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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