Shutter Island Blu-ray
Leonardo DiCaprio stars with Martin Scorsese directing and producing the film that is based on the 2003 novel by Dennis Lehane, a psychological thriller with a great twist.
Film making 20/25
Video 23/25
Audio 23/25
Bonus Features 5/25
Total 71/100
Shutter Island again teams Leonardo DiCaprio with Martin Scorsese producing and directing this psychological drama thriller. Shutter Island is a mental hospital in post war 1954 when psychology was just starting to take to the idea of talking with mentally ill patients instead of electro shock and lobotomy procedures.
U.S. Marshal Edward Daniels, Leonardo DiCaprio, along with his new partner Chuck Aule played by Mark Ruffalo investigate the escape of a patient at Shutter Island. Head psychiatrist Dr. John Cawley played by Ben Kingsley starts out being somewhat helpful to the investigation but things are not what they appear.
Soon enough the two Marshals figure out they are not getting any real cooperation from both the doctors and staff at the institution. The patient that escaped was locked in her room and could not have just walked out of a locked cell so the marshals are sure she had outside help.
During their investigation a storm traps them on the island for the night and soon after day break the head psychiatrist tells them they found the missing patient. The marshals still do not think all is as it appears and they try to solve several puzzles that do not fit with what they are being told.
I could not possibly tell much more of the story without giving away the plot and surprise ending so I won't bother to continue with the storyline. The film is very good but just misses that excellent overall film that we have come to expect from the Scorsese/DiCaprio team.
The film is very good with a great story and exceptional video and audio that really lends itself to the plot but the direction and visual theme of the film are really outstanding. The film has some great visuals and vivid imagery that really gives a great dramatic feel that just borders on the horror theme.
You expect things to jump out when Leonardo/Daniels is probing the dark with a match to light his way but often they don't. Another great scene is the entrance to the mental hospital with a gated area that has this red colored bulb that clicks on with a notably loud electrical click.
They just give you the feel for the place and really set the mood for a thriller and the video helps set things just right. Video is great with excellent color and very well done shadows with deep dark blacks and a little grain to help set the mood.
Video is great and has a real dated feel for a well done overall Blu-ray release and audio is equally as good with 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio Surround Sound. The lossless quality of audio is great and they have done a fantastic job of making it feel like a desolate and lonely place when you first set foot on, er, when Daniel first sets foot on Shutter Island.
Audio really does give you the feel you are actually there on the island during the storm or deep in the bowels of the wards searching for answers. The film has great sound effects and music that really gives you a feel for the moment in many of the scenes.
Shutter Island is an overall great film and the Blu-ray release would have been a fantastic overall edition except for the lack of bonus content. You get more than a half hour of extras but the first feature is cast and crew interviews were not much is going on other than talk of how great it was to work on.
The twenty minute second feature is a making of called Into The Lighthouse that looks at a good assortment of set, special effects and more for a good addition to the bonus features. That is all for the bonus content which is a shame as this film has some great stars and film makers that could have been a treasure with just a few more additional features.
Shutter Island is a great film but not quite as good as it could have been, this is a definite rental and a fan of DiCaprio or Scorsese would be wise to purchase it for the great movie it is.