Shutter Island: Movement

Camera movement in Shutter Island is very constant. Martin Scorsese tends to follow a similar pattern from what is seen in his previous films. For very dramatic scenes there is minimal camera movement, as thee camera is in focus on the subject at hand. And the opposite for action scenes. He pulls the camera out further and moves along with the actors. The beginning of the film has our two US Marshalls walking with a prison guard to their side walking towards the camera as the camera moves at an equal pace. This scene is not so much an action movement but it is meant to show the landscape and the building they are entering. This is quite a common occurrence for similar scenes of the film. Our actors themselves move in a realistic manner. They walk normal pacing and run like your local mall cop (not so much a Paul Blart). These movements the camera is moving equal and glides very smoothly to prevent an interruption from our story/scene. Thankfully Martin Scorsese does not use silly animations or freeze frames. Those mechanical distortions would diminish the quality of this film for the audience. Yet, he creatively adds slow motion. It is a very minor addition nevertheless… The scene must memorable with slow motion is where Teddy is having a dream about his wife. He is clutching onto hear while she holds his arms and he is weeping. While his wife beings to become ash and dissolve in his arms, Martin Scorsese slows down the scene just enough to play out the emotional drama a tad longer. These movements really help the audience in reading the context of a scene. They encourage us if a scene is serious or important.