Martin Scorsese is not just a man. He is a visionary, a hardened dreamer and a legend. Beyond that, his name is a brand associated with films that are award-winning, gritty and epic.
Standing at 5 foot 3, the director, producer and writer has worked in the entertainment business for over 50 years. After conquering nearly every genre of film from quintessential gangster films (“Goodfellas,” “The Departed”) to biopics (“The Aviator”) to comedies (“After Hours,” “King of Comedy”) and music documentaries about the Rolling Stones and Bob Dylan, Scorsese is constantly reinventing himself. This time he’s doing so with the dramatic thriller “Shutter Island.”
The Italian director is no stranger to thrillers, but “Shutter Island” is a whole new take on Scorsese’s old formula: it’s his first psychological thriller. While he usually goes for gangster pieces about Italian mob members and disturbed characters, “Shutter Island” takes the thriller to another level.
Starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Mark Ruffalo, Ben Kingsley and Michelle Williams, the film takes place in 1954 at Boston’s Shutter Island Ashecliffe Hospital. DiCaprio plays the main character, U.S. Marshall Teddy Daniels, who sets the story in motion when he is assigned to find a patient who has gone missing from the psychiatric hospital. After investigating the case further, Daniels begins uncovering secrets that reveal the twisted nature of the hospital workers. Michelle Williams plays Dolores Chanal, Daniel’s wife, while Ruffalo plays a fellow U.S. Marshall and Kingsley plays Dr. John Cawley, the chief physician at Shutter Island. Haunting visuals aid in the creepiness factor, making this film a must-see for self-respecting cinephiles. And it’s bound to be a quality film, simply because it’s a Scorsese film.
Originally slated to premiere in October, Scorsese fans have been itching for months to see the thriller. The fact that it’s now coming out to positive reviews makes it one of the most anticipated films to come out in 2010, making Scorsese fans bitter that it missed the prime time to get Oscar nominations. It’s also another chance for Scorsese’s ingénue, DiCaprio, to shine in another leading role.
Anyone connected with Scorsese automatically gets critical acclaim. Take for instance Robert De Niro — the actor was just a scrappy young man from New York before his first film with Scorsese, the volatile “Mean Streets,” in 1973. The pairing obviously proved to be a good one, as they worked on their next film together, the gritty drama “Taxi Driver.” The film got DeNiro his second Oscar nomination and earned Scorsese a reputation as a serious director worthy of attention. Since then, the duo have made countless films together and both are considered some of the best at their craft. Films like “Goodfellas,” “Cape Fear” and “Raging Bull” have earned both countless accolades and solidified their status as cinematic legends.
Aside from De Niro, Daniel Day Lewis is another of Scorsese’s favorites, having worked with him on “Gangs Of New York” and “The Age of Innocence.” The films earned Lewis another Oscar nomination.
But you can’t talk about Scorsese’s muses without mentioning DiCaprio. The actor was nothing more than a cute-faced child actor on the cover of teenybopper magazines before his smash feature film “Titanic.” After all the accolades and fame that came with it, DiCaprio retreated from the limelight, taking a break from acting. Five years later, DiCaprio starred in Scorsese’s film “Gangs of New York,” shooting him up to the A-list and sending his career in a serious direction. What followed was an Oscar nomination for his role in “The Aviator” and a slew of film opportunities. DiCaprio became Hollywood’s golden boy once again, but not just for his gorgeous face. His life changed completely and the release of “Shutter Island” will only add to his reputation as a serious and talented actor. His next film role is playing Theodore Roosevelt, directed by none other than Mr. Scorsese.
Scorsese is going in a new direction for the next couple of years. He’ll be directing a slew of biopics about subjects including George Harrison, Frank Sinatra and Elia Kazan. “Shutter Island” may be the director’s last thriller for a while, so make your way over to theaters when it comes out Feb. 19.
You can reach this staff writer at ydesta@theeagleonline.com.
