Shocktober 2020 # 38

Watched on Blu-Ray

From the very first minutes, "Shutter Island" captivates you with precise, powerful images and a roaring soundtrack. Scorsese soon proves once again that he has a knack for the choice of actors, as well as for image and sound compositions, or rather for people who know their craft and know how to implement his version of the film adequately. Just as abruptly as we are thrown into the story, so abruptly does the collaboration between Daniels and Aule a.k.a. Leonardo DiCaprio and Mark Ruffalo begin. Although Ruffalo is sometimes degraded to a mere catchword, they develop a beautiful and convincing chemistry with each other.

In addition to Leonardo DiCaprio's impressive achievements, Ruffalo remains pale, but DiCaprio finds in Sir Ben Kingsley a more than equal counterpart, who, as almost always, presents himself here from his best side and who, although reserved, at least as accurately and impressively embodies the director of the institution, Dr. John Cawley. The female main characters Michelle Williams and Emily Mortimer are also excellently cast, although they are given correspondingly fewer opportunities to unfold due to the shorter screen time. All in all, the main actor is polarising, but Scorsese has not let himself be sidelined for all other castings, and that is a good thing, so that the film is not taken over by DiCaprio's presence, but the other actors also more or less manage to assert themselves.

Apart from that, "Shutter Island" is flirting with Film Noir for a long time, which I liked exceptionally well, because camera work, optics and the transported feelings are in my opinion evidence of the highest cinematic art, even if, together with the overflowing, massive, pompous soundtrack, one suspects that it could be an older film. Because the impressive and artistically staged pictures should be able to punish such thoughts with lies. Together with the truly artistic, symbol-laden flashbacks, which, although they certainly use acute clichés at times, allow us to look deep into the soul of Teddy Daniels and provide a stark contrast to the gloomy world of the institution, a convincing and stirring whole emerges, which despite occasional lengths over the entire duration leaves the viewer under its spell.

"Shutter Island" is a book adaptation of a work by Dennis Lehane, of whom 4 other novels have already been filmed. Independently of the actual screenwriter, the underlying script of the film was thus already beyond any doubt for me and thankfully this impression was then confirmed. While connoisseurs and critics of the film have often criticised that the twist towards the end is too predictable and therefore not very surprising, I never understood Scorsese's "Shutter Island" to mean that everything should result in a final and large-scale twist that is supposed to sweep the viewer off his feet. Personally, I also had my first suspicions early on about the further development and was right about some things, but, understanding the film as a thriller, drama and psychogram, I didn't really mind. Instead, even the many small hidden as well as obvious clues invite to a repeated viewing.

On the plus side, I appreciate the accuracy of the staging even more and, even more so than at the first viewing together with the protagonist Teddy Daniels, going on a cheerful search for clues is an intense ride. "Shutter Island" presents itself to me as a work that is perfectly balanced in almost all respects, without any noticeable weaknesses. It tells neither the latest nor the most surprising story in the world, but it does it in such a way and with such outstanding actors and staging that "Shutter Island" can only be considered a must watch for every film fan.