Shutter Island- Trailer Analysis- Part One

Shutter Island



The trailer shows the production company 'Paramount' and eerie music starts to create the mood. It shows quick shots of a ship and then a close up on a man while another speaks saying "they give you a briefing on the institution?". The word institution normally references towards a mental asylum or a place for dangerous people to stay. This is then confirmed when the man replies "all I know is that its a mental hospital...". It shows an island. We now know that to get to the institution you have to travel on water this would create mystery to why the institution is made to be there, why would it be so hard to access? The audience can now link the island to the name of the film 'Shutter Island'. The trailer uses flashes of a black screen as transition between each scene. It shows a police van drive by and the man continues on to say "for the criminally insane". The director's name is shown first 'A MARTIN SCORSESE PICTURE'. "Gentlemen, welcome to Shutter Island" the man and his associate are escorted in with policemen. The trailer attracts attention to a scene where police men are asking the men, who can now be identified as 'federal marshalls' or detectives to hand over their firearms. A close up is shown of their badge, this builds suspense. They are visiting a dangerous place but cannot be armed?
The policeman gives some information on Shutter Island by saying "we take only the most dangerous, damaged patients, ones no other hospital can manage". Information like this gives the audience more to worry about and forewarns that the danger in the film could emerge the patients. It then shows a patient with very little hair and a pale face who puts her finger to her mouth, this gives an insight on the mental well-being of the patients. The trailer then snaps relevant parts of the inside such as a sign saying 'restricted area authorized personnel only'. The detective speaks "these are all violent offenders right here.." the camera zooms into a syringe and a small medicine pot, "they've hurt people, murdered them in some cases". As the detective was saying this, a shaking hand surrounded by a small pool of blood was shown and a gun retrieved. This shows that the patients are very much capable of murder. The next part shows a bald man in a suit speak "in almost all cases, yes. We like to provide them with a measure of calm". The detective seems to be against the 'calm' treatment of the patients when he says "personally doctor, I'd have to say screw their sense of calm".