9 Key Screenshots Analysis

Shutter Island 

This extreme wide shot uncovers the setting in which the film takes place. The low key lighting suggest a negative and sinister atmosphere, the dullness represents lifelessness. There is a darker tone towards the left of the shot, illustrating the storm casting over the island, creating suspense within the audience.

This two shot reveals conveys two of the main characters, possibly the protagonist and antagonist. This one of the aims of an opening scene. There is darkness within this shot too, along with dull colours such as the brown costume. This suggests a consistent theme of darkness and negativity.

This close up shot illustrates a contrasting theme to the other two shots. There is high key lighting as opposed to the low key lighting in the above shots, suggesting that this shot may be a fantasy or in the past. The shot implies that the pair were in love, due to the way the male character looks at the female character. The juxtaposition of the lighting and tones within the shots suggest that there was a tragedy and that is the reason for the dull and negative atmosphere.

This extreme close up shot communicates the emotions suggested by the characters facial expressions, bringing the character and the audience closer together.This is the first close up shot we come across, suggesting significance. The anger, upset, and frustration expressed by the characters creates mystery, leaving the audience to wonder why he is feeling this way. 

This canted angle,worms eye view suggests unsteadiness and insanity. The swirling of the stairs represents swirling within the mind. This shot also represent darkness. The low key lighting and the dull tones and colours work together to convey an eerie and ominous atmosphere.

This mid shot of an elderly appearing character looking directly into the camera creates the audience to feel as though she is looking at them, making them feel part of the scene, like they are there. The costume of the character reveals that she is a mental patient within a a mental hospital. She is hand cuffed restricting her movement, her appearance built also appears frightening, interweaving with the genre ' psychological thriller' and our stereotypes of mental patients and mental hospitals.

This extreme close up of the chains presents significance and foreshadows the tragic ending. The chains relate to the handcuffs presented in the scenes set in mental hospital. (see above)

It emphasizes the fact that they are trapped and under control a significant theme within the film. The chains create the audience to feel uneasy as they have a negative and sometimes violent connotation.

This close up shot of a gun expresses action, violence and a negative outcome. The fact that DiCaprios name is illustrated along with the gun suggests that the negative outcome may have a strong effect on the character he plays. The gun connotes violence and pain and in some cases death. This creates the audience to fear of what is to happen and wonder what is to happen.

This wide shot exhibits a dark theme. The low key lighting and dark tones reveal the eerie and sinister atmosphere. The fence that encloses the light house expresses the same effect as the chains. The fence displays the idea of entrapment, tie-ing in with the stereotypes of mental hospitals. The light house it

There is a consistent theme of darkness and mystery throughout the film. This follows the aims and typical conventions of the Thriller genre.