Review – Shutter Island
BluRay Release Date: June 8, 2010
BluRay Shipped From Netflix: June 8, 2010
I’m not a huge Scorsese fan. There, I said it. I usually appreciate his films but the world that he comes from is so different from my own I often have trouble allowing myself entrance. The end result is that my experience of his films can be shallow. I’m wowed by the surface imagery but feel very little of the turbulent waters underneath. The same can be said of Shutter Island.
The movie is an absolute tour de force of performance and direction. What these actors pull off in this film is astounding. I’m not even sure how you begin to approach such performances but they ring true, especially after a second viewing. On first view, I found myself so caught up in the mystery that I didn’t even notice the many subtle clues scattered throughout. An M. Knight Shama-lama-dingdong movie, this ain’t. The conceit isn’t everything and yet it’s there, lurking beneath every surface.
For a performer, these sorts of roles only come around once in a lifetime. I’m glad Leonardo DiCaprio got his shot at onen and boy does he shine. If you thought the pinnacle of his career was Gilbert Grape or Titanic, you’ll be glad to know that this is an actor who is continuing to develop his chops in the face of fame and fortune. Imagine how easy it’d be for him to coast on his good looks and celebrity (*cough* Ben *cough* Affleck). Instead, he’s embracing his older, more lived-in face and seeking out roles that push him to be a better actor. A lot of today’s young talent could learn from the path Leo has carved for himself. When others are making appointments with plastic surgeons, he’s aging faster than even his peers. It’s as if he’s willing himself out of his boyish face and into a more haggard, world-weary one that represents the people whose lives he’d prefer to act out.
The supporting cast is no less accomplished here. Sir Ben Kingsley is equally menacing and soothing in a role that he was born to play. He takes so many shitty roles it’s nice to see him in all his glory from time to time and we get 100% Kingsley this time around. Equally remarkable is Mark Ruffalo. He disappears in this film, and that’s high praise. Like Sam Rockwell, he’s often forgettable but isn’t that his gift? He so accurately portrays his characters that we cease to see him as anything but them. I could go on and on about each and every actor in SI but suffice it to say that there isn’t a single sour note here.
The other stars of the production are the cinematographer, the production designer, and of course, Scorsese himself. This is as well-crafted as any film I’ve ever seen. I could have made do with less green-screen work (most will never notice it but the lighting gave it away for me) but the images are beautiful and disturbing. Scorsese’s used of falling water/snow/ash/paper as a major visual metaphor in the film is spot on as is his use of fire. What’s truly raging is in the heart of the protagonist and the real question is whether he can escape the burning building of his own mind.
The music is equally appropriate if somewhat detached. The soundtrack is made up of a large variety of found materials. From classical works by Mahler to avant garde compositions by John Cage and Brian Eno, Robbie Robertson (yes, THAT Robbie Robertson) has assembled a wonderful pastiche of sound that holds together very well. Unfortunately, this approach is rarely capable of generating the depths of emotion that, say, a score by Thomas Newman is capable of. However, it does work on the surface level the way many horror scores work.
Speaking of horror, this isn’t really the upscale horror picture I was expecting based on the trailer. I should give up on watching trailers entirely but they’re like colorful candies that it’s hard to say no to. The modern horror movie is based on the idea that the world’s cruelties cannot be explained, simply endured or not. Jason Voorhees, while having a rational explanation, is essentially a force of nature as is Michael Myers. Horror films get into deep shit when they try too hard to explain these characters as anything more than forces of nature. Just watch Halloween 6 if you don’t believe me. I believe there’s much more thematically viable in the horror genre and I thought this might be the film to push in that direction but I was mistaken. I should have known that Scorsese wouldn’t embrace horror, and yet the trappings of this film would be right at home in a haunted attraction.
This is, when all is said and done, a brilliant character piece that’s enshrouded in horrors (small H). There’s a lot going on here and I’ll not say any more so as not to risk spoiling it for you. It didn’t resonate with me until the second viewing but I believe that’s a phenomenon brought on by the video age. Some of the most successful (artistically speaking) films these days are those you have to watch more than once for the full effect. I’m not sure I like that as I don’t really have the time to sit through every movie twice, but it’s a way for filmmakers like Scorsese to push the envelope into new narrative territories. Maybe I do like Scorsese after all.
