Shutter Island Opening Scene Flashcards
Paragraph 1 Key Evidence
- Mise en Scene - Fog, single ship
- Camera angle - establishing shot of boat
- Colour - grey
Fog Analysis
Pathetic fallacy shows:
- Teddy’s mind is not clear/plot unclear
- Builds mystery
- Entices audience to find out what fog is hiding
Ship Analysis
- Shows isolation
- Heading towards us - audience wants to know where
Establishing shot (boat) analysis
- Puts everything into perspective
- Isolation
- Remote location
Opening Shot colour analysis
- Blues and greys
- Set gloomy atmosphere
- Isolation
Introduction
The opening scene of Martin Scorsese’s 2010 psychological thriller Shutter Island is…. Set in 1954 in the Boston Harbour Islands, the film focuses upon US marshal Teddy Daniels, who is sent to Shutter Island to investigate the disappearance of a patient from AshCliff Hospital. However, as the film progresses, it becomes clear that not everything is as it seems. While exploring mental health and the importance of perspective the film effectively achieves a ….. opening scene through use of camera, sound, mise en scene, and colour.
Paragraph 2 key evidence
- Refection in mirror
- pair on deck
- Plaster on head
- Flashback
Mirror analysis
- Two sides to teddy’s personality
- refection is not who he really is
Plaster Analysis
- head injury - forshadowing
- idea of healing - key theme
- hurt = audience sympathy
Flashback analysis (colour)
- brightness and colour contrasts with darkness of ship
- happiness is clear
- audience want to find out more about past
- puts into perspective how bleak current moment is
Midshot on deck analysis
- establishes chuck and teddy as a pair
- theme of pairs
- audience wants to see what they get up to
Paragraph 3 Key Evidence
- Establishing shot of Island
- Pairs of guards
- Guns
- Orchestra
- High angle car journey
- Low angle hospital
Establishing shot analysis - island
- Puts perspective
- Scary island
Pairs of guards analysis
- intimidating
- key theme of pairs
Guns analysis
- threat
- scary
Orchestra analysis
- builds the drama/tension
- layers
- non-diagetic
- binds shots together
Low angle shot analysis- hospital
- makes hospital look intimate
- builds tension fear
High angle shot analysis - car journey
- makes everyone look small
- helps us understand shutter island
- inferes a bigger force against pair
Paragraph 4 Key Evidence
- Silence from music
- layers of security
- Building/greenery
Silence analysis
- silence = fear
- signals end of
Long shots of ashcliff analysis
- constrast of greenery
- shifts audience idea of mental hopspital
Layers of security
- emphasis on security
- threat
- builds tension - what’s the need ?
