Thanks to the generosity of a good friend, I got the chance to see an advanced screening of Martin Scorsese’s latest expression of his obsession with Leonardo DiCaprio, “Shutter Island”. While I would not say that I hated the movie – it certainly has quite a bit going for it – something about it just did not seem right to me. It probably did not help that the only seats available in the packed theater were in the front row, so what I remember most about the experience is having to strain my neck and eyes to see DiCaprio’s giant scowl for a little over two hours straight.

Title: Shutter Island

Directed by: Martin Scorsese

Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Mark Ruffalo, Ben Kingsley

The film starts with Teddy Daniels (DiCaprio), a U.S. marshal, riding a ferry to Ashecliff Hospital, a corrective institution for the criminally insane on Shutter Island. Teddy, along with his new partner Chuck Aule (Ruffalo), has come to the island to investigate the disappearance of a prisoner – sorry, patient – who has mysteriously gone missing from her room. As soon as the marshals get to the facility, something seems off: the wardens demand they hand over their firearms, the doctors seem antagonistic toward the investigation, and the patients express discomfort and severe distrust in their keepers. Teddy is troubled further by dreams in which his dead wife speaks to him, ultimately pointing to an ulterior motive both in Teddy’s reason for going to the island and in the doctors’ reason for bringing him there. After a fierce storm prevents Chuck and Teddy from leaving the island, they start to uncover a dark conspiracy with horrible implications.

As much as it can be said that Scorsese has made enough films starring DiCaprio in the past decade, the man fits the role well. Teddy is a man haunted by his memories and suspicious of those close to him. DiCaprio’s scrutinizing gaze and confrontational demeanor play well to this character. He is likewise supported by a competent cast, from Ruffalo’s questionable honesty to Kingsley’s doctorly stoicism – however trope-heavy they may be. Even some of the minor characters pack a punch, such as the hospital warden (Ted Levine), whose reservedly heated dialogue with Teddy about violence is highly amusing.

The film also excels in its pacing, save for the occasional awkward transition. The viewer is drawn along with Teddy and his investigation, and this thriller is never lacking in action. At the same time, it comfortably glides into slower scenes in which the solid dialogue allows for character development. Still, I could not help but feel that for all the suspense and frantic motion in Teddy’s pursuit of the truth, the film does not effectively give the feeling that he is ever in any real or immediate danger.

This film is notably centered on character development. The character of Teddy is dropped on the viewer’s lap, a man who is clearly driven by something, but that “something” is not initially clear. Through flashbacks, dreams, dream-flashbacks, and Chuck’s needling of his partner for more information, Teddy is laid out like an unadulterated specimen on a dissection table. He reveals a harsh past including but not limited to loss of a loved one at the hands of another and bearing witness to the atrocities of war in Nazi Germany.

These violent memories peak more and more into the forefront as they start leaking out into Teddy’s waking state, as his dead wife begs at the edge of his vision for him to seek justice. To an extent, the narrative almost trips over itself, as Teddy becomes enveloped in illusion and the viewer is left seeking some meaning or significance to it all. It would be detrimental to the flow of the film were such characterization not such an essential part of the narrative. Even so, some viewers may get lost before the revealing climax.

The soundtrack struck me as a weak point of the film. Take, for instance, an early scene in which Teddy and Chuck are driven to the front gate of the hospital. The sound of an orchestra accompanies the drive, rising to a frenzied crescendo. Such music, in terms of film soundtracks, is often perceived as a build-up to some momentous event. Just as the music reaches its highest point, however, it abruptly stops with the two men stepping out of the vehicle at the front gate.

The whole experience leaves the viewer feeling disjointed, removed from the illusion of the screen and forced to acknowledge that the mirage is just a picture projected on a wall. This disconnect happens on other occasions, too. While a powerful soundtrack is not necessarily a bad thing, it becomes so when it steps out from behind the narrative and slaps the viewer across the face with its emphasis. It should accentuate the viewing experience, not run counter to it. I may just be overly sensitive to the element of sound in film and elsewhere, but undoubtedly some of you who read these statements and then go on to view the film may find yourselves unable to ignore it. For that I apologize.

As I stated before, the film is not a bad one, and it will undoubtedly garner high praise from critics and regular audience members alike. Chances are it will probably win some awards, too. The story is nothing new – not to give too much away – but it is presented in a rather unique fashion. Viewers will no doubt find something to like about it, though I cannot shake the feeling that it is not quite my cup of tea.

With that said, below is a video of the film’s trailer. It was made before the release date of the movie was changed from October 2009 to February 2010, so there are a few interesting but mostly nonessential differences between the scenes it shows and the ones in the actual film.