Shutter Island
The film is set in a world of strict rules and regulations, where the inmates are kept in line with a strict daily routine. The only escape from this routine is through the use of humor and wit. This is what makes ‘Shutter Island’ so captivating, as it captures the everyday life of its characters in an interesting and unique way.
In Mr. Scorsese’s “Shutter Island,” the narrative is a complex story of human emotions. The form in which Mr. Scorsese explores Teddy’s angst, regret, and pain, also gives way to a taut thriller.
The film’s ending caught many viewers off guard. In this explainer, we explore the various plot points that need clarification, and how Mr. Scorsese’s unique style allows for a different kind of ending. ..
Shutter Island Overview
Shutter Island is a psychological thriller set on an island off the coast of Massachusetts, where U.S. Marshal Andrew Laeddis (Leonardo DiCaprio) is being held after being accused of murdering his wife and child. Dr. John Cawley (Mark Ruffalo), the head of the psychiatric hospital where Laeddis is being held, decides to put him through a “test” – an experiment – to see if Cawley’s method of treating patients with a history of violence actually works. ..
For the made-up world, Rachel Solondo – a fictional patient – is created and reported missing, to invite Teddy’s investigation. Because he has been a former marshal, he uses his experience and training to conduct a routine process. The film ends when he learns the truth but does Cawley get his wish is the real question. Read on to know more!
Why is Teddy a patient at the facility and what is his history?
In the lighthouse, Teddy is revealed to be Andrew. In reality, it was his wife, Dolores that murdered their three children by drowning them. She had earlier set fire to their apartment in the city. We see flashbacks of the fire that consumed it. Teddy came back to find that his kids’ bodies were floating in the lake behind their house. In a fit of rage, he killed his wife. Subsequently, he became a part of Dr. Cawley’s experiment at Ashcliffe and was admitted to the island.
The experiment’s condition was that if Andrew used this role play, he would realize his true identity and come to terms with his actions. The only alternative, if it were to fail, was a lobotomy. This is why it is so important for Cawley. ..
The Rule Of 4 And Patient 67
When Teddy first inspects Rachel’s room at the facility, he finds a small piece of paper hidden beneath the floor. He notes down its content and realizes that it is a list of names. This list includes the name of patient 67, which makes the mystery around her seem even more related to Rachel Solondo. But Cawley clarifies that including her, there are a total of 66 patients at Ashcliffe. So who was this 67th patient? ..
The final patient turns out to be Teddy himself. Cawley and Sheehan had hoped that once he sees it, Teddy will recollect that he is a part of the role play. This would have proved the former’s experiment successful at that instant. But Teddy is already knee-deep into his former avatar that he cannot realize it.
Teddy’s rule of four is a clue that he is on the right track in his experiment. The four identities that Teddy creates are a reference to his wife Dolores, and the anagrams of their names (Andrew, Edward, Rachel, and Dolores). This reference helps him to navigate his way through his experiment correctly.
Who is the “second” Rachel Solondo?
Who was the person Teddy met in the caves? We see that the name is an anagram for his wife’s name, Dolores. Another interesting detail that we learn on a rewatch is that Teddy’s daughter’s name was also Rachel. He loved her dearly, as the flashbacks reveal. The second Rachel proclaims herself to be the ‘real’ Rachel (played by Patricia Clarkson), a former doctor at the facility. Rachel is forced to change her position every day in order to stay hidden and survive the searches that the authorities conduct at night. At least, that is what she tells Teddy. ..
Teddy tells Rachel that the Lighthouse is the place where doctors from Ashcliffe conduct lobotomies against the patient’s will. For him, all the answers will be found in that place. The tower is a destination for Teddy that represents illumination and the revelatory power of the truth, which Teddy’s psychological delusions prevent him from acknowledging.
The film’s main character, Teddy, is a liar and a cheat. He has spoken about Ashcliffe before in the movie or believes it to be true. The cigarettes, the substance that controls the mind, the lighthouse; everything stems from his perception of Ashcliffe. However, Clarkson’s character is not real and her brief cameo added a lot of vigor to the plot - when you first watched it.
Bonus Segment: Listing the clues that ‘Shutter Island’ gives us about the truth
This is a unique and compelling account of the instances where the truth about Teddy was revealed. At first, it would have been difficult for anyone to spot them. The film’s screenplay sprinkles them so seamlessly and creates such a compelling portrait of the thriller as a mystery, that you don’t even dare to think twice about it.
Before they even entered the house, Chuck’s inability to get his gun holster off his belt raised suspicions. It was quickly shot down as an honest mistake by both us and Teddy. Next up was the lady in the yard - the one who smiled at them and put a finger on her lips. It was quite apparent to her that they were playing a game and she had a part to play. All of them had to keep up their appearances and she was no different. ..
The men in the security footage are tense and attentive, waiting for something to happen that won’t. They don’t seem to care about the patient or their job. Even during the search by the rocks, they seem unenthused to be working so hard for just one patient’s sake. They feel it is not worth their time and effort.
In a scene where Teddy and Chuck interview the orderlies and the patients, Mr. Scorsese pulls off a Houdini. Each time that Chuck is in the frame, although he doesn’t speak, there are no guards behind him. When Teddy is in the frame, there are always two in the background, standing there with hands on the rifles. The conversations too give away the ploy – almost – to the audiences and Teddy himself. The entire scene looks so plastic and ironically well-acted, that you think of yourself as a dumb-wit for not seeing it before.
Mrs. Kearns is one of the most interesting patients at the hospital. She reaches out to Teddy, writing “run” on a note, while also making a pass at Sheehan when she glowingly talks about his disposition and behavior.
When the rain washes over the island and a few of the prisoners escape, it is time for the mysterious ward. Chuck and Teddy are mostly together but in the middle, there is a scene where the former is called away by another guard to take a patient to the infirmary. He dismisses Teddy because he is a patient and is angry with him for “strangling another patient”. Finally, George Noyce.
Shutter Island Ending Explained
This statement is a question that is asked by the audience. Is it better to live as a monster or die as a good man? The answer to this question is up for debate. Some people may choose to live as monsters because they feel that they have no choice in the matter. They do not care about others and do not feel any remorse for their actions. Other people may choose to die as good men because they believe that they have done everything possible for their country and family. They are content with their lives and do not want to go through the pain of living with a mental illness.
Teddy is a man of violence, but he tries to run away from it. When he regains his sanity, he learns that this is the second time he has slipped into being Edward Daniels. Given his history and urge to run away from who he really is, he feels that falling back again into the trap would be detrimental.
The man who chooses to die as a good man rather than keep living his life as a monster is Edward Daniels. He feigns falling back into the delusional Edward so that the lobotomy process is performed on him and he no longer had to live with the burden of those nightmares. Even his history as a soldier torments him, making the tag of a “violent man” something for us to ponder over.
