When I think of Martin Scorsese, I instantly think of gangster flicks with tons of f-bombs, a bunch of sex scenes, and a ton of betrayal. However, there’s a different side to Scorsese, his experimental side. This started long before any of the gangster stuff too, with till this day his most important film; Taxi Driver.
Scorsese’s experimental side expanded as his career grew as he kept releasing films that were different and exciting, but also deeply uncomfortable and allegoric. The King of Comedy, The Last Temptation of Christ, No Direction Home, Hugo, Silence, and Shutter Island were all films that Scorsese’s experimental side simply adores to make.
Films like these surprise people, and when it comes to Shutter Island; nothing surprises you as hard as it does.
How to Stream or Download Shutter Island Full Movie Online
To stream or to download the movie from a digital store of your choice, click on the Download button at the end of the review. And if you like Leonardo DiCaprio, check out also our reviews of Titanic (1997) and Inception (2010).
The Movie Review
Plot
The film revolves around Edward “Teddy” Daniels, a police Marshal who has just traveled to the Ashecliffe Hospital for the criminally insane on Shutter Island in Boston Harbor with his new partner Chuck Aule. Their consignment is the disappearance of a patient Rachel Solando, who was thrown in this place for drowning all three of her children. This is where the roller coaster ride of a thriller story begins.
The film features some of the largest dialogue-based set pieces and the biggest plot twists along with plot devices that you will ever come across. Especially when it comes to some of the talent that is present here, you cannot by any means underestimate the creativity that this film offers.
Cast and Crew
Starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Mark Ruffalo, the film has a 5-star cast all around it. Leonardo’s performance as Teddy Daniels and his increasing discomfort on the God-forsaken asylum island is a genre-defining performance to witness. His vulnerability is portrayed with grace, as well as his rage with an outcry of emotions in every scene.
The character becomes even better when coupled with Mark Ruffalo’s Chuck Aule, his partner. The two have such great chemistry, especially during scenes where they both talk to a third party such as Ben Kingsley’s character Dr. John Cawley, who by the way has one of the most interesting dialogue sequences in the film.
Aside from these amazing actors, the rest of the cast in Max Von Sydow, Michelle Williams, Emily Mortimer, Patricia Clarkson, Ted Levine, and John Carrol Lynch all play their parts impressively well without any discrepancies.
Directed by Martin Scorsese, the film is a very atmospheric piece with soft somber dialogue, jazzy 60s music, and a ton of aesthetic beauty especially in the beauty in the bleakest moments of the film.
There is a part in the film where someone is burning to death while surrounded in a colorful room and it looks breathtaking. Robert Bridge Richardson, a long-time collaborator of Tarantino and Scorsese brings his full passion to this film, with cinematography and a location and set design so ethereal it’s almost haunting to look at, making the film’s atmosphere even more potent.
The film doesn’t have an original score by the way, so it uses actual real-life scores and songs from the era it’s based in. Robbie Robertson, another Scorsese longtime collaborator created a unique list of songs that would be pitch-perfect for the film’s atmosphere and design. It just works!
Verdict
In conclusion, Shutter Island is a really good movie. It’s not the best movie out there because some people do see the plot twists coming, but for what it’s worth; the film takes a ton of risks for a ton of rewards. The premise itself is high-risk, high-reward, but the actual execution in a slow burn, the melodramatic format makes it a profoundly experimental film that Scorsese does grace us with every once in a while.
