Cinematography of Film Shutter Island

Go over the methods that Scorsese uses in order to create and preserve suspense and mystery throughout. During the movie 'Shutter Island' there is a huge selection of different methods utilized by Martin Scorsese to provide the movie a much deeper meaning. Numerous have been presented to keep the audience on the edge of their seat. Lighting strategies and noise were utilized throughout the motion picture to provide it an atmosphere that would create confusion. The storyline is very manipulative of the audience and prospers in surprising anyone who views the movie consistently with plot twists and false clues planted throughout the motion picture.

Video camera angles are incredibly important to the making of any film. they are utilized to show feelings and feelings i.e. If it is a long shot of the character standing alone it provides the audience a sense of isolation and being isolated. This helps the storyline by making the audience understand why particular occasions happen without being in the scenario that the character is in.

Get quality help now

WriterBelle

Verified writer

Proficient in: Cinematography

4.7 (657)

“ Really polite, and a great writer! Task done as described and better, responded to all my questions promptly too! ”

+84 relevant experts are online

Hire writer

Close ups that are used to reveal feelings on individuals's faces were utilized in various ways. Bird's eye view shots were used too to offer the audience an idea of what is taking place in the scene and where individuals are i.e. When 'Teddy' is leaving from the prison they utilize a bird's eye view shot of him concealing behind a wall while 2 guards walk by only meters from him. They weren't utilized even other video camera methods however they are simply as crucial as lots of other shots.

Sweeping shots were used numerous times during the film and were used to develop a feeling of knowing exactly what is going on in the scene i.e. when the US soldiers line up the German SS guards and shoot them it offers a sensation of death and massacre.

Lighting is a technique that was used repeatedly during the movie. . for instance the institute is lit with candles, as candles don’t give off much light so most of the film is in the dark or very dim light, this gives a very dark feeling to the movie, and as the weather is always overcast and stormy there isn’t much ambient lighting from outside. Sound is used throughout the movie to create suspense and create a background atmosphere that is suited to the situation that the character is in. whenever an event is about to happen there is a music build up which prepares the audience for an event but does not allow them to know exactly what is going to happen. There is also a large amount of other techniques used with sound such as random high pitched piano notes throwing off the attention of the audience and creating an uneasy environment. Loud foghorn sounding blasts are used during the film when there is suspense and evil aspect to the part of the film. This is used in several scenes such as when ‘Teddy’ find out about the conspiracy in the lighthouse on Shutter Island. This noise created a feeling of suspense and mystery and makes the audience believe in ‘Teddy’s’ theory’s. Music is a big part of shutter Island as is used to give it the vintage feeling that it needs, for instance in every flashback there is the same instrumental music played by a Jewish composer. This is something that is not easily picked up by the audience but none the less creates the needed atmosphere. Silence is used to create suspense and is also in the ward C scene, there is no music playing and therefore doesn’t prepare you for the criminal jumping out at ‘teddy’. The music used in this film is well placed and appropriate.

The film is very manipulative of the audience there is a number of plot twists in the film that nobody could predict simply because once the audience is led to believe one thing instantaneously what you were led to believe becomes fake. This keeps the audience on their toes trying very hard to try and work out what is happening. There are scenes such as the interrogation scene in which ‘Teddy’ is asked for a glass of water, once the patient who asked for the glass receives it she proceeds to drink it, however if you watch closely you see that she only pretended to drink the water however from ‘teddy’s’ angle you can clearly see her drink the whole glass. Once they have both left the table it shows another cut where the glass is half full. This confusing scene leaves the audience wondering whether what they are seeing is just a part of someone’s imagination. In conclusion this is a film that was extremely well made with a massive amount of techniques used to keep the audience tense and on the edge of their seat trying to work out the storyline, it was an extremely well structured storyline and gave the audience the exact feeling that was intended for it. Overall the martin Scorsese film ‘Shutter Island’ is a masterpiece.