Shutter Island: Cinematography

The cinematography found throughout this film relate to real world in many iconic ways. The shot of the island and the shot of the prison resemble Alcatraz Island, which is very iconic and historic. The photography used produces an eerie theme. The camera man primarily keeps his target center frame. The scenes where suspense or thrill is required, we notice the camera puts the shot off to the side, pushing outside the rule of thirds. This technique works to make the audience uneasy as they are not sure if something will pop out and catch them off guard because your eyes are moved out of the center (the moments that many, including myself, cover their eyes). As for centering, it is a technique that the director uses to keep an object in the complete frame and draw importance. It was common for the action and movement scenes in Shutter Island to be centered.