Pictured: Leonardo DiCaprio and Michelle Williams
*THIS REVIEW CONTAINS MINOR SPOILERS, CLICK THE JUMP TO READ ON*
In a cinematic world marked by an ever-increasing love for gore and violence, Martin Scorsese still remains one of the few, if not only director who has the ability to use blood as an art form. Shutter Island is perhaps the best example I have seen of such a feat. The only other film in recent memory that comes to mind is Lars Von Trier’s Antichrist, in which, like Shutter Island, some of its most gruesome scenes are also its most beautiful.
The image that I cannot get out of my head, that I cannot write a review of this movie without mentioning, comes about a third of the way through the film, and involves the staggeringly underrated Emily Mortimer, who turns in one of the film’s most spectacular performances (among many others). In it, we see her standing over Leonardo DiCaprio, dressed in a June Cleaver red and white plaid dress, pearls, earrings, and a perfectly coiffed bob. Yet, her smiling face and clothing are also splattered with blood, as if she were a vandalized Norman Rockwell painting. The presentation of this image is so immediate and jarring that it genuinely left me breathless, out of what I ultimately perceive as awe rather than disgust. The presence of blood in the film is used wisely and sparingly, so when it does appear it is beyond unsettling, and often acts as a gross contradiction to the rest of the image, such as the aforementioned scene with Mortimer.
The entire film is marked by these kind of artfully horrific shots, ranging from cascades of frozen bodies in Dachau concentration camp, to those of three drowned children lying peacefully in a row on the bank of a lake. One is simultaneously revolted and entranced, adding to the disconcerting fear that permeates the entire narrative.
Aside from this showcase of Scorsese’s ability to create an astoundingly powerful picture within a single frame, the acting in this film is top notch. Helmed by Leonardo DiCaprio, in one of his best performances to date, every supporting player is at their best. From right-hand-man Mark Ruffalo and phantom wife Michelle Williams to the solid one-scene roles of Patricia Clarkson and Jackie Earle Hailey, there is truly not a flat note in the bunch. The two stand-outs for me, though (aside from DiCaprio) were Emily Mortimer and Ben Kingsley. Kingsley is easily one of my favorite actors, and his portrayal of the head psychiatrist in charge of the facility is both as smooth and as worthy of suspicion as DiCaprio perceives.
Mortimer, though her screentime is limited, manages to deliver one of the absolute most bone-chilling performances I have ever seen. I am haunted by not only the image of her with blood splattered across her face, but also by the calm, unsettlingly settled manner in which she delivers instructions on how to dispose of her victims. And as much as I am trying to wean myself from putting everything in terms of whether or not is award-worthy, if Mortimer does not receive an Academy Award nomination next year, something is tragically wrong with the world. Regardless, this will go down as one of my all-time favorite portrayals.
The twist is not unpredictable, but the stylized Noir-esque labyrinth it weaves to bring itself to the conclusion is incredibly gripping and ultimately rewarding. Despite its mixed reviews, I found Shutter Island to be one of the most fascinating and satisfying movie-going experiences I have had in recent years.
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