Shutter Island - No Spoilers, Just Praise

[Charles Kline]

I think that scene was very important.

As a father, it was terrible and very hard to watch.

Spoiler

but it did its part to show what caused him to loose his mind

 

[Westies14]

I think we could have understood that concept while showing us less than that scene did, but I do get why he included it. It's just not for me... I don't enjoy trauma as entertainment. Same reason I don't watch lifetime or hospital dramas on TV, or movies like Saw or Hostel. If I know it's coming, I'll avoid that kind of thing. I like scary flicks and I love thrillers. I love a good twist. I don't need to watch Kevin Spacey saw off Gwenyth's head while she's screaming and crying though, if you know what I mean. It's enough for me to know what happened.

 

[KnightAsylum]

I actually like that final scene and to not think it was too much. It was the point really of the entire film. I think it is interesting that folks think things should be cut because they are hard to watch. I think that is the point of showing things and telling stories - to have that emotional impact, to see and feel things that we don't have a chance too, or would be too difficult in real life. It's not like they showed her killing the kids as well. I like when a director pushes the audience past their comfort level, in this case it did not bother me so I did not even notice. Except that it was a full scene and I appreciate that over quick cuts which to me takes away from the emotion of a moment.

 

[Westies14]

I actually like that final scene and to not think it was too much. It was the point really of the entire film. I think it is interesting that folks think things should be cut because they are hard to watch. I think that is the point of showing things and telling stories - to have that emotional impact, to see and feel things that we don't have a chance too, or would be too difficult in real life. It's not like they showed her killing the kids as well. I like when a director pushes the audience past their comfort level, in this case it did not bother me so I did not even notice. Except that it was a full scene and I appreciate that over quick cuts which to me takes away from the emotion of a moment.

Like I said, I get why it's there. It's just not for me and I didn't expect it to go there from the marketing of the film. And no, I don't think this particular film needed that entire scene to tell its story - but that's not because it made us uncomfortable. I actually think that leaving the hospital for as long as we did in order to show it broke the rhythm of the final act.

I'd agree that the event was the point of the film in a way, but not the scene. Half the people in this thread knew exactly what happened from a third of the way in. I know we were watching most of the movie from the perspective of knowing what he'd been through.

 

[Charles Kline]

Now, if they showed her doing it, holding the kids underwater, that would've been too much. I dont have the stomach for that kind of thing (or like you said, SAW type stuff)

 

[Zombie_61]

I liked it a lot, even though I seen the ending coming a mile way.

Yep. I figured it out in the first 20 minutes and endured the next two hours waiting for them to get around to revealing it. :unsure

 

[nickytea]

The reveal, or being privy to it prior to the narrative disclosure, is not so important as the unfolding of the character's own understanding and what it represents to him, dramatically. Even the reveal itself was reflective of character ... it reinforced and enchanced everything that came before, rather than invalidating it.

Really, I'm just trying to say that people put too much stock in twist endings, to the point of missing the actual purpose of the work.

Audience-superior moments are often used to great effect. You and others who elected to "guess" the ending simply had an unintentional audience-superior experience. Doesn't necessarily say anything about the effectiveness of the story up to the point where you were "validated."

 

[Art Andrews]

I don't know if this is too spoilerish or not so I am putting it in tags.

Spoiler

I read the book right before seeing the movie and while I thought the movie held up surprisingly well, there was one thing, right at the end that disappointed me. Now maybe I took the ending of the book wrong, but from my reading, it seemed that Teddy didn't know what was wrong with him and while there was a glimmer of hope at the point of the reveal, he reverted, hope was lost and the story ended as a tragedy. The way Dicaprio played it, right at the end, as they are taking him away and he looked back, the look in his eye said to me that he DID know what was going on, and he was doing this on purpose to get peace from his demons. Now, maybe I took that completely the wrong way and maybe that isn't what that look was supposed to mean, but for me that one look changed the ending completely and changed it from a tragic failure into something else... not sure what.. but I didn't like it as much.

 

[nickytea]

I read that scene the same way in the movie, Art. Only, for me, it was a small but hugely effective improvement. It helped soften the crushing tradgedy with a bit of nobility and insight.

However, it's also so subtle that it allows for interpretation either way.

 

[letmebestormy]

Agreed about the last scene. I liked that it left it open to interpretation.

They also gave so much away in the very first scene. The big deal about him not having his own smokes in the that scene pretty much gave it away. But knowing the twist didn't hurt this movie at all for me.

 

[Szyntax]

I watched it last night and liked it. I'd recommend it. I think they botched the ending though as it can be interpreted in many ways. Maybe that was the point but it didn't work for me.

 

[Charles Kline]

Not even the last look, but the last thing he said

Spoiler

(something like) "would you rather die a good man or live as a monster?" that showed that he knew what was going on and that he wanted to loose those memories

 

[Art Andrews]

I read that scene the same way in the movie, Art. Only, for me, it was a small but hugely effective improvement. It helped soften the crushing tradgedy with a bit of nobility and insight.

However, it's also so subtle that it allows for interpretation either way.

I agree it was pretty subtle... For me, I was so invested in the character in the book that when we got to the climax I was really cheering for him and saw light at the end of the tunnel.

And back to spoilers:

Spoiler

And then when we get to the next day you are like... no... no... NO!!! Dont' regress, don't slip back! And you just feel the heartbreak like his doctors must have felt... so very very close, but he slipped through their fingers at the last moment. To me, that was the power of the story. It was a stroy of failure but a lot of heart and the fact that things don't always end on a good note and you don't always get to do things on your own terms.

For me, that is something the movie lost. Teddy was taking his situation into his own hands and he was "going out" on his own terms and to me, that took a lot of the gut-wrenching tragedy out of it, which I thought was one of the best parts of the book.

 

[blipper]

A good movie, I wouldn't say great, but very watchable, deftly made with good performances and a thoughtful soundtrack that truly complements the story from the start. I particularly love the mix of This Bitter Earth as the closing track.

That said I would have liked to have seen a more unknown actor in De Caprio's role. Nothing wrong with De Caprio's performance at all, it's just the fact that he's so well known as leading man material that I find his presence detracts from the story, imo. Similar in the way Jack Nicholson, Depp, De Nero or Pacino are too familiar now. I'm also getting a little tired of these director/muse continuing projects.

 

[Szyntax]

Seems the people who read the book liked the movie more than those who didn't. IMHO

 

[nickytea]

Seems the people who read the book liked the movie more than those who didn't. IMHO

Saw the movie first. Made me want to read the book.

 

[Zombie_61]

The reveal, or being privy to it prior to the narrative disclosure, is not so important as the unfolding of the character's own understanding and what it represents to him, dramatically. Even the reveal itself was reflective of character ... it reinforced and enchanced everything that came before, rather than invalidating it.

Really, I'm just trying to say that people put too much stock in twist endings, to the point of missing the actual purpose of the work.

Audience-superior moments are often used to great effect. You and others who elected to "guess" the ending simply had an unintentional audience-superior experience. Doesn't necessarily say anything about the effectiveness of the story up to the point where you were "validated."

I understand your point, and I agree. Regardless of how it ends, it's the story that matters; the destination isn't as important as the journey. For me, however, Scorsese failed to make the character's journey interesting to watch.

 

[glunark]

This is not a film to watch if you are already feeling down, I reckon this followed by sucker punch would have me heading for the nearest bridge.