Throughout
Shutter Island, the camera work gives the viewer a sense of mystery and
restricts the viewer from seeing everything in the shot at once. We can see
this many times throughout the film.
In the
opening of the film, Teddy (played by Leonardo DiCaprio) is talking to himself
in the mirror about Water. The shot then moves to the window which shows he is
on a boat. This method is used throughout the film very effectively.
For
example, when Teddy first walks in to the prison and is being taken to one of
the doctors. He walks past one of the prisoners sweeping up leaves. The shot is
a point of view shot, and we can see the prisoner waving at Teddy. Teddy then
looks down to the prisoner’s feet, which is a tilt shot, and see’s a pair of
shackles on their feet. This makes the viewer wonder what kind of
prison/hospital this is and why they restrict their prisoners. Is it because
they attempt to run away? They cause mayhem around the site unless they’re
restricted by these shackles.
In the
film, one of the most used shots is over the shoulder. They might have chosen
this shot because it makes the viewer seem like they’re in the conversation
which draws them into the film. This is used many times effectively throughout
the film but the best example is when Teddy and Chuck are interviewing
patients. The shot makes the viewer feel like they’re sitting behind
Teddy/Chuck or the patient.
Another
method of filming used throughout the film is the tracking shot. It gives a
very good sense of speed, distance and atmosphere. This is because it makes the
viewer feel like they’re running, walking, driving etc. with the actors. It is
used best when Teddy and Chuck are running through the forest. This scene may
agitate the viewer because of the setting. It takes place in the woods which
means that trees block the camera from seeing the actors every now and again,
which makes the viewer not know if that’s the end of the scene or what has
actually happened. It’s quite misleading.
