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Shutter Island

The representation of the mentally ill

Shutter Island

 

This film is based around a mental institution located on a remote, windswept island. A patient is presumed to have escaped the grounds; U. S Marshal Teddy Daniels (Leonardo DiCaprio) and his partner (Mark Ruffalo) investigate the whereabouts of the patient. The woman appears to have vanished from a locked room; it becomes a complete mystery to Teddy. As the investigation deepens, Teddy realizes he will have to confront his own dark fears if he hopes to make it off the island alive. 

 

Mental patients are portrayed as being prisoners in the home, the camera zooms in on their feet which are chained up. What message does this give to the audience? We instantly feel danger from these people, and that they may lose all control. 

"those paintings are quite accurate, the patients used to be shackled and left in their own filth. They were beaten, as if whipping them bloody would drive the psychosis out. We drove screws into their brains and submerge them in icy water until they lost consciousness or even drowned."

"Now we treat them, try to heal and cure them, or if that isn't possible we try to keep a measure of comfort to their lives and keep them calm. 

 

The film here gives a little insight to the history of the treatment for mental illness and how horrific the methods were compared to todays. 

The camera zooms around slowly at this woman, she is almost bald with extremely large pupils. Her face is pale and sallow and looks as though she has no life or sanity to her at all. It is interesting to see the representation of the mentally ill, here inthis film they are portrayed as monsters which could give a generic label to all those suffering from mental illnesses. 

Teddy's Hallucination

  • contrast in the ambience of the colours before and after the hallucination

  • lots of birght colours used greens, reds purples

  • the scene is him reminicing on his past, where he used to be happy

  • every part of the scene from the walls to the costume is red/green, what does this represent? 

  • how can I used these symbolisms with colour in makeup?

  • back of her body is charcoal on fire, showing her death and how she died

  • end scene- blood, fire, water- shows life and death.

  • the red represents his anger, about his wife's death, or himself for actually killing her, the passion/love he had for her, the violent person he has now become

  • the green could represent the healing soothing feelings his wife made him feel

The importance of colours and their symbolism in film: 

 

All colors mean something on an emotional level and they can help add new visual layers to your film. For example: warm colors (such as red, yellow, or orange) wake us up and get us moving while cool colours (such as blue, green, white) have a calming effect on us.

It is also essential that you learn what colors mean to various cultures and traditions around the world. For example: in Western culture, black is the color of death (mourning). In Eastern culture, the color of mourning is white. Here is a list of 10 of the most common colors used today.

1. RED – anger, passion, rage, desire, excitement, energy, speed, strength, power, heat, love, aggression, danger, fire, blood, war, violence

2. PINK – love, innocence, healthy, happy, content, romantic, charming, playfulness, soft, delicate, feminine

3. YELLOW – wisdom, knowledge, relaxation, joy, happiness, optimism, idealism, imagination, hope, sunshine, summer, dishonesty, cowardice, betrayal, jealousy, covetousness, deceit, illness, hazard

4. ORANGE – humor, energy, balance, warmth, enthusiasm, vibrant, expansive, flamboyant

5. GREEN – healing, soothing, perseverance, tenacity, self-awareness, proud, unchanging nature, environment, healthy, good luck, renewal, youth, vigour, spring, generosity, fertility, jealousy, inexperience, envy

6. BLUE – faith, spirituality, contentment, loyalty, fulfillment peace, tranquility, calm, stability, harmony, unity, trust, truth, confidence, conservatism, security, cleanliness, order, sky, water, cold, technology, depression

7. PURPLE/VIOLET – erotic, royalty, nobility, spirituality, ceremony, mysterious, transformation, wisdom, enlightenment, cruelty, arrogance, mourning, power, sensitive, intimacy

8. BROWN – materialistic, sensation, earth, home, outdoors, reliability, comfort, endurance, stability, simplicity

9. BLACK – No, power, sexuality, sophistication, formality, elegance, wealth, mystery, fear, anonymity, unhappiness, depth, style, evil, sadness, remorse, anger

10. WHITE – Yes, protection, love, reverence, purity, simplicity, cleanliness, peace, humility, precision, innocence, youth, birth, winter, snow, good, sterility, marriage (Western cultures), death (Eastern cultures), cold, clinical, sterile

11. SILVER – riches, glamorous, distinguished, earthy, natural, sleek, elegant, high-tech

12. GOLD – precious, riches, extravagance. warm, wealth, prosperity, grandeur

 

Notes:

  • Charlie Talks to the priest, and tells him he feels something bubbling up inside him, he might explode, suspecting his wife is having an affair. (keeping feelings supressed, another personality within him?) 

  • He gets the feeling the whole town is laughing behind his back. (paranoia)  

  • His wife leaves him. He locks away his feelings.

  • Everyone takes advantage of him as he's a soft touch.

  • When his mood swings around he has irrational behaviours- his anger on everyone.

  • When he gets transferred, they label him 'schizo' and having a screw loose. (Split personality disorder). T

  • They refer to his other personality as 'hank' as if he is a separate person.

  • He gets put on medication. And gets told when he takes it everyone will be fine.

  • He has to leave with Irene/ but forgets his medication Charley describes hank as 'out of control'

  • Charley makes sensible decisions and does not agree with hank (encourages the idea of how someone living with a psychological disorder hates the other side to them, that is bringing them down) 

Me, Myself and Irene

Marshall, P. D. (2008) 12 Colors and Their Meanings. Available at: http://filmdirectingtips.com/archives/157 (Accessed: 1 May 2015)

 

 

 

“I purposely distort my perceptions to make reality more palatable” 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“I have to take a pill every 6 ours or I feel funny….”

“what’s it called?”

“advanced delusionary schizophrenia with involuntary narcissistic rage”

Complete transformation of personality. He discuses the difference in personality. She begins to hate the other side to him. Refers to Charlie as a ‘schizo’

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