DiCaprio as Teddy Daniels, just as the paranoia begins to set in.
Director: Martin Scorsese
Writers: Laeta Kalogridis (screenplay), Dennis Lehane (novel)
Stars: Leonardo DiCaprio, Mark Ruffalo, Ben Kingsley and Michelle Williams
So it’s a Scorsese film starring Leonardo DiCaprio, it was always going to be good. Set in 1954, DiCaprio plays Teddy Daniels, a US Marshal sent along with fellow Marshal Chuck Aule (Mark Ruffalo) to investigate the disappearance of a murderess at a hospital for the criminally insane set on Shutter Island. In transpires that Teddy has pushed to be assigned to this island to conduct his own investigation into a patient there who he believes to be involved in the murder of his wife Dolores (Michelle Williams). Just as Teddy’s investigation brings a promising lead, he is denied access to the patient records, which leads him to fall out with the institution’s doctor John Cawley (Ben Kingsley) and demand to leave. His exit is halted by a sudden storm that stops all ferries from running to and from the island, but the longer he stays on the island the more his own paranoia starts to take hold.
This is a beautifully shot film. The setting is perfect, collegiate red brick buildings perched upon a black jagged rock of an island, with no easy means for escape, complemented by artificial storms that make the apocalyptic film 2012 seem like a damp Tuesday. Scorsese’s use of light in the film is particularly striking; it is almost shot in film noir style. Poorly lit cellblocks, heavily overcast skies and night time investigations contribute to provide a feeling of uncertainty about what lies in store for our hero and add to the sense of bleakness, marooned on an inhospitable rock.
This isn’t by any means a bleak film however, it is a mystery thriller in the classical sense and will hold your intrigue throughout, if perhaps not have you on the edge of your seat. As a general principle, I believe any film over two hours in length has to be special to justify that amount of screen time. This film is 138 minutes long, but it never drags and there is rarely a pause in the suspense.
I won’t spoil the ending, but you can tell from the way the film is written and the mere fact that it is a Scorsese picture that it isn’t going to just fade out, it’s going to be intelligent. I have to admit, I predicted the end before it actually happened, which is always both gratifying and disappointing, although this film, like any good mystery, does encourage the viewer to try to work it out. The very final scene, particularly Teddy’s last line in the film, is brilliantly crafted, posing as many questions as exist in the entirety of the film itself.
DiCaprio is the driving force behind this film. He has developed into one of the finest actors of his generation, even if the majority of his recent roles seem to find him playing serious, humourless professionals (this is certainly the case when he works with Scorsese), see Inception. This film is no different, DiCaprio plays Teddy straight and stern (which is understandable given Teddy’s background) and yet the audience warm to him and worry for his safety when he is put in peril. It is the type of assured performance that one has come to expect of DiCaprio.
No comments:
Post a Comment