analysis

The film chosen for this particular review was "Shutter Island". Shutter Island, released in February 2010, is a psychological thriller directed by Martin Scorsese. The film is based on the 2003 novel, also tiled Shutter Island which was written by Dennis Lehane. The story is set in Boston in 1954. The main character is Teddy Daniels, played by Leonardo DiCaprio. Teddy, who is roughly 30 years old, plays the role of a U.S. Marshal along with his partner Chuck. They visit a mental institute for the criminally insane, which is situated on a man-made island off the coast of Boston, hence the name Shutter Island. They are sent there to investigate the disappearance of a mental patient named Rachel Solando. It is explained to Teddy and Chuck by Dr. Cawley, the head psychiatrist of the institution, that the missing patient Rachel was admitted to the hospital after drowning her three kids and that she has created a fantasy land where she believes she is still at home with her three kids.
While interviewing the staff, the marshals learn that Dr. Sheehan, Rachel's primary psychiatrist, is on vacation. Throughout the film Teddy requests to see the patient's background files but these requests are persistently refused. This arouses Teddy's suspicion that something secretive is going on. Throughout the film, Teddy displays constant dreams and delusions about his wife who had died in a fire two years ago. In these dreams, Teddy's wife informs him that Rachel is still on the island as well as Andrew Laeddis, the man who started the fire which had killed Teddy's wife.

In one scene, Teddy explains to his partner Chuck the reason why he took this particular case. When teddy was transferred to investigate Shutter Island, his intention was to find Andrew Laeddis, Teddy explains that Laeddis had been sent to prison after burning down his apartment and then burning down a school, however he was diagnosed with schizophrenia and sent to Shutter Island after several months in prison.