Product Research: Shutter Island (2010)

I decided to watch Scorsese's Shutter Island in order to grasp more conventions of the psychological sub genre of thrillers. Overall I found the film to be quite enjoyable, yet dull at times. I think that visually, the film's cold colour scheme proved to be rather intimidating; it's clinical brightness made the film disturbing in an odd sense. I think that the remote location of the film also made the film more frightening as there was no clear hope of escape. On the other hand, I think that the mental asylum location, a patient going missing, and most importantly the windy, cold weather were all very conventional of the film's genre, making the film lost it's originality. However, I did note some interesting aspects of the film which I thought could be useful for our group's work.

First of all, I think that the soundtrack of the film is very effective in portraying an enigmatic, forlorn atmosphere. The repetitive use of the ship horn in the film makes the audience feel alarmed as the sound is very unpleasant. I think that also the use of the string and brass instruments also add to the mystery of the film. I believe that the soundtrack makes the audience feel very isolated and alone. Our group could benefit from using a similar type of soundtrack in order to make our audience feel similarly; nonetheless, I believe that using such a strong soundtrack would limit us creatively.

The camerawork is the strongest point of the film. I think that the variety of wide shots, close ups and angled mid shots are what sells the film. For example, in the beginning scene when we see  Teddy Daniels in the bathroom, he is shot from a close up, showing his emotions, displaying anxiety and stress from the very beginning of the film. Unlike many other thrillers, this film does not seem to have a 'too good to be true' beginning. I think that Teddy's appearance also makes the film quite different from other thrillers - although he is the protagonist, he doesn't look perfect; he looks tired and worn out, adding to the intimidating atmosphere. One of the most interesting shots in the film is the blue room on the ship with the shackles. The camera focuses on them instead of the protagonist. I think that this adds a sense of enigma to Teddy's character as he does not fit the conventional character of a hero. I think that the symbolism behind the open shackles also foreshadows some of the plot in the film in a very clever way - the shackles suggest an escape of some sort, matching the conventions of a thriller. I also think that the use of the dark colours in the shot are very interesting, adding to the sense of tension in the scene.