2. Film Poster
Large image of the
Instantly recognisable as a dark protagonist in low
thriller/horror – colours, weather, lighting - mysterious
image all fit audience
expectations. ‘Someone is missing.’ Simple
tagline that doesn’t give much
Convention of a away. Typical of psychological
psychological thriller to thrillers to give up limited
have a dark colour amounts of narrative and to
scheme to go with the keep audiences guessing. As
dark theme of the film. they cannot rely on the plot to
Sets a sombre tone. draw in an audience, it is
important they make good use
of the posters visual
attraction.
Rough sea and stormy
weather creates a Red, almost distorted,
depressing atmosphere sketchy typography –
and anticipates that colour has connotations of
something bad will blood, signifying the thriller
happen. genre. The sketchy style
suggests that something is
Image of island is made not quite right.
up of a montage of
smaller images, making Island is isolated and
it disjointed. This cut off from the rest of
suggests that on this the world - typical
island, everything is location for a
distorted and nothing is psychological thriller to
as it seems. take place, as
characters are trapped.
3. Creates a brand image
with similar colours,
setting, typography and
Magazine Cover Shutter island theme takes
up entire cover. Its font is
used for all other features,
same character used. and image fills whole cover.
Protagonist looking down on
slightly low angle shot and is This cover hints more towards
wearing a suit– power and the plot of the film than the
status? However, his rugged, poster. We learn more about
unkempt appearance the character, seeing his police
contrasts with this. badge and gun (policeman is
typical figure in a thriller) he
appears to be the hero. The
Repeated use of dark
lighthouse in the background
depressing colours,
also seems key to the story.
characters serious facial
Cover gives away more, but not
expression and eerie
plot - audience want to see the
weather conveys the
film to find out.
genre and also the tone of
the film.
Use of red font throughout
Informal use of actor/directors suggests blood or death,
names ‘Leo’ and ‘Marty’ draws pointing towards the darker,
in audience – makes them seem horror elements to the film
more on their level.
Taglines makes use of words
Buzzwords such as ‘greatest’ ‘asylum’ and ‘madhouse’ which
and ‘exclusive’ make magazine confirms the psychological element
seem worth buying. of the genre.
4. Trailer - Shot 1
Establishing
shot of island Point of view
shows how cut shot from
off and isolated protagonist -
it is. seeing things
from his
mindset.
Supposed to
empathise with
him?
Dark, cloudy weather and low lighting -
Makes it seem depressing and
foreshadows the bad things that happen.
5. Trailer – Shot 2
Accompanied
by loud music,
setting the
audience on
A series of edge. Fear for
shots show the protagonists
island under safety.
strict security –
audience
realise how
dangerous the
patients are. Guards appear
suspicious and
wary of
protagonist –
reason to fear
him too?
6. Trailer – Shot 3
Reluctant
Close up to hand it
emphasises over -
the gun untrusting,
being afraid?
handed over
Even a
Federal
Gun represents Marshal
power, violence, must obey
authority/status the Island
etc. guards –
powerful
Handing gun over to the guard, represents and in
shift in power from Marshal to Island. Gives control.
protagonist less authority.
7. Trailer - Shot 4
Close up of
Pale skin and chained
blackened woman with
eyes, making slit across
her appears throat - sets
ghostly - mental audience on
illness - ghost edge as it
of a person? shows what
people on
the island
are capable
of.
Manacled – dangerous, Finger to lips – reference to some
can’t be trusted kind of secret. Trailer makes
audience want to know what.
8. Trailer – Shot 5
Smudged –
Close up adds extra
snapshot of emphasis
notepad with and
the word ‘run’ eeriness to
smudged by it.
rain
Run – another hint towards Builds up tension –
some kind of dark (and now moment audience realise
seemingly dangerous) secret. something is seriously
wrong.
9. Over the shot
Trailer – Shot 6
shoulder –
almost as
though they Two
are being characters
watched. are brightly
lit up -
contrast to
rest of
room
Focus of shot is on the door – looks Dark ad damp, flickering
as though something is about to lighting – eerie, builds
come bursting out suspense. Typical
thriller/horror scene.
10. Trailer – Shot 7
Coincides
A disorientating with dialogue
aerial shot is “You’re a rat
used which in a maze” –
pans around in shot seems
a circle – shows to
uncertainty demonstrate
setting in. this.
11. Protagonist is in
military SS uniform
(shows violence,
Trailer - Shot 8 danger,
These two shots unpredictability)
follow one Other character in
another. Shows lab coat (shows
the contrast intelligence, well
between the two respected, high
men. status)
Based on this, we
should trust the man
Also, by this stage in the lab coat,
in the trailer, the however the trailer
shots are becoming has built it up so that
shorter and faster, we don’t. Audience
conveying the are as confused as
action, confusion protagonist and are
and desperation. unsure of who to
believe – in similar
situation and so
empathise.
12. Trailer – Shot 9
Almost in
greyscale – He is also
dark, bleak looking far
more rugged
and unkempt
than at the
Protagonist gone beginning –
from wearing lots of
Marshal uniform action,
to wearing the situation
patients clothing taking its toll.
– degraded by
island, power Rats – symbolises phrase of ‘smelling a rat’ –
taken away, now protagonist believing scientists on island are
one of them. lying to him. Connotations of sneaky, deceit,
dirty, lowest of the low etc.
13. First shot – scar Trailer – Shot 10 Fire is a
across face recurring
makes character theme
look dangerous throughout
and evasive. the trailer,
Appears much of it in
deranged – not imagined
the type of scenarios –
person you want insight into
to see holding a subconscious
lit match – builds of
tension. protagonist?
(set own
Fire connotates
house alight)
anger,
devastation, Second shot – mother and child standing next to blaze.
passion etc. – Contrast of innocence/purity against raging, destructive fire.
all key themes Looking directly into camera – feel for them. Hoping to be
in the film. saved? Echoes later line ‘You should have saved us’
14. Genre Theory
• Robert Warshaw – audience want film to be new and original, but still
expect it to meet their expectations and to see the typical conventions
of the genre. Shutter Island fulfils the conventions of a thriller, through
Mise-en-scene including guns, police officers and fast paced action.
However, it is also original as it is set in a different location and holds
an unusual plot twist at the end.
• Audience watch film as a form of escapism from their day to day life –
thriller is far more exciting. Although nobody would particularly wish to
be in the character’s situation, they enjoy watching something exciting
unfold, and rise to the challenge of thinking and trying to make sense of
the psychological element.
• Lawrence Alloyway – A genre is defined through symbols; including
character types, settings and props. Directors use these to
communicate with an audience, and generally know how they will react.
Martin Scorsese makes use of strong symbols to set the tone of the
film. These symbols make the film appealing and meet the expectations
of an audience going to see a psychological thriller.
