SHUTTER ISLAND (Steelbook): Marty's Movie Puzzle

SHUTTER ISLAND (2010) 10th Anniversary Edition

Starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Mark Ruffalo, Ben Kingsley, Michelle Williams, Max Von Sydow, Emily Mortimer, Patricia Clarkson, Jackie Earle Haley, Ted Levine, Elias Koteas. Directed by Martin Scorsese. (138 min)

ON 4K ULTRA HD FROM PARAMOUNT

Review by Tiger the Terrible😸

Shutter Island is the closest Martin Scorsese has ever gotten to making a horror film (though one could make a decent argument for his remake of Cape Fear). Haunting, atmospheric and rife with unnerving imagery, it’s a wonderfully dark puzzle where the picture is only revealed once the last piece is in place.

While it may be one of Scorsese’s biggest box office hits, Shutter Island’s legacy is more akin to a cult film: seldom mentioned among his classics, yet held in very high regard by lovers of movie mindbenders. Unlike most of M. Night Shyamalan’s filmography, the film’s jaw-dropper of a twist ending is well earned and ultimately the main reason it remains worth repeated viewings (if nothing else, just to be reminded how each scene contributes to the puzzle).

Leo learns where babies come from.

I suspect most reading this are already familiar with the film, so recapping the story is probably redundant. But personally, after revisiting it for the first time in many years, I have to say it’s the final scene which now lingers with me the most. Somewhat overshadowed by the plot twist the first time I watched it, the scene depicts a level of grief over loss that’s almost unbearable. Despite the cinematic virtuosity on display in the rest of the film, this comparatively understated scene is Scorsese at his most emotionally bruising.

Shutter Island has now been given the 4K Ultra treatment. While the original Blu-ray featured an already impressive transfer, the overall picture here is even sharper, the colors richer. 4K makes some classics look like we’re watching a soap opera, but it’s pretty effective here. The sound quality, on the other hand, is the same as the Blu-ray (which is also included), as are the sparse bonus features. The whole package comes in a nicely designed Steelbook that’s aesthetically cooler than the original promotional artwork.

For Shutter Island’s 10^th Anniversary, some new additional supplemental material and a digital copy would have been nice. However, the 4K Ultra version is a must-own for videophiles and Steelbook collectors. It’s the same puzzle in a shiny new box, but what a box. 

EXTRA KIBBLES

FEATURETTES - “Behind the Shutters”; “Into the Lighthouse”

BLU-RAY COPY

KITTY CONSENSUS:

PURR-R-R...LIKE A GOOD SCRATCH BEHIND THE EARS.