1. What does the set up reveal to the audience about setting? Where is this place? What gives you this information?
The set up reveals that the 2 Marshalls are being taken to “Shutter Island” via boat, which insinuates that Shutter Island is out of the way because it is dangerous. When they arrive, this becomes clear when the guard explains that the wards are A, B and C, arranged in order of high risk, from this we discover it is a mental hospital.
2. What does the set up reveal to the audience about characters? Choose one character and explain HOW the set up reveals this information.
The set up reveals that the 2 men are Marshalls, going to Shutter Island on a job. The character Teddy is seen as more important than his colleague because the attention is more on him e.g. he gets sea sick on the boat. This seems pretty normal during the set up but later on we discover this is actually a result of the death of his 3 children who were drowned in a lake by his wife.
3. What does the set up reveal about interrelationships between characters?
The body language of the people and the things they say to Teddy are subtlety strange, e.g. the guard says with a smirk “I’ve never seen a Marshall’s badge before”. We don’t discover why until later on in the film when it becomes known that Teddy is a patient there and everyone is acting. Even the patients seem to recognise Teddy, one of them waves at him, another puts her finger to her lips and smiles like she knows him.
4. What is this world like? Safe? Happy? Dangerous?
In Teddy’s view, the place in dangerous and gives him unhappy experiences. But in reality, the place is safe other than the fact that they have the potential to cause him harm for his own good.
5. What possible conflicts or strains are there that will become part of the story later on?
There is a bit of tension from the start between Teddy and the deputy warden, (Teddy doesn’t want to hand his gun over).
6. How does the film opening fit with the codes and conventions of thriller films?
At the very start, the ship enters the shot through a mist, that way we don’t know what has happened before which makes the story more realistic when it concludes at the end, and we find out the meaning. Zoom is used when the ‘Marshalls’ are driven to the gates of the hospital; this makes the viewer feel like they are the character and therefore, involved. Eerie, tense music is used throughout the introduction to keep the audience on edge, and wondering what will happen. Foghorn and chain rattling at start – hint at what’s coming. Close up to show expression, washed out and cold colours, in contrast to the bright colours used in the flashbacks. Close up of badge, red herring. Low angle looking up at prison shows he is small in comparison. Use of tracking. Music gets very loud and then suddenly stops. Many POV shots used. Term “most dangerous” used. Teddy finds it easy to remove his gun, Chuck struggles. Woman with finger on lips used as red herring. When walking in, dialogue sounds disappear, natural sounds go up massively.
Very good - think about how you would like people to answer these questions from the opening two mins of your film. Remember to keep it simple and includes recognisible codes and conventions
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