Shutter Island (4K UHD + Blu-ray + Digital)

It is well known that Martin Scorsese is a master filmmaker. Decade after decade he has continuously defied conventional formulas and provided artful films that explore all sides of the human condition. Granted, most of his films delve into the darker recesses of the human mind, and Shutter Island is no exception. It is a haunting experience, a film which uses both abstract and concrete techniques to tell a story. It may connect with mainstream audiences and it may not - but this much is true: in a society where Avatar can gross over six hundred million dollars and receive a nomination for BEST PICTURE of the YEAR, Shutter Island is a welcome luxury. It's like a drink of cool water after a particularly dehydrating hike in a desert abounding with the sort of intellectually devoid effects- driven action films, inane romantic comedies, and manipulative tearjerkers which are transforming American audiences into mumbling, drooling philistines year after year. Shutter Island is the rare type of film that is difficult to review, only because it contains many plot twists which are crucial to the fantastic finale. In an attempt to avoid unnecessary spoilers, a brief outline of the plot will be provided, followed by a technical and artistic critique of the film. The film opens in 1954, as a lone ferry arrives on an island which is reminiscent of Alcatraz, only it is not a prison in the usual sense. Rather, it is the location of a prestigious mental institution which houses only the most threatening patients, most of which have been committed for murder. After the disappearance of a vastly disturbed female resident, two U.S. marshals are summoned and arrive on the site to investigate, and fall upon one shocking revelation after another. This film is drenched in atmosphere from beginning to end. From the opening strains of György Ligeti's haunting chamber piece "Lontano", to the initial appearance of the island itself, there is no doubt - you "feel" this film. Once the mood settles in during the first few moments, it stays with you until the credits roll. Through this expertly crafted juxtaposition of atmosphere and musical selection, Shutter Island springs to life. The performances are uniformly amazing. Leonardo DiCaprio gives another knockout performance as Teddy, one of the marshals assigned to the case. Like Robert DeNiro and Harvey Keitel before him, DiCaprio's acting sensibilities have captured the attention of Scorsese, who has continued to cast him in several notable roles over the past few years, the most significant of which is his role in The Departed. Through Scorsese's direction, DiCaprio has been able to grow as an actor, and the results of this partnership are clearly on display in Shutter Island. Mark Ruffalo plays Teddy's partner, Chuck. Ruffalo exudes the necessary amount of intensity required by his character, and is wholly convincing. Scorsese also manages to draw some fantastic performances out of screen legends, Ben Kingsley and Max Von Sydow. These two men convey a palpable sense of dread throughout the film in varying degrees. Watching the two men work under Scorsese's sure-fire direction is worth the price of admission alone. Patricia Clarkson also appears and in a memorable supporting role, and the same can be said of Michelle Williams. As far as the direction itself, if you want to see a master at work, look no further than this film. It is a marvel in all aspects. This is Scorsese in top form. This is a film that simply cannot be missed. Rated R for disturbing violent content, language and brief nudity. 138 min.

I didn't know what to expect on Shutter Island, the movie's title is sort of off-putting and I thought it was going to be a relitively cheesey pocorn movie. Then I realize it's directed by Martin Scorsese at the last minute and I enjoy most of his films. If Shutter Island were directed by anyone else, it potentially could have went into another realm and direction and collapse from within. I loved Leo Di Caprio in The Aviator and Titanic so he's gained my approval as a decent actor who really commits himself into the roles he's playing. I was a bit apprehensive when I first heard the east coast accent he devolped for this role and I thought to myself, "am I going to have to listen to this crap all night?" But then it seamlessly blends into his character and it just becomes him, which is quite impressive. There is also something attractive about him that I can't quite put my finger on. There's this subtle sexual undertone thing going on with him and I don't know if it's because I'm sexually atracted to him or if it's just because he's aging well and looks more handsome now. This has nothing to do with the movie but it can influence your oppinions about his acting and the film itself. Actually that's not true because I think Russel Crow is hot but I hate all of his movies, he's a crap actor. Never mind, I'm sorry. I'm off on a strange tangent. I enjoyed the intersting story in Shutter Island and it does throw you for a loop at the end when u find out that Leo is actually a patient at the facility. It's sort of in the same vein as the ending in Nicole Kidman's "The Others" (another great movie). It's very Twilight Zone-ish and creeps you out. Shutter Island is the first movie I've seen this year that's actually entertained me. Good movies are hard to find these days, just like men. I wonder if Leo Di Caprio's single? Hmmm......

I'm a fan of Dennis Lehane, the author of the book, and was thrilled when I found out that Shutter Island was going to be made into a movie with such a renowned director and talented cast. I still remember reading the book for the first time and calling my husband at work -- he'd all ready read it - just to say "wow" and to discuss it with another person. I think I'd figured out the big bad secret by the end, but loved how the author pulled it all together. So, when I saw the movie I did so from a "knowing" perspective and so my experience was actually vastly different from someone who hadn't read the book. If you're unfamiliar with it, I think it's easy to go in and think that the ease or difficulty with which you figure it out is the point -- and it's not. Because I knew, I got to enjoy the execution of the story and the acting and directing choices that were made and could only be noticed either if you have the knowledge or in retrospect. I had extra moments of delight because I could think, "Oh, I see what he did there! What a great reaction shot under the circumstances!" The movie rewards your understanding what's going on. So, even for the people who figured it out and were perhaps disappointed, it's worth another viewing with complete understanding. I also loved that one of the extras on the bluray discusses this exact thing. The movie is atmospheric, Scorsesian, and Hitchcockian. The story and direction compliment one another. I think, at its core, this is a very human stories about both the limitations and the limitlessness of the mind and heart. The protagonist, Teddy Daniels, remains a complex and compelling figure. Dicaprio clearly respected that complexity and committed to bringing it to his performance. The rest of the cast also does a stellar job and it is impossible to single anyone out, because they were all up to the challenge. I absolutely recommend this movie and this author. So, even if you don't buy the movie but are a reader, you might want to check out more from Dennis Lehane.

************************************SPOILER ALERT**************************** ***DON'T READ THIS REVIEW BEFORE SEEING THE MOVIE**************************** This is a difficult movie to describe and that's a compliment to Mr. Scorsese. He's created an eerie thriller that's also a homage to Hitchcock and Kubrick and lots of other great cinematic influences as well as every excellent film noir ever made. It starts off in a surrealistic, dreamlike manner: Leo is seasick below deck on a small ship and is mightily struggling to hold his sanity together. He's a U.S. Marshall and he then meets his new partner Chuck topside, seemingly for the first time. They never met before this moment? And the backdrop seems blatantly fake - the ocean is all around them but the deck never moves. Is this Mr. Scorsese's small tribute to Hitchcock and his sometimes oddly obvious sets or is the scene a fantasy of some sort? So right away the audience is confused and unsure, and only gets more so when Chuck fumbles with his pistol and holster and seems completely unfamiliar with them. Their investigation then encounters nothing but obfuscation and denials and contradictions. The situation spirals into ever-increasing weirdness, complete with mazelike corridors and winding staircases and Leo's extremely disturbing flashbacks. What's real? Who's real? Who's crazy? Who's sane? The viewer is on unsteady ground that constantly shifts underfoot the entire time. SI also has some of the finest acting around. The supporting cast is uniformly superb: Michelle Williams, Ben Kingsley, Max Von Sydow, Mark Ruffalo and Jackie Earle Haley as well as all the minor characters and an uncredited DeNiro cameo. It's necessarily hallucinatory because most of it takes place inside an insane man's tortured mind. Mr. Scorsese deserves a lot of credit for crafting something so original out of such derivative material and he definitely knows how to hold an audience's interest. He's also a victim of his past successes - some people seem to expect "Raging Bull" or "Taxi Driver" every time out. SI is a very creepy, disturbing movie that takes close attention to follow and features a very flawed and non-dynamic hero. Sometimes you're in the mood for a big juicy steak and a baked potato and a few ice-cold beers and other times all you want is a bag of microwave popcorn and a can of Pepsi. This is a steak-type movie, that's all.

I love this film. I did not read the book on which it was based so I can't comment on its transfer to film but I can say that as an atmospheric, edge of your seat thriller this film is superb. It is not perfect by any means. The first time I watched it I was enthralled till the ending which sort of left me perplexed and made me unsure of the whole experience. But this film is one where when they say it must be viewed twice they mean it. Knowing the ending actually made a repeat viewing even better than the first. I must note that after the first viewing I did enjoy it enough to purchase it. I have now viewed it three times. Of course we have two masters here - Martin Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio. In less talented hands than Scorsese this film could have turned into a regular B horror film. But Scorsese treats the slightly flawed script with respect and the directing, music, photography, editing and most of all acting make this a grade A film all the way. Leonardo DiCaprio is now proving film after film just what a skilled actor he is. For me this was the best performance of his career and shows him to be one of the best actors of this deacade. And perfect performances are elicited from Mark Ruffalo and Ben Kingsley as well. Actually this film was made with such precise decisions that even all the supporting roles down to the smallest ones are pitch perfect. Of most note are Michelle Williams and Patricia Clarkson. The film begins with Leonardo DiCaprio as U.S. Marshal Teddy Daniels going with his new partner played by Ruffalo to Shutter Island which is an asylum for the criminally insane to investigate the disappearance of a female inmate. But no one is actually as they seem and truths about the island start to appear to Teddy and he realizes that things are sinister and there are many secrets here. Then we get twists and turns galore that build to a very dramatic ending. This is a film that must be viewed for it is cinema at its best. We have the master director Scorsese turning an ok script into a suspense masterpiece. From the beginning boat ride with the spooky atmospheric music you can sit back knowing you are going to have a super suspenseful ride. Let the grade A directing and flawless acting bring you to another world. I can't give this film 5 stars for the script is slightly flawed but I will view it over and over for the superb piece of film making it is. And it makes a brilliant showing on blu ray. The picture is very crisp and clarity superb. Colors are brilliant and the whole experience will make you feel as if you are there. Good film making still exists and here is a perfect example.

For whatever reason I never got around to watching this. My nephew told me this is his all time favorite movie. It's a Scorsese movie, a much different kind of movie from Martin. Not my favorite movie of his and kind of hard to review without giving up any spoilers, but this is a very nice set and the movie looks great. If your nephew likes this too, grab it.

Good movie

With Martin Scorsese directing and a cast of Leonardo DiCaprio, Mark Ruffalo, and Ben Kingsley, Shutter Island has all the ingredients of a great movie. Set in the 50s at a prison for the criminally insane, two U.S. Marshals (DiCaprio and Ruffalo) are tasked to an Alcatraz-style island to investigate the escape of an inmate who has disappeared without a trace. The tone of the film is amazingly dark and chilling with themes of concentration camps, Nazi medical experimentation, and secret government projects. The sinister feeling of the movie holds your breath from the beginning and carries you to the edge of your seat with fantastic jumps and scares amidst a hurricane-level storm. If you are lucky enough to watch this movie you will be thrown to the floor with a truly original plot twist that will leave you replaying the whole movie in your head. Highly recommend 8/10 Can watch once a year during the rainy season.

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Excellent....

Peliculón a una edición a su altura.

Un très bon film à voir , une perfection du début au final 🔥 ( pas de spoil sur l'histoire il faut garder ce plaisir 😉 ) Un master 4k qui lui fait très plaisir pour le découvrir ou re-découvrir

You will likely either love or hate this film, but I love it. The oppressive atmosphere, the sets, the acting - it’s a film that rewards rewatching. But that’s not why you are reading this review. You want to know how the disc is. Well I can tell you that this UHD Blu-Ray release is outstanding, made from what looks like a 4K scan of the film elements. While the Blu-Ray was good, this is next level good, particularly in the judicious application of HDR, but most impressively in the colour. I have heard some quibbles about grain, and that’s true, It was filmed on film and the grain structure has been captured by the scan, but if you’re watching this on a screen 65” and above, that grain will just look filmic. Put it on a 100” projection screen and it’s like seeing it at the movies. Highly recommended.