Shutter Island: Doesn't Feel Like the First Time

Shutter Island is a movie that has received mixed reviews for one reason: its not a classic. Scorsese is in an uncomfortable position where every single movie he makes is expected to be a masterpiece of the medium. This doesn’t mean that Shutter Island is a bad movie, in fact its very good and higher quality than the majority of films I’ve seen in the last year. I first watched it when it was released in theaters and loved the experience – leaving the film I proceeded to discuss the various interpretations of its endings for hours before finally coming to a conclusion. It was fantastic.

There is a fatal flaw on a second viewing however: you know where its going. The slow build-up and conspiracy that made it so interesting to see when it came out in theaters is exactly what hurts it on DVD now. The first time you are watching it you are too confused by what is going on to be bored, there are all these strange things happening and you are trying to piece together what exactly is going on. Its like LOST but with an actual plot-line to follow. This makes for an amazing first time viewing where you are hanging on basically every word for a clue about whats happening. The second time around though you’ve already spent your time dissecting every little thing and now you are just waiting to get to the absolutely fantastic last couple scenes which blow everything else out of the water. Its a grand finale which ruins subsequent viewings.

Don’t get me wrong – if you haven’t seen this movie you should definitely go out and watch it right now and be ready to have your mind blown; but you might not want to buy it. I’m not even saying that you can’t watch it a second time but I would hardly expect you to be singing along with Foreigner’s classic “Feels Like the First Time” afterward. The writing is fantastic, the acting is brilliant, and the cinematography is a beautiful shade of film-noir. If you’ve not yet seen it then you are in for a tremendous experience – and I’m going to rate it for that first time viewing, its unfair otherwise.

Final Score: 8/10

Originally Posted: July 8th, 2010