Shutter Island - Opening 10minute Analysis
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Transcript of Shutter Island - Opening 10minute Analysis
Shutter Island OPENING SCENE ANALYSIS WITH SCREENSHOTS
Camera shot and Sound
The opening scene begins with a wide shot of a boat
appearing through the mist. It creates a sense of mystery as all we see is nothing but thick
fog, and then a boat appearing. This peculiar start
to the film is intriguing and creates a feeling of anxiety
and uncertainty, and creates disorientation for the audience
as they are not immediately given a sense of location. This makes the audience want to see what happens next and
grabs their attention.Also, deep, low orchestral music is used to increase the tension of what might happen next and creates an unsettling mood for the audience. The dramatic music makes the audience associate people and places as to whether they are good or bad by the tone/key of the music. As well as being able to change the audience's mood.
Camera Shot and Mise En Scene
The next shot is an over the shoulder shot where
the camera has been deliberately positioned to
reveal the character, Teddy’s, reflection. This shot could infer that the
character has connotations of a split
personality as the audience can see him and his reflection. This
makes the audience feel uneasy as the character
is now made to be untrustworthy, even
though he is a Marshall who the audience should be able to trust. Also the
use of a mirror is a key/stereotypical prop within a Thriller film.
SilenceThe use of silence before Teddy’s flashback and when he is inside
the mental home for insane criminals and makes eye contact
with the old lady with a slash mark on her throat, creates a sense of
unease for the audience as it heightens their senses as they
don’t understand why these moments in particular have been highlighted. It prepares them to
listen and pay particular attention to whatever is about to happen
next.
Flashback Duration of 11seconds (-1 second for present day water clip ~ 10 seconds)
Dramatic music and fast paced editingThese screenshots are from Teddy’s flashbacks to when his wife was alive. There is no diegetic sound to the clips involving his wife, other than the clip of the water back in
the present day with Teddy. The non diegetic dramatic music throughout the clip is of low key, suggesting that
what appears to be happy memories, are not. Making the audience feel on edge, as they are not sure what is happening or what might happen. Going back to the
screenshot of the sea water in present day, makes the audience wonder if his wife actually died in a fire and was killed by the smoke, or if her death had something to do with water or drowning. This makes the audience start to not trust him, as they don’t understand the significance of the water and why it has been highlighted during Teddy’s
flashbacks of his wife. Also the fast paced editing to these clips suggest that Teddy doesn’t want to reveal to much about his wife, creating a sense of mystery and
weariness for the audience.
Mise En Scene and red- Herring
This screenshot is taken just after where Teddy has flashbacks to when his wife was alive. Just before Teddy comes back from his flashbacks, we see a glimpse of the sea water. This makes the audience wonder if his wife actually died in a fire and was killed by the smoke, or if her death had something to do with water or drowning. This makes the audience start to not trust him, as they don’t understand the significance of the water and why it has been highlighted during Teddy’s flashbacks of his wife. Just after the flashbacks, Teddy also asks for a cigarette as he seems to have lost his. He lights the cigarette, but only moments beforehand he was talking about his wife supposedly dying from the smoke from the fire; this leads the audience to not trust him even more than they already do.
Camera shot and Sound
When the island is finally revealed through a wide shot, the dramatic orchestral music starts; making the audience
associate the island with corrupt and terrifying thoughts as the music is sudden and of
a low keyAs they get closer to the
island the music becomes more full and dramatic,
increasing the level of tension and anxiety for the audience.
The music becomes more and more intense as the audience
travel with Teddy from the docks with the guards to the first gates of the Criminally Insane Hospital. The rising symphonic of the dramatic
music as they approach the hospital makes the audience feel un easy and creates a false sense of danger as
nothing actually happens, but the music infers otherwise.
Sound and Mise En SceneExaggerated sounds of chains/metalic sounds
are emphasised from the very beginning on the boat, all the way through to the chains
around the patients/prisoners feet and hands. This emphasises to the audience that chains
are a key prop within the film and they connote being trapped/imprisoned. Which could make
the audience weary and feel trapped.
Red Herring and Camera Shot
A close up shot of the Hospital Cemetery sign has been used to clearly
show the quote “Remember us for we too have lived, loved and laughed”. This
makes the audience feel on edge for what Teddy is about to face inside
the Hospital, as we know this sign is referring the past
patients.
Mise En SceneWhen the Prison
Officer talks about ward A and B, we see two
ordinary looking buildings of a red brick
colour. But when he talks about ward C, the
audience see a longshot of huge, grey building that looms over the
hospital campus. This infers to the audience
that Ward C is a horrible dark place, as grey is the
dominant colour and it makes them feel
uncomfortable and nervous for the
characters as they may venture into the building
later on in the film.
Red-HerringThis screenshot is from when
Teddy and Chuck arrive at Ashecliffe Hospital for the
criminally insane and Teddy catches this women’s eye who
acts suspicious and hand signals Teddy to be quite however we
as the audience and Teddy himself don’t know what she is
talking about and leads us to think that this is a red herring. The camera angle in this shot is a mid shot but she is the focus
point in the shot. This is engaging the audience into
what she is saying to Teddy and makes us think that she is
important in the story line.