Opening Sequence Analysis - David McConnell

'Shutter Island' (Scorsese, 2010)

Opening scene - From the beginning to when Teddy and Chuck get off the boat



Part One - 0.00 to 0.43

Paramount logo - Mountain and stars - Animated
Paramount pictures - Text - Same as throughout
Phoenix pictures production
Association with Sikelia productions and Appian way
Title - Shutter Island - Fades in - Boat horn



Music - Eerie

Part Two - 0.44 to 2.37

Fog - The unknown
Boat horns - Mixed in with the music
Boat - Slowly emerges



Teddy being sick
Looks in mirror - Bandage - Damaged - What has caused him to be injured
Stares directly at the camera - We are in the mirror - He is talking to us
Chains rattling - Spooky
New partner - Teddy doesn't know him - Into the unknown - Like the audience
Chuck asks him if he is OK - Caring



Pathetic fallacy - Gloomy weather
Chuck asks about his wife - 'So how about you, you got a girl' - As though Teddy had asked Chuck the same question but he hadn't
Teddy said he did - 'I was'

Part Three - 2.38 to 4.21

Cuts to a flashback of Teddy with his wife - Warm colours - Smiling - She gives him the same 

colourful tie he is wearing on the boat

Same music playing - As though it is coming from the gramophone
'She died' - Blames it on a fire - 4 people died - Relevant to later parts in the story
Looses cigarettes - Swore he had them - Forgetful?
Talks about the island - 'Criminally insane' - 'If it was just folks running around hearing voices and chasing butterflies, then they wouldn't need us'
Cuts to island - Loud fog horn blasts - Sudden noise
Captain talks about how hard it is to get on or off - Comments on how they will cast off as soon as Teddy and Chuck are ashore



Teddy questions this - Blames it on the storm - Representative of things later to come in the story
Cuts to dock - Two figures waiting for them - Dressed in black - Mysterious