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Every casual filmgoer knows that Martin Scorsese has created a number of breathtaking masterpieces throughout his career as a director. The problem, then, with the standards so high, is that his "sub-par" films may get criticized unfairly when they are compared to the likes of The Departed, Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, etc. I've been reading and hearing lots of critics saying Shutter Island was a rather dissatisfying experience. Granted, this isn't the best thing Scorsese has ever done, but it's still a fascinating, gripping and at times confusing psychological thriller that demands to be seen.

Based on Dennis Lehane's novel of the same name, the film follows U.S. marshal Edward "Teddy" Daniels (Leonardo DiCaprio) and his newly-appointed partner Chuck (Mark Ruffalo) as they visit a remote institution for the criminally insane. The two have been summoned to investigate the mysterious disappearance of a patient named Rachel Solando, and proceed to question the staff on the island so that they can get to the bottom of what's really gone on. Without wanting to spoil anything (this is a really tough film to talk about without giving something away), Shutter Island goes on to examine the themes of paranoia, alienation and identity in amongst a very dark and morbid atmosphere, which results in terribly disturbing and engrossing viewing.

You'll notice from the off that Scorsese deliberately tries to emulate the over-the-top style seen in many classic thriller-horror movies that came before (the director's own Cape Fear immediately springs to mind, which was already a homage to the Hollywood film noirs of the ’50s). The flashbacks that depict Teddy's traumas, for example, are far from subtle: Scorsese seems fascinated with portraying the character's post-traumatic shock syndrome from his war-time experiences in graphic detail for all to see, which can be deeply unsettling, yet mesmerizing at the same time. Shutter Island is certainly visually imaginative in its scenes involving Teddy's late wife (Michelle Williams), also: Surrounded by flames and with heavy rain coming down, we see him holding Dolores close until she begins to bleed from the stomach and dissolve into ashes. Very striking.

These scenes are a strong feature of the film as they take us deeper into the mindstate of Teddy, allowing us to sympathise with his turmoil and root for him in his quest to uncover the truth. It's his job, as well as ours, to figure out whether he's an actual detective, or a patient on Shutter Island. Lehane's novel and Laeta Kalogridis's screenwriting are intelligent to the point that they manage to create a space between unreality and reality by presenting a series of mind-boggling experiences that we must interpret as one or the other for ourselves. Even the fascinating ending won't offer any immediate clarification to what Teddy has just experienced before his/our eyes, though; Shutter Island is a film you'll need to watch a few times over if you wish to achieve some form of clarity (even then, I can imagine, they'll be no definite conclusion).

Every moment is fuelled with a fiery cynicism. When one of the characters preaches “God loves violence! Why else would there be so much of it?” past mid-point of the film, we don't argue. The dark and morbid atmosphere, which is masterfully developed by Scorsese and cinematographer Robert Richardson, aided also by the classical score, is truly haunting to the point that it feels claustrophobic. Shutter Island purposely gets inside our heads to depict the threatening environment that DiCaprio's character has become involved in. When I left the cinema, I'll admit that I felt incredibly traumatised by what I had just seen.

In regards to the acting, I was never that big a fan of DiCaprio to begin with, but he seems to be getting more impressive with each film. Teddy is a very well-written character, but the actor gives plenty of heart to his crumbling mentality; the madness begins in his head, but we notice that it is slowly eating its way to his core. It's an impressive performance from DiCaprio, whom has been taken under the wing of Scorsese for their fourth collaboration here; he may not be on the level of Robert De Niro (the director's first partner in film) as yet, but he's unquestionably maturing evermore as an actor. Scorsese also gets excellent support from a cast including Dr. Cawley (Ben Kingsley), Dr. Naehring (Max Von Sydow) and Deputy Warden McPherson (John Carroll Lynch). Furthermore, Michelle Williams does a great job at evoking the emotions of her on-screen husband.

In conclusion, "The rat stuck in a maze" premise may not appear as anything new, but Scorsese has a wonderful knack for elevating the material beyond the usual to create an incredibly engaging piece of work. Shutter Island not only looks fantastic, but is uncommonly hypnotic in its fascination with mental illness: In witnessing the psychological torture of the lead character, we are made to contemplate the subject for ourselves and appreciate the seemingly-daunting complexity of our own minds. Despite being almost two-and-a-half hours long, the film is adroitly paced, suspenseful and very well-cast.

With such considered, it just goes to show that even the "lesser" Scorsese stuff has a profound effect upon the mind of the viewer. On a personal level, I cherish my experience of this film, and the more I think about it, the more I want to see it again.

(C) Andy Carrington, 2010.