeoning force of Scorsese’s directorial vision. Never one to shy away from visual overindulgence, Scorsese has used ‘Shutter Island’ as an excuse to really throw open his box of tricks, chucking in gaudy but strikingly beautiful dream sequences, harrowing (if rather tasteless) concentration camp flashbacks and the most thunderous, howling rainstorms this side of ‘Suspiria’.

In fact, Argento’s film, a similarly monumental and manic triumph of style over substance, may be the most appropriate comparison here. And while Scorsese may lack the giallo master’s manic invention, the tension between his natural tendency towards old-fashioned Hollywood classicism and his evident desire to cut loose gives the film its strange, irrestistible power. As senseless, perverse and unwieldy as it undoubtedly is, ‘Shutter Island’ might be Scorsese’s most enjoyable film in a decade.

Author: Tom Huddleston

Time Out London Issue 2064: 11– 17 March, 2010

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User reviews of this film

Daniel said...

Posted on Apr 14 2011 21:46 Slightly underwhelmed by this film. Visually impressive, all the padding is there; however, the plot seems to lack a level of sophistication. For the final 30 minutes or so I felt like I was being bludgeoned with the predictable conclusion. A bit of a cliche in concept these days, but nevertheless well executed, despite Dicaprio's unconvincing performance. The fact that this film is even average pays testament to Scorcese's brilliance.

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Mary said...

Posted on Sep 14 2010 17:01 A beautifully crafted, complex film, with exquisite music. Loved Dinah Washington/Max Richter 'Bitter Earth' at the end.

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andy said...

Posted on Aug 02 2010 00:43 It lacked any real tension until the final three quarters of an hour.Most of the offical reviews I read said it could have benefited from being half an hour shorter and I would tend to agree.Thought the twist ending was quite good though.

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Brad said...

Posted on Jul 06 2010 05:52 "most RETARDED movie of the decade", Fixed that for you.

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louise said...

Posted on Apr 18 2010 21:30 i was very confused by this film. I liked the not knowing bit in the middle, (is he mad or isn't he?) but the ending was very strange.

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tom said...

Posted on Apr 18 2010 09:34 Having read the comments on here i thought this film would be much worse than it turned out to be.
I thought the score and the poor movement effects when on the boat and jeep were all very deliberately over done. A homage to old films of the genre I thought.
The story raises some interesting questions and themes. Whilst i agree it stops short of fulfilling its potential it is very watchable and does have some moments of suspense. There should have been more.
Certainly did not regret seeing this film.

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Sutton said...

Posted on Apr 10 2010 12:44 An enjoyable thriller, with good lead performances.

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Paul said...

Posted on Apr 06 2010 15:20 Warning, next review by Mike C. is a plot spoiler and a key plot point at that!

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daveed said...

Posted on Apr 03 2010 17:57 great movie the 2 hours flew by for me

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lynutty said...

Posted on Apr 02 2010 19:16 trash on film. I gave it 1 star because it ended..
when the theatre full of people laugh when its over....and all of the talk walking out was 'that was shit'...you know you've gone wrong.
murdering children and seeing their murdered bodies....sick!

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Lindariel said...

Posted on Mar 31 2010 16:56 I thought it was the dog's/dogs' bollocks and went to see it again the next day!!! 12 out of 10 for me :-)

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David said...

Posted on Mar 31 2010 14:00 A horrid film! Technically and from the point of view of photography it's flawless, but Scorsese's obsession with all forms of human depravity and degradation shows no signs of letting up. May well be a master of his craft, but he's also the only director who has devoted his life trying to make cinema-goers throw up in their seats! And he seems to revel in his ability to do this. Scorsese's final few films will be the end of an era and thank God for that!

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terry said...

Posted on Mar 30 2010 02:18 Puerile, clumsily derivative, detritis by a director who once upon a time did a FEW good films and who should know better. He is definitely past his sell by date. Tarantino, De Palma and Polanski do it with so much more style creativity and panache!

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Paul said...

Posted on Mar 29 2010 09:05 Underwhelmed and mystified how a film like this gets to be made and distributed other than because of the names behind it. Reminds me how Hollywood really doesn't mind scrapping the barrel and putting out this 'stuff'. Ben Kingsley in a bow-tie? Please. Spare yourself a tedious night out, the other reviews here describe the experience.

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Thomas Noctor said...

Posted on Mar 29 2010 02:17 I love this Directers Movies, Goodfellas and the likes so I was looking forward to this! Great film until the end, oh boy worst ending since No Country For Bored Menand Brothers! Shame, Di Caprio was good in this, very lazy predictable ending!

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