The man we know as Teddy is Andrew Laeddis, Ashecliffe’s most dangerous prisoner.

Shutter Island’s twist is that Teddy Daniels doesn’t exist. “The greatest obstacle to her recovery was her refusal to face what she had done ” Dr Cawley It contains a film-within-a-film, with costumes, learned dialogue and even a director of its own.Īs always, the big question is why – and what the heck does it mean? The dark reason behind Shutter Island’s twist There’s extra spice to this if you consider that Shutter Island is an allegory for film-making. You see, Teddy Daniels is an unwitting amnesiac: the kind who doesn’t know that he doesn’t know. The kicker here is that he quite literally discovers who he is. So where does Shutter Island fit? Well, like most narratives, its protagonist journeys through peril to discover what he’s made of. Then you have protagonists who knowingly mask their identity (Reservoir Dogs, Infernal Affairs) … and those who don’t know who they are at all: see The Bourne Identity, Memento, and Project Hail Mary. That includes the likes of Mean Girls and Whiplash, but equally applies to stories about adults ( The Firm). It’s also a ready-made parallel for tales about growing up and finding your fit in life. This is the meat-and-bones of the action and horror genres, but just as true of stories from Breakfast at Tiffany’s to The Crucible. One question underpins almost all screen stories: who am I? These narratives kick protagonists from their comfort zone, sending them on a journey that reveals – to them and us – what they’re really made of. It doesn’t get into Dennis Lehane’s source novel. This page analyses the symbolism and storytelling in Martin Scorsese’s 2010 film, Shutter Island.

Soon he’s chasing rumours of horrific experiments right here on the island … and the man who murdered his wife. Something about the case triggers Teddy’s past traumas, unleashing disturbing memories and hallucinations. He’s there with new partner Chuck Aule (Mark Ruffalo) to investigate the disappearance of a patient from Ashecliffe Hospital for the criminally insane. US Marshal Teddy Daniels (Leonardo DiCaprio) arrives on Shutter Island one mist-filled day in 1954. Do we make monsters of mental illness? Unpacking the signs, symbols and delusions in Scorsese’s Shutter Island.

Dennis lehane patient 67