JP: Film Analysis 1 - Shutter Island (Scorsese, 2010)

Shutter Island (Scorsese, 2010)

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GENRE

This film belongs to the thriller genre.

The audience’s generic expectations of the text are fulfilled in the opening due to the use of non-diagetic eerie piercing sounds, misty weather and a scary location (both on the water on a ship and on an isolated island). However it could be argued that the audience’s generic expectations of the text are challenged because the film adopts a Noiristic style, in turn partially obscuring the protagonist.

By using the Noir style the text does not conform to the characteristics of the genre, instead treating them playfully. Many thriller films do not do this, therefore challenging the generic conventions of the thriller genre.

LANGUAGE

The mise-en-scene in the opening sequence is key for introducing the audience to the characters, in other words character exposition. The trench coat and trilby hat that the protagonist wears connotes secrecy, mystery and crime. However if the audience looks deeper, the coat and hat are iconic conventions of the Noir style and the trilby hat partially obscures the protagonists face (another convention of Noir).

Also the grey and silver metal on the boat connotes the thought of trapping someone into somewhere – especially the railings and bars. The colour grey is dull and reflects the murky, misty weather in the opening.

The use of camera work in the opening positions the audience with the protagonist. The use of a CU on the protagonists’ face allows the audience to see his reactions to the situation that he is in and he is positioned central in the lens allowing the audience to focus entirely on his expressions. The MS two-shot shows the conversation between the two characters and allows the audience to see that they are on a boat because of the water in the left of the frame. The ELS reveals the island and the location including the weather building the tension and suspense in the opening.

The deep string non-diagetic music starts when the island is revealed connoting fear and anchoring the image. The non-diagetic eerie sounds also follow the traditional conventions of a thriller opening and build the tension as the titles come up on screen.

The dialogue positions the audience with the protagonist, in particular the line “Pull yourself together. Pull yourself together.” makes the audience feel sympathy for the protagonist but also questions why he needs to pull himself together or what is the situation that he is in. The non-verbal language of the protagonist further reinforces the worry that the audience feels towards him due to the scared, sick emotions on his face.

The director chooses low-key lighting for the first part of the opening when the protagonist is inside connotes mystery and follows the traditional generic conventions of a thriller. However the director may have chosen to use this style of lighting to reinforce the Noir style that he has chosen to adopt for the film.