Director
Martin Scorsese
Leading Actors/Actresses
Leonardo DiCaprio and Mark Ruffalo
Supporting Actors/Actresses
Ben Kingsley, Max von Sydow, and Michelle Williams
Genre
Psychological thriller
Language
English
Awards
Top Ten FIlms of the Year, National Board of Review
Date of Release
February 19, 2010
Producer
Martin Scorsese, Bradley J. Fischer, Arnold W. Messer, and Mike Medavoy
Setting and Context
Ashecliffe Hospital, near Boston, Shutter Island, 1954
Narrator and Point of View
Edward "Teddy" Daniels / Andrew Laeddis.
Tone and Mood
Dark, Brooding, Mysterious, Horrific
Protagonist and Antagonist
Edward "Teddy" Daniels vs. Dr. John Cawley
Major Conflict
The major conflict is between Teddy and Dr. Cawley as the two struggle to deal with each other and explain the mysterious happenings of Shutter Island.
Climax
The climax of the film occurs in the lighthouse when Teddy learns the truth
Foreshadowing
When Aule struggles with his gun, it foreshadows the fact that he is not in fact a U.S. Marshal.
Understatement
Cawley treats Teddy's headaches as ordinary migraines, even though he knows they are induced from withdrawal from chlorpromazine.
Innovations in Filming or Lighting or Camera Techniques
Shutter Island uses an innovative plot structure, in which the audience only learns the full significance of the early scenes at the end of the film, encouraging attentive re-viewings.
Allusions
There are many historical allusions to World War II, including concentration camps and hydrogen bombs.
Paradox
Teddy only breaks through his delusions and becomes "sane" again once he realizes that he is, in fact, already psychotic.
Parallelism
Teddy imagines a parallel between the dead children he witnessed at Dachau, and the death of his own daughter.
