Analysis of my favorite film-shutter island (action/thriller)

 "which would be worse – to live as a monster, or to die as a good man?" Teddy Daniels-shutter island

Shutter Island doesn't simply win my vote as my favorite film for the main role played by the strikingly gorgeous Leonardo DiCaprio but but also because the plot devised by best selling novelist Dennis Lehane adapted by screenwriter  Martin scorese is quite frankly ingenuous. DiCaprio himself even  described  the filming as 'emotionally grueling' and whilst he spent endless hours in front of the cameras acting in his 'most challenging film to date' we are presented with a two hour clean cut of of superb indulgence in a superb motion picture. The 'blogsphere' has been awash with debate about what truly happens in the final scene of the movie and in awe of the clever twist-however i don't dare to dig into and reveal as much information as that to any virgins of watching shutter island.           

          Now, shutter island is not some mundane clone of a out-dated book....its more of a teasing enigma encased within a splendid plot inevitable to have huge twists and revelations. Categorized as a thriller; the movie really does inherit themes involving crime(beyond belief) an exciting story and the typical espionage(on a rather small scale although). 

          The film revolves around The book's protagonist and the films leading character, Teddy Daniels, who's 'apparently' (you'll understand everything when you watch the film-promise) a US marshal, who turns out to be a deranged killer named Andrew Laeddis. (SPOILER ALERT-sorry) during the film we learn that Laeddis is  a patient in a mental hospital who's been encouraged by his psychiatrist to: 'act out his delusion in the hope that this will dispel it'. This role play fails. Terribly. After experiencing a brief recovery, Andrew relapses into insanity..leading to many subsequent events.          

            The film acquires its title from the island on which the asylum Laeddis is referred to is on. The island is fairly small, meaning all happenings are intensified and portrayed in a condensed stimulating way. The word 'shutter' connotes ideas of disassociation and closure, this is very relevant for the asylum which closes out the exterior world around it. The word island directly juxtaposes with 'shutter' because when we think of an island most people tend to picture beaches, haven and neutrality however the location of the film completely contrasts with this. It is dingy (exaggerated with the low, ambient lighting used), intimidating and unknown. If I'm honest, i cant say that any part of this film is remotely 'jolly'...the pathetic fallacy technique Scorsese uses makes the lighting and weather of the film seem to constantly reflect the low, confused, sad morale of main character Teddy meaning the entirety of the film manages to keep its audience in the darkness...the shadows...the suspense. Only when Teddy has flashbacks to his past does the mood and pathetic fallacy technique vary- as the mise-en-scene completely changes and Teddy is wearing bright clothes, with a gorgeous brightly clothed wife, in a colored brightly lit house with smiles and kisses and dialogue revolved around love. 

             When we think of an island, depending on perspective, people can also think of abandonment and loneliness or even being lost, however the people on this island are only lost within themselves...lost in their thoughts...abandoning their moral sanity and mental stability with the only thing left to abandon being hope. For Teddy, the amount of psychiatrists and doctors putting hope into his recovery is short lived when he relapses..showing a huge defeat of the ideology of hope.        

             With that explanation alone, i find it difficult to justify why i wouldn't consider 'Shutter Island' to be one of my favorite films. I also simply love the genre of the film (thriller). My enjoyment of the film was not only maximized by the award winning actors and admired genre, but also because of the amount of happenings and scenes in the play that completely foreshadow the ending-without you even knowing it! The foreshadowing technique Scorsese uses is so subtle so that the outcome is explicitly revealed in such a clever manner and every piece of the puzzle fits together. But not only is the plot a puzzle for the audience the whole entirety of the film- DiCaprio plays such a puzzled character (Teddy) the whole way through so the actual structure of the film itself is based around the main character, this means the confusion that main character Teddy feels is almost replicated by the audience! This is very effective as it allows an even stronger audience connection and association with the film. In addition, the frequent uses of flash backs and past events makes the film more dramatic, with more background, context and meaning...and eventually these flashbacks are the necessity that piece every last bit of the puzzle together.