Contents Summary of Plot and Ending Ending Explained Hidden Clues
Shutter Island is a 2009 American crime thriller film directed by Martin Scorsese. Having received two Golden Globe nominations and a sea of rave reviews from fans, the film has remained misunderstood for many.
Therefore, it is worth sorting out the personality of the protagonist and the meaning of the picture played by DiCaprio, as well as explaining the ending of the film “Shutter Island”.
So sit back, light a match like Teddy, and we’re getting started!
Brief retelling of the plot and ending
Two Americans, Teddy Daniels and Chuck Ole, sail to an island in Massachusetts to investigate the escape of a patient in a clinic for the criminally insane. Many moments seem strange to Teddy.
The staff makes fun of him. The patient warns the hero of the danger by writing about the escape. In addition, the detective suffers from headaches that arise against the backdrop of nightmares about the death of his wife Dolores.
The detective realizes that he has fallen into a trap when his partner suddenly disappears. Teddy comes to the conclusion that in a psychiatric clinic, terrible experiments on people. In these crimes, he suspects the head physician, Dr. Cowley.
At the end of the film, there is a fateful conversation with the head physician of the clinic. He says that Teddy Daniel is not a marshal, but a patient of this hospital, Andrew Ladiss. Never had a friend or partner.
Teddy retorts that he was injected with a dose of neuroleptics, and his friend Oul is being used as a guinea pig.
The imperturbable head physician continues: Daniel killed his wife because she drowned the children in a fit of madness. Everything that happened on the island was a production, thanks to which the doctor wanted to restore the psyche of the protagonist.
The doctor decided that it would be useful for Teddy to live and feel the tragedy of loss again in order to return to the real world. Cowley tells Teddy that if his mental breakdown is not overcome, then a lobotomy is inevitable.
The film ends with the protagonist saying, “Which is worse: dying as a human or continuing to live as a monster.”
Ending explanation
The ending of the film, if you do not read the analysis, does not give an unequivocal answer to the questions of the audience. A person simply does not understand where reality and fiction are, and who Teddy Daniels is – a deranged marshal or a real psycho.
However, the thriller’s ending remains pivotal. The protagonist gets to the lighthouse, which he considers a secret laboratory. The place is empty and abandoned. The character is waiting for Dr. Cole, ready to talk about the study.
It is important for the doctor that the patient himself unravel the essence of what happened. The experiment becomes successful. The protagonist comes independently to the reality that happened to his family. The character’s choice is revealed in the parting phrase. The therapy has an effect, and helps to remember all the moments of life.
But there is also an alternative version of the ending. The hero pronounces the final phrase with a question mark, and really goes crazy trying to solve the crime. He failed to get to the bottom of the true identity and what is happening on the island. However, such an interpretation is unlikely.
The director himself never told who the main character was in Shutter Island. He left fans rich food for thought.
Hidden Clues
To see the clues that the director left for the audience, you need to watch the film twice. From the first minutes we see that the main character is unwell. The opening scenes on the ship in Teddy’s cabin provide another clue.
There are a lot of shackles and handcuffs in Teddy’s room. This is due to the fact that the hero was placed in them before the start of the experiment.
After the heroes set foot on the island, they are met by armed guards. This is necessary so that the most dangerous patient does not escape. Security participates in the presentation of the doctor, but behaves extremely wary. When Teddy is close, the employees pretend to think about something serious, preferring not to meet the “marshal’s” eyes.
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After Daniels goes inside the hospital. He is greeted by patients, waving and smiling. It speaks of their acquaintance. When the marshal is asked to surrender his weapon, Teddy easily removes the holster and gives it to the guards. The partner cannot cope, because he is a doctor, not a marshal. The clinic staff smiles and giggles during the investigation, not taking the case seriously.
Further, the protagonist’s fear of water is revealed. This is logical, since the hero’s most terrible event in life is associated with water – the death of children at the hands of a beloved woman.
Daniels at the same time says that his wife died in a fire. When Daniels tries to interview the staff, everyone becomes visibly nervous. This is especially noticeable when Andrew Laddis is mentioned. This reaction is understandable: everyone who used to call the psycho by his real name was severely beaten.
When Daniel asks the nurse about the runaway patient’s doctor, the woman begins to look nervously at the marshal’s partner. She is lost, and does not know what to answer, because the doctor is sitting next to her.
The role-play experiment worked, Andrew agreed to the operation, it was a success. But he does not want to live as a monster, because of which his children and wife died.
On this analysis of the ending of the film “Shutter Island” came to an end. If you want to watch more films similar to Shutter Island, we recommend our selection. Do you have questions or suggestions? Be sure to write them in the comments.
Peaceful sky above your head and see you soon!
