- The document discusses various cinematic techniques used in the film Shutter Island, including camera shots, angles, movement, sound, themes, motifs, symbols, ideology, lighting, narrative elements, characters, setting, and editing. Camera techniques include tracking shots, green screen, steady cam, wide and low angle shots. Sound elements include score, diegetic sounds, and eerie sounds to build suspense. Themes include gates symbolizing being locked in and the repeated record player in flashbacks. Symbols include cigarettes and the ferry representing escape. Settings contrast plain white clothes versus black suits.

1. QUESTION: Shutter island
CAMERA SHOTS/ANGLES/MOVEMENT
- use of tracking shots
- use of green screen with forestry and green filter
- use of steady cam
- wide shot
- low angle shot
- slow tilt
SOUND
- use of score
- use of diegetic sound of footsteps and storm
- non-diegetic sound
- eerie sound to show suspense
- pleonastic sound to emphasise suspense
- short sudden sounds to keep
- Some sort of deep string instrument(cello possibly?) is playing as they approach
shutter island, comes in short almost stabbing like sounds, creates tension and
suspense. Sounds of thunder can be heard. In Teddy’s flashbacks, there are lot
of blue hues. Loud screams are heard. Sound of rain, selective sound,
pleonastic sounds of music. Selective sound of siren ringing. Score to emphasise
the situation he is in when he is arriving at the lighthouse
THEMES & MOTIFS
- Lots of gates are used, shows how locked in they are
When the staff are being interrogated, they are all sitting, apart from the two
detectives, which makes them appear that they are important. Possible
foreshadowing, as all the phone lines are down, meaning there is no way to contact
off of the island. Colour blue is used a lot in Teddy’s flashbacks. The record player
is repeated in Teddy’s flashbacks. As Teddy interviews the patients, they mention
things like drowning, ash, burning, which are all things that were present in his
nightmare/dream/vision. The institute reminds him of his time fighting in the war, his
time at concentration camps. Issuing them with clothing that inmates/staff wear,
stripping them of identity. Theme of dead children
SYMBOLIC CODES (including enigma and binary opposites)
- cigarettes

2. - the ferry represents the easy way out to freedom
- the waves symbolise the stormy nature, risk
IDEOLOGY
- use of spiral staircases which symbolises the twisted nature of the film
- to show challenge
- Ideas of moral of violence
- use of repetition when going up the stairs, repeating the same process of
checking each floor
LIGHTING
- smoke can show that a character is hiding behind something, and the main
character has given up smoking so he no longer has clouded judgement.
- low key lighting
- giyai scuru lighting
- On boat in opening scene, low key lighting is used. When they are outside in
shutter island at the beginning, high key lighting is used, there is a lot of colour. In
the office there are mainly browns and beiges. Lightning aluminates the island.
White lightning is used a lot, especially when Teddy is having a migraine.
Flickering of lights when in ward C.
NARRATIVE
CHARACTERS
- hallucination contrast in his wifes clothes and the daughters clothes when the car
explodes
- affectation, the repetitive show of hallucinated characters
- Teddy is obviously haunted by his time in the war, and from what he saw at what
appears to have been a concentration camp, as it is a reoccurring image, theme.
He always seems to be seeing things, makes us question his sense of reality.
REPRESENTATION
SETTING & MISE-EN-SCENE
- costume contrasting of dirty white plain clothes to black suits - polar oppostires
- cigarettes
- On boat. Mirrors used in beginning. When we are fist shown Shutter Island, it
appears to be a nice looking safe place, nice gardens, buildings etc. Patients

3. room is bare, only a bed and a wardrobe. All windows that we see so far are either
barred, frosted glass, or have blinds. The use of the storm reflects the characters
mood. ted is in a white
SHUTTER ISLAND NOTES
Take notes under the following headings during the film.
EDITING
Flashbacks (?) of snow and corpses when he looks at the picture of the patient.
Fast editing is used in this sequence so we see a lot of images quickly. Jump cuts
to images of statues. Fast editing is used when Teddy is attacked by an inmate, this
creates the feeling of disorientation.
CAMERA SHOTS/ANGLES/MOVEMENT SOUND THEMES &
Close up of Leonardo’s face. Tracking shot when they are on the car, POV
perspective. Pans are used to show the setting of shutter islands. Over the

4. shoulder shot when officers talking to the two characters as they enter shutter
island. Match on action of them handing over their guns. Downwards tilt allows us
to see the gardener has shackles on his ankles. Shot reverse shot used when Leo
is looking at lady in garden. Wide/establishing shot allows us to see the cliffs. Low
angle shot is used, which shows that they are looking over the edge of a cliff, also
makes them look important/superior, which is fitting, as they are detectives. Wide
shot of Lighthouse. Shot revers shot as Leo talks to the man in charge. Used again
as Teddy interviews patients. Match on action of her writing in book, makes Teddy
react, though we do not see what she has written. Overhead shot of the two
walking through cemetery. We are shown a close up of the book, with the words
‘RUN’, they start to drip as rain washes them away. Pan/tracking shot from left to
right is used as they shoot the SS soldiers. Overhead shot of Chuck laying down
on the rocks.