Reality vs Illusion: The Enigmatic World of ‘Shutter Island!’ – Editorial

Shutter Island (2010) Essay: Holding the dark depths of the human realm and creating an uncapped sense of human behavior, Martin Sorsese is the man to weave down the human emotions and give them a larger than life feel. The Director is dwelling up and expressing the unexpressed emotion with his stories. Skying up the character potential and strengthening his world view with each step, Scorsese is the master when it comes to storytelling and character development.

Packed with puzzles and boundless dramatic shifts this movie opens when the U.S. Deputy Marshal Edward Daniels played by Leonardo DiCaprio is on his way to investigate mishappenings at Ashecliffe Hospital for the criminally insane assisted by his fellow deputy Marshal Chuck Aule, played by Mark Ruffalo.

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The sense of mystery can really be seen on Edwards face as he reaches the island. Edward, supported by Chuck, is on their way to investigate the Hospital, cooperated by the Hospital staff they go on to break in the suspected concentration camps along the hospital campus area, as the island was built during WWII to host hostile war criminals.

Several incidents follow on to show as well as confirm the practices and probable chances for human modeled experiments also his secondary goal remained to investigate Teddy Denials, a person suffering from psychotic issues which eventually lead to him killing his own wife and children.

In the movie Shutter Island, Edward, also known as Teddy, becomes deeply engrossed in a confusing and horrifying investigation. As he delves further, he becomes increasingly impatient and eager to solve the mystery, only to discover that he himself is the patient being treated. In a shocking revelation, he realizes that he is actually Andrew, a man who murdered his own wife and children.

Chuck, whom he believed was his assistant, is, in fact, his psychiatrist aiding in his treatment. The film’s direction and color grading contribute to its mysterious atmosphere, amplifying Leonardo DiCaprio’s exceptional performance, supported by actors like Mark Ruffalo and Michelle Williams.

Shutter Island presents a multi-layered story that leaves audiences questioning reality and illusion, much like the film Inception. It explores the theme of escaping reality, as Teddy tries to avoid facing the truth about his own actions. The film’s open ending sparks debates, with some believing Teddy eventually realizes he is Andrew, while others find it inconclusive.

The movie is filled with enigmas, such as the mysterious basement, leaving the audience with lingering questions about the true nature of Teddy’s mental state. Many have gone through film and had one common question, What mental condition is Teddy actually going through?

According to Professor James Gillian who was appointed as a consultant psychiatrist in the film states Teddy probably turned into a pyromaniac for killing his wife and children as a result of a traumatic experience that took place during WWII. This is what leads his brain running away from reality. Basically, he actually is suffering from PTSD.

The camera work across Shutter Island has been splendid, we earlier talked about the physical inclusion of the audience but due to excellent use of camera movements has done a fabulous work in attaching the audience psychologically in the film. Like when we see him in the scene where he actually climbs up the Tor ( Rocky hill generally smaller than the actual hill) here the camera angle has been kept down which signifies the intensification of plot, which actually engages the audience in the giving us the feeling of inclusion and we get mentally invested in the film.

The fast paced storytelling and constant hookup factors forces the audience to be glued to the seat. A dull framework and a blackish gray filtering over the camera with lower angle gives a calm and suspicious vibe. This type of camera angling and editing gives a sense that Andrew is delusional, but comment upon the dying of good man needs a moment of clarity or otherwise it is confused by a haze.

The strength of this type of filmmaking, storytelling and especially ending in such an open ended way you can never be 100% sure of the conclusion, but this unawareness regarding conclusion doesn’t loosen the grip over the climax, but actually gets us a better hold of the story.

Use of props and location to emphasize the storytelling and cinematic feel is on to the point. The ship getting towards a remote unknown island symbolizes Andrew’s move of escaping reality whereas the hospital situated on island represents his loneliness and his way to island is an unending preach to infinite nothingness and is just a hollow approach to run away from reality rather than facing it bold and wide.

The evidence for transorbital lobotomy being performed or the use of Thorazine such type of medication or medical treatment being carried out was given at very beginning, when the patient who actually thinks that the hospital is her home and doctors as well as the staff acts in a way to convince her that she is at home but a actually her family is dead.

Not only the ending, but the characterization is perfectly structured as we know that every character has a set of beliefs which eventually forms their worldview which in turn forms their goals according to which the character takes actions. In this beliefs, wants and goals of each character is particularly defined like being a U. S. Marshal Teddy has a worldview of constant wars and politics which eventually shapes his goal to discover the happenings of the shutter island and seeking vengeance for the killer of his wife.

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Whereas, when he is Andrew the world view and goals changes as now Andrew’s worldview is different a person who is well aware of his reality that he killed wife this reality sets his goal which eventually is running away from the reality, for which he forms an alternate reality which actually puts up a curtain over his reality.

Shutter Island is a full packed experience of perfect emotions and a deep thought process is involved in the same. This creates a sense of thrill, which eventually is lauded with entertainment giving a massive commercial as well as artistic masterpiece.