Shutter Island earns 3 ½ stars
by Oline H. Cogdill
February 19th, 2010Dennis Lehane’s track record remains intact. His three books that have become movies have made a smooth transition to film – keeping the plot, the characters and, most importantly, the spirit of his novels.
Leonardo DiCaprio, left, Mark Ruffalo In Shutter Island. Paramount Pictures photo
Director Martin Scorsese not only does justice to Lehane’s “Shutter Island,” but he imbues the movie with a noir quality that elevates the film, giving it a 1950s feel but with a modern spin. It also is a psychological thriller with elements of gothic horror. “Shutter Island” is not a typical action movie; nor was the novel “Shutter Island” a typical mystery.
I give the film “Shutter Island” three and a half stars.
“Shutter Island” is Lehane’s most controversial novel. Unlike his other works, “Shutter Island” does not follow a linear story. A huge twist changes the plot in ways that challenge readers and change perceptions. Readers either loved it or hated it, one of those rare novels where there seemed to be no middle ground on readers’ view. Personally, I loved it and named it the top mystery of 2003.
In my 2003 best of the year column, I said “Shutter Island” was “an unconventional psychological suspense tale with elements of an espionage thriller, a noir novel and even a locked-room mystery. It shares strong roots with the best of psychological cinema such as “The Manchurian Candidate,” “The Wicker Man,” “Gaslight” and “The Game.”
“Shutter Island” tests the reader’s acumen as much as the story’s boundaries. A few scenes will seem out of place and even infuriatingly odd, but trust the author to bring the story full circle,” I said in my best list.
This is exactly what Scorsese does with the film “Shutter Island,” which is set in 1954.
As U.S. Marshal Teddy Daniels, Leonardo DiCaprio captures the character’s paranoia, his sense of justice and his innate belief that only he can make things better. Daniels has seen the worst of humanity and even participated in unforgivable acts. He is, as one character says, “a man of violence.” Daniels and his new partner Chuck (played as a compassionate comrade by Mark Ruffalo) have been sent to a high-security mental hospital located on a remote island near Boston to investigate the disappearance of a woman inmate who had killed her three children.
Ben Kingsley, Mark Ruffalo and Leonardo DiCaprio in Shutter Island. Paramount Pictures photo
The hospital is run by an uncooperative doctor (the excellent Ben Kingsley) who seems to thwart the investigation at every turn and is assisted by psychiatrist played by the equally excellent Max Von Sydow. The patient population is mainly rapists and murderers whose viciousness seeps through the very walls. And, oh yeah, a hurricane is bearing down on the island.
DiCaprio is the perfect actor to delve into the complex personality of Daniels. His character’s short temper, his stint in World War II and the tragedies in Daniels’ past affect every moment of his life and DiCaprio pulls us in with his strong performance. He wears the emotional trauma on his face like the unexplained scars on his chin and near his eye that are small but unmistakable. DiCaprio has never looked more rugged, or more ragged.
The cinematography is breathtaking. “Shutter Island” captures the grit and creepiness of the mental hospital. No horror film nor gothic movie have ever been as scary as when Daniels ventures to speak with the inmates.
In ways, it probably was easier to bring to the screen Lehane’s “Mystic River,” directed by Clint Eastwood, and “Gone Baby Gone,” directed by Ben Affleck. Those two novels – which are two of my favorite Lehane works – have complex, multi-layered plots but they also more straightforward stories.
“Shutter Island” requires the viewers to invest in the story beyond passive viewing, to take a leap of faith that isn’t needed when watching the typical action films don’t. Still, the film could have used a 15-minute trim to make the story more compact.
The next Lehane novel to be adapted for the screen is his “The Given Day,” to be directed by Sam Raimi.
Shutter Island stars Leonardo DiCaprio, with Mark Ruffalo, Ben Kingsley, Michelle Williams, Max von Sydow, Patricia Clarkson, Emily Mortimer. Rated R for disturbing violent content, language and some nudity. Running time: 138 minutes.
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