Shutter Island: Review By MOVIE MAGE

Shudder Island. Considering the degree of suspense, Martin Scorsese's most recent masterpiece would indeed warrant such a title among audiences.

The tension I refer to does not simply address the swelling music or the sudden spooks of action, (which are used albeit quiet effectively here), but the aura of malice and mystery which looms over the plot, the characters, and even the island, like the dense shroud of fog that surrounds it.

The last decade has smiled kindly upon Martin Scorsese, especially his collaboration with master actor Leonardo DiCaprio, the best actor of his generation. In fact, Gangs of New York, The Aviator, and The Departed are most certainly some of the best films to be released in the last decade.

But this venture marks uncharted territory for cinema veteran Scorsese, whose Shutter Island is an entity of a film, with a malevolent tone and gritty atmosphere that transcends anything Taxi Driver achieved, and most closely resembles Cape Fear, if one had to compare it to his other accomplishments. But Shutter Island is in a category unto its own. This is a new shade of Scorsese and this film is not nearly as digestible as his other works, or any other film that has been released in the last ten years, for that matter. I am proud to acknowledge that this is a film one has to work at, and think about, despite the rampant movement of story spoonfeeding we see today. But I digress.

The film hosts an array of austere and mysterious characters, boasting such silver screen legends as Sir Ben Kingsley, playing the institution's chief physician, Dr. John Cawley, and Max von Sydow as high-ranking doctor, Dr. Jeremiah Naering.

Shutter Island evokes such films as Hitchc*ck's Vertigo, Wiene's The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, and Kubrick's The Shining, and yet it endures with a completely original story thanks to incomparable writer Dennis Lehane, author of Mystic River and Gone Baby Gone, both of which spawned successful film adaptations.

As for the technical aspects, they are as cold, chilling, and sometimes, as tempestuous as the storm that traps Teddy Daniel and his associate, Chuck Aule (Mark Ruffalo) on the Island. Robbie Robertson's eclectic ear for music has compiled a haunting score and a simple, recurring theme that follows the characters everywhere. Even more noticeable is the stark cinematography by legend Robert Richardson, whose use of camera angles makes the most open of spaces seem claustrophobic.

Even if one studies and accepts the film's climactic twist at face value, the ever-encroaching Catch-22 of being in a mental asylum will have audiences pondering, questioning, and even re-inventing the film's ending for years to come. I only hope that in the months to come, this film will be remembered and called upon for multiple Oscar nominations. It certainly deserves so.

*As I am an aspiring critic and director, I would appreciate both positive and constructive feedback. I sincerely hope this review both satisfies yet intrigues you, and is eloquent yet coherent enough that I may make a satisfactory critic one day or maybe even sooner, in light of my tender age. As I ponder this film over the next few weeks, I may be making significant additions to this review, which I have written quite late at night. As a result, I may have forgotten certain pertinent details regarding the film. I apologize in advance. Please understand. Thank you and enjoy the film.

Sincerely,

Movie Mage