Shutter Island - opening analysis Rosie

The opening extreme long shot begins with a very foggy cast which causes enigma to the scene as the viewer is intrigued and wonder what is this boat and where is it going. It suggests a sense of mystery as the audience isn’t given any kind of location which could create more anxiety. The boat appears to be in the middle of the ocean which makes it appear vulnerable.  

• The prop of the boat itself is not particularly modern looking (run down) and doesn't look very clean which builds more mystery and an eerie atmosphere.  
• The colours within the shot are very mundane which links it to the thriller genre. 
• Additionally, the sound included in the opening uses very low tones (which are either the sound of boat horns or orchestral music) which creates quite an unsettling atmosphere and could perhaps signify a bad place. 

The interior of the boat also appears to be worn and the items such as the swinging chain and open wires suggest that the boat may be slightly dodgy/shifty.

This next shot uses an over the shoulder shot to show the character glaring at himself in the mirror. We are able to see the characters expression and also see what he sees. This could perhaps signify that this man has two dual personalities. We can only see the reflection of the man as he himself is shown just as a silhouette; this could suggest a mystery or even illusion about this protagonist.

• The character is presented quite formally by his dress code as he wears a clean buttoned shirt with tie and smart trousers and jacket with a belt.  

A close up shot is used to show the character looking out of the window. The close up allows us to see the look of fright on his face and also only enables us to see out of part of the window –as it is at an angle-  which can lead to suspense as the audience are unaware of location or what is outside. 

The scene then cuts to a room with chains and handcuffs hanging from the ceiling which create an unsettling atmosphere. In terms of camera work, as the protagonist begins to move towards his destination, the camera unsteadily zooms and pans his actions which could portray the characters feelings and perhaps be foreboding.

As the protagonist steps out from the inside of the boat, a medium shot is used to which clearly shows us the characters facial expression, which appears to be rather intrigued or puzzled and is looking out into the distance. 
This combined with the shot distance creates uncertainty as we are not yet aware of what is there.  

As the man talks to the other unknown acquaintance on the boat, we are able to see the condition of the boat:

• the rust and peeling of the paint near the stairs suggests that it is rundown
• fenced gates on the deck imply that it is not a boat used for pleasant journeys and again run down. 

When he is then asked if he 'has a girl' he doesn't look the man in the eye, and the camera does a focus pull to the main character showing his thought. As it goes into the flashback, non diegetic music that sounds very tense begins demonstrating that something went bad/wrong with his girlfriend he previously had, which creates enigma as the audience are intrigued and ask questions such as: what happened to her?