7.8 | / 10 |
Users | 4.2 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.1 |
A U.S. Marshal is assigned to investigate the disappearance of a murderer, who escaped from a hospital for the criminally insane.
Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Mark Ruffalo, Ben Kingsley, Max von Sydow, Michelle WilliamsThriller | 100% |
Period | 67% |
Mystery | 58% |
Psychological thriller | 45% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
French: Dolby Digital 5.1 (640 kbps)
Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1 (640 kbps)
Portuguese: Dolby Digital 5.1
English, English SDH, French, Portuguese, Spanish
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region free
Movie | 4.5 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 1.5 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Remember us, for we too have lived, loved, and laughed.
"Odd and alluring" might be an apt description of Shutter Island, the latest in the Martin
Scorsese/Leonardo DiCaprio (Gangs of New York,
The Departed, The Aviator)
coupling. Based on a novel by Dennis Lehane, the author whose works inspired Mystic River and Gone Baby Gone,
Shutter Island plays out as a mystery without much suspense, but never mind that. This
is an exceptional piece of filmmaking that negates the predictability with superb craftsmanship;
exceptionally-designed sets, chilling locales, gorgeous period costumes, wonderful acting,
engaging direction, and all the other intangibles behind the story more often than not take center
stage and help maintain a balance within the film, even when the major reveal becomes fairly
obvious to the point of near-transparency about an hour into the film. A stylish noir with bite,
Shutter Island feels like something of a throwback movie, due in part to the mid-1950s
setting but primarily thanks to Scorsese's ability to work within traditional genre elements while
also bringing to the experience a picture that's as visually stimulating, aurally unique, and
surprisingly gripping as anything else out there, all despite the absence of a more heavily-veiled
mystery.
What secrets await discovery on Shutter Island?
Shutter Island reveals yet another astonishing Blu-ray from Paramount. This 2.35:1 transfer displays the film's dark noir-style imagery to near perfection, capturing the visual spirit of a bygone era but with the impeccable detailing, depth, and clarity afforded to productions of a more recent vintage. Shutter Island works via a unique visual style whereby it's dark and foreboding here, brighter and livelier there, but never does the transfer fail to handle the varied visual schemes with equal parts detail and color reproduction. Even the darkest, dingiest frames in the film sport incredible textures and low-light shadow details. Black levels are tremendous, deep and strong, and never at all too bright. On the flip side, brighter daytime scenes and several well-lit interiors deliver marvelous color reproduction; whether the green grasses and multicolored flowers about the island or several more flat but no less handsomely-rendered interiors, Paramount's transfer never misses a beat in any environment. Similarly, detailing is nothing short of exceptional; viewers will note the finest of nuances on clothing; wrinkles, lines, pores, and hairs on faces; and the rough textures of the various interior and exterior surfaces. The print is as pristine as they come, sporting nary a scratch nor speck of dirt. A thin veneer of film grain covers the screen to add a wonderful film-like texture to the presentation, and only a few minor instances of background banding mar this otherwise lovely transfer. This is what home theater is all about, and Paramount proves yet again that they're committed to delivering the finest filmic transfers to the Blu-ray market. Job well done.
Paramount injects Shutter Island with a wonderfully-realized DTS-HD MA 5.1 lossless soundtrack. Though Shutter Island lacks a more pronounced, heavy, and loud sound presentation, it nevertheless delivers a potent, seamless, and engaging listen that splendidly compliments the picture's layered nuances and overreaching plot lines. The track proves its worth mere moments after the film opens, setting the stage for what is nothing less than a superb environmental recreation that captures almost every sonic nuance with incredible precision. As a vessel sails towards Shutter Island, listeners will enjoy the sounds of gently rolling waves splashing through the soundstage. A foghorn -- or is it part of the music? -- blares away form what seems like a great distance. Chains rattle about the inside of the ship. The environment comes to life in a way that few other tracks capture, precisely placing every nuance at just the right spot and at just the right volume to truly recreate this, or most any other, setting in the film. On the island, listeners will enjoy singing birds, a slight breeze, a gentle rain, and later, a driving thunderstorm, all of which are implemented with an astonishing level of precision. A string of gunshots in chapter seven prove one of the more prominent and potent moments in the track; shots pound through the stage, echo about the back speakers, and the sound of the clips springing out of the Garands are crisply realized, even under the deluge of high-caliber devastation. The picture's unique score -- comprised completely of prerecorded material by Robbie Robertson -- is wonderfully implemented; whether the lighter classical notes or heavier, foreboding tones, Shutter Island's DTS track handles all with ease. Unfortunately, dialogue is occasionally muffled and/or drowned out by music and effects during a few scenes, particularly early on, but it presents no real problem during the bulk of the picture. All told, Shutter Island represents another seamless and high quality listen from Paramount.
Shutter Island comes to Blu-ray with but two extras. Behind the Shutters (1080p, 17:10) features interviews with cast, crew, and Author Dennis Lehane, all speaking on the themes of the story, the work of Director Martin Scorsese, the cast's preparations for their roles, the picture's music, and the film's elements of duality. Into the Lighthouse (1080p, 21:11) takes a closer look at the film's construction and the way it weaves deeper psychiatric elements into the story, the actors' understanding of the film's darker elements, set design, psychiatric care in the 1950s, and more.
Shutter Island is a "strange" movie, but not in a Terry Gilliam "strange" sort of way. No, Shutter Island is a work of art that seems to deliberately fail to conceal its secrets early on so as to more efficiently tackle the larger issues at hand, namely an examination of the human condition at its most distraught, confused, and corrupted. Reinforced by captivating performances and what is nothing short of a technical masterpiece of sight and sound, Shutter Island excels as a story not necessarily of mystery, but of remorse at the sight of a world destroyed by the sometimes inescapable evils around it. Paramount's Blu-ray release of Shutter Island is another technical stunner from the studio that delivers some of the most consistently marvelous Blu-ray presentations on the market. Boasting first-class picture and sound qualities but falling well short of the more substantial supplemental collection the film deserves, Shutter Island nevertheless comes strongly recommended on both the strength of the film and the wonderful Blu-ray presentation.
DVD Packaging
2010
2010
10th Anniversary Edition
2010
10th Anniversary Edition
2010
2010
2010
2010
2010
2010
2010
2010
2012
Extended Cut
2004
2007
Unrated Extended Cut
2011
2018
2006
2011
1942
Experiment Killing Room
2009
2012
2010
2016
2010
2016
Unrated Director’s Cut
2009
2017
Special Edition
1991
1958
2002
Se7en
1995