Tuesday, 22 November 2016

First opening sequence analysis: Shutter Island


Shutter Island


We are shown an establishing shot of the boat immediately showing us the setting. The boat in the scene is appearing from the mist which suggest that the truth will surface. This creates mystery as to what will unfold later on in the film, which intrigues the audience. This links to Narrative as the opening scene portrays the rest of the film. It is also ironic that Leonardo DiCaprio is standing on the boat as he is the one who finds the truth about himself. His body language is shrugged and closed off to his partner which suggests he is not honest with himself. As the mist is white it suggests that when the truth is uncovered it will not be pure. This is because the boat is moving away from the white mist and the colour white is associated with purity. In the background we can hear ambient sound as the waves crash against the boat. This creates an unsettling atmosphere for the audience which prepares them for the rest of the film. 

The second image shows an over the shoulder shot in a jump cut. This creates the impression that there are two sides to his personality. His left side is darker conveying that he is hiding something from himself and others. The brighter side is looking at the darker side implying he is looking for the truth. DiCaprio looks angry at himself suggesting he may be ashamed. His frowning reassures us of his diminishing behaviour to himself. This suggests that the film genre Is psychological thriller as the enigma surrounding the character intrigues us.

The third image is shallow focus to blur the background and the clearer foreground shows shackles. This conveys the thought of pain and torture. The semiotics used to connote punishment and violence which is then reinforced by the ambient sound of the shackles hitting each other. This could link in with the enigma as it may describe the secret to be painful and dark. This foreshadows the rest of the film as it provides a small glimpse into the narrative of the film. The clang of the shackles also creates an unsettling atmosphere as the audience feel disturbed by it.

When Leonardo Dicaprio is with Mark Ruffalo we see a wide shot of the two to show the setting. The use of CGI is used to create a sense of abandonment. This is due to the fact there they are completely detached from any civilisation. The characters feel nothing but isolated, helpless and vulnerability. The costume of the characters is not of the current time, the clothing is predominately worn in the 50s. This is evident through the colour of the clothes and the big overcoat.

The colour of the image is extremely bland and the colourless which suggests Dicaprio life is emotionless. This is the opposite of the last image. The last image is bright and vibrant conveying a happier time in his life. The image is from a flashback to his wife which suggests he has lost his love. This was the most content time of his life as it was with his wife. However, the colours have changed indicating DiCaprio is emotionally effected by the trauma. This is also evident through light. The back light of the flashback is much warmer in comparison to the much more harsh light in the current day picture. This again suggests how DiCaprio’s life has become miserable as a result of something happening to his wife. When Ruffalo talks DiCaprio about his wife, DiCaprio looks away in shame which connotes the feeling that DiCaprio is hiding something about her which he is refusing to tell himself and others the truth. During the flashback we can hear the ambient sound of the record player proving a peaceful time in his life. This is then broken up by the sound of the waves crashing against the boat disrupting his dream.

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