Research: The Use of Setup In Shutter Island

What does the set up reveal to the audience about setting?
During the introduction (scene set up) we are provided with certain pieces of information that help to give the audience an idea of the setting. The first suggestion of the scene setting is when straight after the intro credits we are given the scene setting text that reads ‘Boston Harbor Islands 1954’ this instantly tells us a large amount the scene setting, but without context, its meaning or significance we don’t know why the film is set and starting here. The second suggestion of the scene setting directly follows the scene setting text, we are set in a foggy scene, with the first thing we hear being the waves against the boat, and then the faint sound of the ships horn. Following this the ship appears through the fog giving us our first glimpse of the visual starting scene. 

What does the set up reveal to the audience about characters?

Following the setting of the scene the first character we are introduced to is Teddy. Our first instance of meeting Teddy is him vomiting In a cabin below deck on his own. The first thing that Teddy mutter to himself is “Pull your self together Teddy, pull your self together” and then the key thing he says which follows this is “Its only water” Through the tone of his voice we can tell that he has a history with water, and it starts to make the audience question why he doesn't like water and why is it causing him so much Suffering. Whilst we are being introduced to Teddy the background noise is that of a creaking old ship, this ambient noise could connote back to the feeling that Teddy is uneasy, and worried. 

What does the set up reveal to the audience about interrelationships between characters?

In the opening scene of Shutter Island the set up reveals key information about the first interrelation between two of the films main characters, Teddy and his partner. From the first line of dialogue between the two we are instantly given an idea about the distribution of power, Teddy’s partner asks him “You okay boss”. The connotations of the word ‘boss’ mean the person with power, the person who has the final say. This shows us that we should presume that Teddy is the more powerful of the two in the relationship. The power In this relationship isn’t all it seems to be, when later in the film we learn that Teddy is not a marshal, but really a mental patient that his ‘partner’ was just looking after.

What is this ‘world’ like?

Even from the set up of Shutter Island the ‘world’ can be seen that it is by no means safe and is most likely dangerous. The first thing in the setup that suggests this is the opening music and sound effects. It starts reasonably tense, but slow tempo at the same time then as they ship approaches the island the music gets loader and faster paced. This connotes that their is danger on the island, the fact that the characters become more panicked as they approach the island also suggests this. The second thing in the setup that suggests the world is most likely dangerous is when they reach the island the guards are really on edge and looks like they are expecting danger, they are also holding guns which also connotes to the fact that the world could be treacherous and dangerous.

What possible conflicts or strains are there that will become part of the story later on?

One of the first possible conflicts that could appear later on in the story is the fact that this is the first time that Teddy and his partner have met and started working together. This means that they don’t really know what to expect from each other, and from the set up you can see that their will be some problems between them. Teddy’s partner asks him ‘Have you got a girl’ and of course Teddy lost his girl for a reason that isn’t clear to us yet, this shows how little they know about each other from the start. Another possible strain could be related to water, from the beginning we see that Teddy is uneasy around water and their is bound to be a reason to this which could effect an event that occurs later on in the film, either restricting or impeding the event.

How does this film opening fit with the codes and conventions of Thriller films?

The opening of Shutter Island fits with the codes and conventions of thriller films in various ways. The first reason is due to the use of suspension and tension throughout the film, In the opening of Shutter Island many different questions are started to be asked by the audience (Where are Teddy’s cigarettes? Why is Teddy so nervous around water? Etc.) these questions remain in the audiences mind and helps to build to the atmosphere that we don’t really know what is going on in the film. In thriller films the atmosphere is very important, to build up specific atmospheres in a thriller film different aspects of sound, camera work, dialogue and Mise En Scène are used. A very common aspect of thriller films is used in the opening of Shutter Island, which is flashbacks. They provide information about the characters past, be it their own interpretation of the past, or what really happened. In this case the flashback is of Teddy’s wife, where we see them in a high contrast flashback being happy together. The two detectives (Teddy and his partner) are dressed like typical detectives from a Film Noir thriller film, this use of Mise En Scène helps to establish that it has elements of a detective thriller but with a twist.