Shutter Island

[Cognitive Gear]

Trying something a little bit different with the original post for this movie thread, let me know what you think!


Director: Martin Scorsese
Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Mark Ruffalo, Emily Mortimer, Ben Kingsley, Michelle Williams, Patricia Clarkson, Max von Sydow
Runtime: 138 mins
Based on: The novel of the same name, written by Dennis Lehane.
Spoiler Free summary: In 1954, U.S. Marshal Teddy Daniels and his partner, Chuck Aule, go to the Ashecliff Hospital for the criminally insane on Shutter Island. They are investigating the disappearance of Rachel Solando, a murderess whom killed her three children.

Trailer, Superbowl Spot




This is Shutter Island. This thread is to promote awareness of this film on CAA, as well as provide a place to talk about it.

Here's my #1 thought after watching the movie (Huge spoilers)

[spoiler] The final line is, "Which would be worse, to live as a monster or to die as a good man?". At the end of the movie, he is no longer insane, as the therapy has worked. However, he chooses to go with the latter of the two; life post lobotomy would allow him to forget his bad deeds. Life without the lobotomy would mean that he would go on sane, but with full knowledge of what he has done.

This movie was so awesome. [/spoiler]

[Radical Dreamer]

[spoiler] The final line is, "Which would be worse, to live as a monster or to die as a good man?". At the end of the movie, he is no longer insane, as the therapy has worked. However, he chooses to go with the latter of the two]

[SPOILER]I thought for a while about the end of the movie, just because of how powerful it was. I didn't realize that it was his choice, however--I read the ending as another "relapse" into his escape. Looking at that last quote makes the fact that it was his choice a lot more clear, and fascinating, at that. XD

I really want to see it again, as I've said a number of times by this point, but I've already been thinking of scenes that hinted at the reveal at the end. For instance, I was originally curious as to why the woman he and Chuck were speaking to about Rachel Solando asked Chuck to leave before writing "RUN" in Teddy's journal. Obviously, it was because she knew who Chuck really was and didn't want him to know that she was trying to warn Teddy about what they were trying to accomplish. And the same goes for the things his wife/his subconscious was telling him all throughout the movie. I bet there are so many more details that I missed watching it the first time; I can't wait to go see it again. XD[/SPOILER]

[Cognitive Gear]

[SPOILER]I thought for a while about the end of the movie, just because of how powerful it was. I didn't realize that it was his choice, however--I read the ending as another "relapse" into his escape. Looking at that last quote makes the fact that it was his choice a lot more clear, and fascinating, at that. XD

I really want to see it again, as I've said a number of times by this point, but I've already been thinking of scenes that hinted at the reveal at the end. For instance, I was originally curious as to why the woman he and Chuck were speaking to about Rachel Solando asked Chuck to leave before writing "RUN" in Teddy's journal. Obviously, it was because she knew who Chuck really was and didn't want him to know that she was trying to warn Teddy about what they were trying to accomplish. And the same goes for the things his wife/his subconscious was telling him all throughout the movie. I bet there are so many more details that I missed watching it the first time]

[spoiler] There are so many things in it that hint at it. For instance, when Teddy visits the C block trying to find Andrew Laeddis, he is called out to by George Noyce as Laeddis. Inititially this could seem like he was simply repeating what Teddy said, but we know better. (Also, the conversation has more than a few interesting moments, which I would have to watch again to repeat with any certainty.)

There were a few other things I liked as intentional devices to make everything feel a bit off and as callbacks to classic Hitchcock films. The not so great effects used on the boatride and on the car ride. The boat ride is actually where I realized that Teddy was indeed crazy, I just didn't know in what way. It has this odd hazy and cheap green-screen effect going on that seemed pretty intentional.

I'll keep posting here when I think of more. [/spoiler]

[Radical Dreamer]

[spoiler]The not so great effects used on the boatride and on the car ride. The boat ride is actually where I realized that Teddy was indeed crazy, I just didn't know in what way. It has this odd hazy and cheap green-screen effect going on that seemed pretty intentional.[/spoiler]

[SPOILER]Oh wow, I didn't even notice that. XD What I DID notice (and I watched it through the whole movie) was the band-aid on his forehead. As his hallucinations began happening more frequently and his insanity became more evident to the audience, his band-aid came up at the edges. It finally comes off when he's in the shower, just before he goes to the lighthouse and it's revealed to him (and us) that he IS insane. I guess it was sort of a parallel to how his escapist world was "covering up" the fact that he was insane, just like the band-aid was covering up the wound on his forehead. So yeah, I thought that was pretty awesome. XD[/SPOILER]

[Warrior 4 Jesus]

I noticed the car-ride but not the on-board the boat. It was a very disturbing and unsettling movie but all the same very good. I'm not sure which train of thought I follow. The twist seemed to be hinted at really early on, then debated back and forth and then revealed as what you thought towards the beginning. But many don't think that was the case.
Hmm... Lots to ponder.

[Cognitive Gear]

[SPOILER]Oh wow, I didn't even notice that. XD What I DID notice (and I watched it through the whole movie) was the band-aid on his forehead. As his hallucinations began happening more frequently and his insanity became more evident to the audience, his band-aid came up at the edges. It finally comes off when he's in the shower, just before he goes to the lighthouse and it's revealed to him (and us) that he IS insane. I guess it was sort of a parallel to how his escapist world was "covering up" the fact that he was insane, just like the band-aid was covering up the wound on his forehead. So yeah, I thought that was pretty awesome. XD[/SPOILER]

Oh man, I did not catch this. I really like it, though!

I noticed the car-ride but not the on-board the boat. It was a very disturbing and unsettling movie but all the same very good. I'm not sure which train of thought I follow. The twist seemed to be hinted at really early on, then debated back and forth and then revealed as what you thought towards the beginning. But many don't think that was the case.
Hmm... Lots to ponder.

[spoiler] Tagging this, just in case.

Yeah, I caught on really early (first scene). That was only because of the hints dropped in the trailers, coupled with the scene, though. [/spoiler]

[Radical Dreamer]

I noticed the car-ride but not the on-board the boat. It was a very disturbing and unsettling movie but all the same very good. I'm not sure which train of thought I follow. The twist seemed to be hinted at really early on, then debated back and forth and then revealed as what you thought towards the beginning. But many don't think that was the case.
Hmm... Lots to ponder.

[SPOILER]Yeah, I sort of debated the twist back and forth with myself, since at first, I wasn't sure whether to believe the woman he met in the cave (who was very likely a hallucination) or what the psychologist was telling him. XD Naturally it proved that he was insane in the end, but I think one of the best parts (for me, anyways), was that I was just as confused as to who was right as the character might've been. That's pretty neat. XD[/SPOILER]

[bigsleepj]

I really, truly liked the movie, more than some of the people I watched it with. I guess I understood it better. I liked its "ghost story without a ghost", film noir look as well as its references to classic movies which are numerous. The movie was about mood, theme, dialogue and acting rather than plot, the latter which consider the weakest element in the film (though it far from ruins it for me).

[spoiler]I say the weakest element because guessing the twist was easy simply because there are only a finite number of ways any story like this, set in a loony bin, can end. Either the main character goes crazy, gets institutionalized while sane, or is crazy from the get-go and everything is, one way or the other, in his head. Off course, the ending does have its punch towards the end, especially if you consider that Teddy is willingly going for the lobotomy, but the fact that I saw the 'twist' coming was a bit of a letdow.[/spoiler]

[Warrior4Christ]

I really enjoyed this film too. It seems like a bit of a polariser - some people think it's a terrible film (but it's so deep... how can you hate it?).

The ending was a bit predictable, but..
[spoiler]...it keeps you guessing after the movie - was he really sane or insane? The more I think about it, the more I can see arguments for either way. It's definitely one that needs a second viewing though.

This IMDB post has some interesting observations that suggest he's sane:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1130884/board/thread/158230384
Were there really two lighthouses? That would be one of the biggest arguments that he's sane.

I thought what he says at the end meant he slipped back into the roleplay (Chuck definitely plays along as though he has slipped back).. but some things about it didn't make sense. Maybe I need to pay closer attention to the end next time.[/spoiler]

Also, I need to see Memento sometime.