Shutter Island is a psychological thriller. Conventions of this genre include:
- Reality: the characters are often trying to determine what is real and what is not.
- Mind: the characters are often having a battle with their emotions, thought, memory, intelligence etc. This occurs in order to reach new perceptions and understandings.
- Perception: the characters own perception of the world around them; they often misperceive the world and their perceptions are altered by outside factors.
- Existence/purpose: an aim people strive for in order to have an understanding of their human existence; often the conflicts in the narrative enlightens the characters to the answer.
- Death: the characters either have a fear or fascination with death.
- Identity: characters are often confused about who they are.
In Shutter Island, all of these themes are present as the narrative evolves around the battle between these aspects in the protagonist's brain during his investigation of the asylum.
In the opening sequence, the genre is established in a number of ways. Firstly, the setting is smothered by thick, grey smog which is shown in the opening shot; the boat comes into view from this. This further reinforces a feeling of submergence in the narrative and relates to the unsettled storyline and the lack of visibility the protagonist has with the truth; along with the audience's understanding of what is reality. Also, the ghostly and abnormal location of the asylum. In addition, the lack of colour also indicates the dark themes that are present in the narrative. Dark blues connote the mind and body; which is a significant theme in this movie and the colour black connotes death, destruction and mystery (also evident themes). Shots of the patients chains on the boat also enforce an unsettling atmosphere, along with leaving the audience curious as to what the chains are used for - due to the narrative not being explained in this section. There is a scene where 'Teddy Daniels' has a flash back to his wife who had died from a fire; this links to the theme of the mind, the character is battling with this oppressed feeling of remorse and guilt for his wife and these flashbacks occurring at random stages confirm this. Also, the theme of death is present due to this being a topic Teddy often delves into when he is in a vulnerable state - revealing to the audience there is more to this event than his memories convey.
While the production company names are on display, a piece of music is being played; it is very low and has a high pitch which increases in volume to heighten the perturbing feeling it has on the audience. An extremely low note partnering with a high pitch occurs when the title 'Shutter Island' is in view; creating a menacing sound relating to the perplexing island. There is an absence of music in the first part of the sequence from when the location and date is shown (post Second World War). The only sounds played are diegetic, such as the reoccurrence of the boat horn and the crashing of the waves (Teddy is sensitive to these as he has a fear of being on the water). During Teddy's nauseous state in the lavatory, the sound of the chains rattling and his anxious gasping are amplified - another detail which enforces his vulnerability and the discomforting feeling he experiences which is present to the audience. Rattling of chains may relate to death (unsettled souls bound in chains due to sinful deeds they inflicted in the real world e.g A Christmas Carol), which may relate to the death of his wife or the fact that the patients were in chains. As soon as Teddy enters out onto the outside of the boat, a repetitive tune begins to play; the tempo is relatively fast which draws attention to its forcefulness although it is generally quiet and only noticed when close attention is payed to it. The fact this soundtrack repeats the same notes may relate to Teddy's mental stability (on edge); it may connect with a memory of his past, although not stated explicitly due to his lack of understanding of reality and his memories. Or the low lying soundtrack may just build suspense for the audience as they are on route to a mental asylum. When Teddy has a flashback to his passed wife, a record is turning which plays a soundtrack, causing great dismay due to its unbalance and eerie mixture of sounds; such as a woman voice, yet can not be understood. After researching the actual record which is shown in this sequence, it was discovered that the piece of music is not the piece which can be heard. The close up of the record shown is 'Odeon' which was written by Ernesto Nazareth. Ernesto was an Brazilian composer in real life who was confined to a mental asylum due to the death of his wife and daughter. He later fled the asylum, escaping into the forest which led to him drowning. This unnoticeable aspect of the mise en scene in the shot has extreme significance to the narrative; the events that unfolded for Ernesto in real life occurred to Teddy Daniels (aside from the death aspect), yet this is the large plot twist which is revealed at the end of the narrative and with rewatching, this small detail can be viewed as a hidden clue.
While the close up of Teddy's wife smiling is shown, the amplified sounds of the waves overlaps this shot - to those who know the ending of the narrative, there is a clear connection to the death of his wife and the fear of water Teddy has. This technique is noticeable when reality is differentiated to the audience. In addition, there is again an absence of soundtrack after this scene, and only occurs once the island is in sight. After the establishing shot of the island, a three note tune is continuously played. It is of the same low note which heightens the threatening atmosphere; also, by the short tune, it will be memorised in the listener's mind, essentially making themselves have flashbacks of the film as this tune is unique and unsettling. Also, the number three has been historically referred to as a unlucky number (relating to the negativity of the island), and often noted that as human beings, sets of threes appeal to us even if we do not realise it.
A technique which is used in Shutter Island's opening sequence is that there are no credits present aside from the production companies, title and location and date of which the plot is set. This has been also used in Batman: Dark Knight. Although uncommon, the technique is effective in submerging the viewer into the plot line, credits may decrease the attention spent on the narrative; and by being a psychological thriller, each detail needs to be taken into account. Essentially, any sense of reality has to be exterminated from the movie. Yet, the font that is used is bold and has a gradient effect; the boldness of the text may insinuate the importance and superiority the island has over its characters. Also, the gradient on the text is gradient possibly due to the effect of it seeming to be fading; in deeper context, maybe referring to the contrast between good and evil on the island and the fading of all things clear. The transition of the title gradually fades in from the darkness, much like the island appears out of the fog exposing itself to the characters.
Moreover, there are many hidden/evident details about the main characters in the opening sequence. Firstly, it is clear that the protagonist is Teddy Daniels; the first character shown is him and as the audience, we understand his flaws and even journey into a snippet of his past. Relating the character of Teddy Daniels with other protagonists in psychological thrillers, they usually have a flaw in their nature and are often not classed as a 'hero'. Teddy has a overwhelming fear of the ocean. He becomes disorientated and highly anxious by the sight and feeling of being on the sea, as he is unable to escape, and even frightens him to the point he vomits near enough uncontrollably. Teddy's fear of the ocean is unexplained to the audience; the only thing he says about it to his detective partner in this opening sequence is "I just can't stomach the water" (has great power over him). It is indirectly stated that the fear is connected with his deceased wife due to the quick shot of her edited into the crashing of the waves. A stereotypical protagonist often used is a middle aged man who has a profession as a detective, and this is what Teddy is or so appears to be. Another flaw that he has is he is actually a psychiatric patient. The realisation at the end of the production is classed to be one of the most impacting shocks in movie history, due to the viewer following Teddy's investigation and being influenced by his own mind which creates a feeling of uncertainty to what is the reality and what is not. Although he is unstable due to the death of his three children (which was inflicted by his mentally disturbed wife) and the fact he killed his wife, he accomplishes the question of reality after the island's plan to restore his insanity. The famous line "Which would be worse; to live as a monster or to die as a good man?" heightens his role as the protagonist as he sacrifices himself for the safety of others and himself due to his remembrance of the awful experiences he experienced; the audience feel great sympathy for him. In the opening sequence, Teddy seems disorientated and looses his cigarettes; this conveys his sense of unbalance and his means of relieving his stress through recreational smoking.
Strangely, not a lot is revealed to the audience about Teddy's work partner. His name is not classified in the sequence nor great detail about his character or background, all answers are brief regarding himself. He appears to have a positive view about Teddy and refers to him as 'boss' and states he is a 'legend'; this may imply that Teddy is a well known marshal or that his partner wants to impress him the best he can to further enhance their bond as partners. In addition, he appears socially awkward when Teddy states that he is a widow and even laughs due to the atmosphere becoming one that is forlorn - this could indicate that he can not deal with serious situations or that he has not experienced them like Teddy has and so can not comprehend. When discussing the seriousness of the island, the partner says "If its folks running around hearing voices and chasing butterflies, they wouldn't need us" - it is clear that he is not as sombre as Teddy, and by this line, it infers that the investigation is one of great seriousness.
Lastly, the camera shots in the sequence illustrate the genre and mood. Firstly, extensive use of long shots highlight the large open space that they are surrounded by; sense of place is completely impossible to comprehend as it is merely just the large, vast ocean that is shown. There is a long shot first, although long shots and establishing shots suggest the location, all that can be seen is fog and the boat - almost as if the characters are travelling into another dimension. The first shot of our protagonist is a low mid shot, which does not show his face due to him being behind a wall; creating a sense of mystery to our character, especially as the first action we see him doing is vomiting. A over the shoulder is used when we first witness Teddy; the director has purposely situated the shot so two figures of the protagonist can be seen (one outside the mirror and one inside) - a hidden clue to the fact he has a split personality; Teddy (his false persona) and Andrew Latus (who he really is, although unaware of it at this stage). When he looks into the mirror once again after refreshing his face, he looks straight into the camera (direct address) in a close up. The line he says in this shot is "Come on"; by analysing this further, these two words could be aimed at the audience as well as himself, as from this point on we begin to view his visions and be witnesses in his emotions and into his mind - consequently, explaining why both the protagonist and audience are left unsure about what is his imagination in the movie. When Teddy walks out into a separate room, the depth of field focuses on the chains and then on him; the technique of this allows us to notice the prop of the chains and the enigma behind them, conveying that their destination is not a lighthearted and positive one. After this, the camera pans round along with Teddy walking; the audience is almost forced to follow him and almost every shot after includes Teddy due to him being the centre of focus of the narrative. The first time we see his partner, it is a long shot and point of view from Teddy, his partner is looking out to sea; the mesh of the gate divides both characters though. This may insinuate the fact that Teddy is entrapped and without freedom; and it also poses the question, does his partner have more freedom than him? And why does this shot divide them so blatantly? When both marshals are having a conversation, the camera slowly and almost unnoticeably moves along with the waves which highlights the movement of the boat on the waters, which exacerbates the feeling of seasickness Teddy feels and almost moves the audience as if they are on the boat too.
Moreover, in the flashback scene, the colour is the opposite of the present day - no colour is drained and a wide spectrum of colours can be seen in the shots; indicating that this past memory is one that Teddy is very fond of, when everything was positive and bright - opposite of the dull and ghostly shots of them on the boat. There are close ups of his wife which conveys her radiance and happiness; further reinforcing that something may be different now (her death) due to his focus being on her during his memory. She holds Teddy's shoulder and there is a close up of her on tip toes which heightens the intimate relationship and passion they both share for each other. As soon as a close up of her is seen, a close up of the crashing waves is shown (with a highly amplified sound of this crashing), as said earlier, there is evident significance between the two. Lastly, the end of the opening sequence finishes with a extreme long shot of the island; the overall feel when viewing their destination is almost sinister and instantly produces negative vibes. Along with the melancholy and menacing music which begins here and the pathetic fallacy of the dark clouds (linking to the atmosphere of the narrative being gloomy and dark) further enhances the fact that the series of events that are about to unfold for the characters is one that they shall never forget.
While the production company names are on display, a piece of music is being played; it is very low and has a high pitch which increases in volume to heighten the perturbing feeling it has on the audience. An extremely low note partnering with a high pitch occurs when the title 'Shutter Island' is in view; creating a menacing sound relating to the perplexing island. There is an absence of music in the first part of the sequence from when the location and date is shown (post Second World War). The only sounds played are diegetic, such as the reoccurrence of the boat horn and the crashing of the waves (Teddy is sensitive to these as he has a fear of being on the water). During Teddy's nauseous state in the lavatory, the sound of the chains rattling and his anxious gasping are amplified - another detail which enforces his vulnerability and the discomforting feeling he experiences which is present to the audience. Rattling of chains may relate to death (unsettled souls bound in chains due to sinful deeds they inflicted in the real world e.g A Christmas Carol), which may relate to the death of his wife or the fact that the patients were in chains. As soon as Teddy enters out onto the outside of the boat, a repetitive tune begins to play; the tempo is relatively fast which draws attention to its forcefulness although it is generally quiet and only noticed when close attention is payed to it. The fact this soundtrack repeats the same notes may relate to Teddy's mental stability (on edge); it may connect with a memory of his past, although not stated explicitly due to his lack of understanding of reality and his memories. Or the low lying soundtrack may just build suspense for the audience as they are on route to a mental asylum. When Teddy has a flashback to his passed wife, a record is turning which plays a soundtrack, causing great dismay due to its unbalance and eerie mixture of sounds; such as a woman voice, yet can not be understood. After researching the actual record which is shown in this sequence, it was discovered that the piece of music is not the piece which can be heard. The close up of the record shown is 'Odeon' which was written by Ernesto Nazareth. Ernesto was an Brazilian composer in real life who was confined to a mental asylum due to the death of his wife and daughter. He later fled the asylum, escaping into the forest which led to him drowning. This unnoticeable aspect of the mise en scene in the shot has extreme significance to the narrative; the events that unfolded for Ernesto in real life occurred to Teddy Daniels (aside from the death aspect), yet this is the large plot twist which is revealed at the end of the narrative and with rewatching, this small detail can be viewed as a hidden clue.
While the close up of Teddy's wife smiling is shown, the amplified sounds of the waves overlaps this shot - to those who know the ending of the narrative, there is a clear connection to the death of his wife and the fear of water Teddy has. This technique is noticeable when reality is differentiated to the audience. In addition, there is again an absence of soundtrack after this scene, and only occurs once the island is in sight. After the establishing shot of the island, a three note tune is continuously played. It is of the same low note which heightens the threatening atmosphere; also, by the short tune, it will be memorised in the listener's mind, essentially making themselves have flashbacks of the film as this tune is unique and unsettling. Also, the number three has been historically referred to as a unlucky number (relating to the negativity of the island), and often noted that as human beings, sets of threes appeal to us even if we do not realise it.
A technique which is used in Shutter Island's opening sequence is that there are no credits present aside from the production companies, title and location and date of which the plot is set. This has been also used in Batman: Dark Knight. Although uncommon, the technique is effective in submerging the viewer into the plot line, credits may decrease the attention spent on the narrative; and by being a psychological thriller, each detail needs to be taken into account. Essentially, any sense of reality has to be exterminated from the movie. Yet, the font that is used is bold and has a gradient effect; the boldness of the text may insinuate the importance and superiority the island has over its characters. Also, the gradient on the text is gradient possibly due to the effect of it seeming to be fading; in deeper context, maybe referring to the contrast between good and evil on the island and the fading of all things clear. The transition of the title gradually fades in from the darkness, much like the island appears out of the fog exposing itself to the characters.
Moreover, there are many hidden/evident details about the main characters in the opening sequence. Firstly, it is clear that the protagonist is Teddy Daniels; the first character shown is him and as the audience, we understand his flaws and even journey into a snippet of his past. Relating the character of Teddy Daniels with other protagonists in psychological thrillers, they usually have a flaw in their nature and are often not classed as a 'hero'. Teddy has a overwhelming fear of the ocean. He becomes disorientated and highly anxious by the sight and feeling of being on the sea, as he is unable to escape, and even frightens him to the point he vomits near enough uncontrollably. Teddy's fear of the ocean is unexplained to the audience; the only thing he says about it to his detective partner in this opening sequence is "I just can't stomach the water" (has great power over him). It is indirectly stated that the fear is connected with his deceased wife due to the quick shot of her edited into the crashing of the waves. A stereotypical protagonist often used is a middle aged man who has a profession as a detective, and this is what Teddy is or so appears to be. Another flaw that he has is he is actually a psychiatric patient. The realisation at the end of the production is classed to be one of the most impacting shocks in movie history, due to the viewer following Teddy's investigation and being influenced by his own mind which creates a feeling of uncertainty to what is the reality and what is not. Although he is unstable due to the death of his three children (which was inflicted by his mentally disturbed wife) and the fact he killed his wife, he accomplishes the question of reality after the island's plan to restore his insanity. The famous line "Which would be worse; to live as a monster or to die as a good man?" heightens his role as the protagonist as he sacrifices himself for the safety of others and himself due to his remembrance of the awful experiences he experienced; the audience feel great sympathy for him. In the opening sequence, Teddy seems disorientated and looses his cigarettes; this conveys his sense of unbalance and his means of relieving his stress through recreational smoking.
Strangely, not a lot is revealed to the audience about Teddy's work partner. His name is not classified in the sequence nor great detail about his character or background, all answers are brief regarding himself. He appears to have a positive view about Teddy and refers to him as 'boss' and states he is a 'legend'; this may imply that Teddy is a well known marshal or that his partner wants to impress him the best he can to further enhance their bond as partners. In addition, he appears socially awkward when Teddy states that he is a widow and even laughs due to the atmosphere becoming one that is forlorn - this could indicate that he can not deal with serious situations or that he has not experienced them like Teddy has and so can not comprehend. When discussing the seriousness of the island, the partner says "If its folks running around hearing voices and chasing butterflies, they wouldn't need us" - it is clear that he is not as sombre as Teddy, and by this line, it infers that the investigation is one of great seriousness.
Lastly, the camera shots in the sequence illustrate the genre and mood. Firstly, extensive use of long shots highlight the large open space that they are surrounded by; sense of place is completely impossible to comprehend as it is merely just the large, vast ocean that is shown. There is a long shot first, although long shots and establishing shots suggest the location, all that can be seen is fog and the boat - almost as if the characters are travelling into another dimension. The first shot of our protagonist is a low mid shot, which does not show his face due to him being behind a wall; creating a sense of mystery to our character, especially as the first action we see him doing is vomiting. A over the shoulder is used when we first witness Teddy; the director has purposely situated the shot so two figures of the protagonist can be seen (one outside the mirror and one inside) - a hidden clue to the fact he has a split personality; Teddy (his false persona) and Andrew Latus (who he really is, although unaware of it at this stage). When he looks into the mirror once again after refreshing his face, he looks straight into the camera (direct address) in a close up. The line he says in this shot is "Come on"; by analysing this further, these two words could be aimed at the audience as well as himself, as from this point on we begin to view his visions and be witnesses in his emotions and into his mind - consequently, explaining why both the protagonist and audience are left unsure about what is his imagination in the movie. When Teddy walks out into a separate room, the depth of field focuses on the chains and then on him; the technique of this allows us to notice the prop of the chains and the enigma behind them, conveying that their destination is not a lighthearted and positive one. After this, the camera pans round along with Teddy walking; the audience is almost forced to follow him and almost every shot after includes Teddy due to him being the centre of focus of the narrative. The first time we see his partner, it is a long shot and point of view from Teddy, his partner is looking out to sea; the mesh of the gate divides both characters though. This may insinuate the fact that Teddy is entrapped and without freedom; and it also poses the question, does his partner have more freedom than him? And why does this shot divide them so blatantly? When both marshals are having a conversation, the camera slowly and almost unnoticeably moves along with the waves which highlights the movement of the boat on the waters, which exacerbates the feeling of seasickness Teddy feels and almost moves the audience as if they are on the boat too.
Moreover, in the flashback scene, the colour is the opposite of the present day - no colour is drained and a wide spectrum of colours can be seen in the shots; indicating that this past memory is one that Teddy is very fond of, when everything was positive and bright - opposite of the dull and ghostly shots of them on the boat. There are close ups of his wife which conveys her radiance and happiness; further reinforcing that something may be different now (her death) due to his focus being on her during his memory. She holds Teddy's shoulder and there is a close up of her on tip toes which heightens the intimate relationship and passion they both share for each other. As soon as a close up of her is seen, a close up of the crashing waves is shown (with a highly amplified sound of this crashing), as said earlier, there is evident significance between the two. Lastly, the end of the opening sequence finishes with a extreme long shot of the island; the overall feel when viewing their destination is almost sinister and instantly produces negative vibes. Along with the melancholy and menacing music which begins here and the pathetic fallacy of the dark clouds (linking to the atmosphere of the narrative being gloomy and dark) further enhances the fact that the series of events that are about to unfold for the characters is one that they shall never forget.
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