Shutter Island (2010)
By Martin Scorsese
Reviewed by Shifa Fathima
Shutter Island is based on Dennis Lehane’s 2003 novel of the same name, The film begins with a
ferry ride to Shutter Island, which houses inpatient psychiatric care for the criminally insane.
Teddy, played by Leonardo Dicaprio, believes he is a government Marshall searching for a
missing patient named Rachel Soland with the help of his sidekick Chuck. In reality, Ted is
Andrew Laeddis, a war veteran who witnessed some of the most heinous aspects of the already
heinous war. He also murders his wife, who has murdered their three children. Chuck, on the
other hand, is Andrews' therapist. Teddy and Chuck meet Dr. John Cawley, played by Ben
Kingsley, the facility's lead psychiatrist, who tells them about the facility and psychiatry. Dr.
Cawley claims that a war is raging on the island, with one faction believing in surgical
techniques such as lobotomies to treat patients, while another believes that new psychotropic
drugs are the way to go.
Teddy gradually becomes ill, accompanied by migraines, flashbacks to his experiences as a US
Army soldier, and dreams of his deceased wife and children.
Although the term PTSD (post-traumatic shock syndrome) is not used, DiCaprio's character,
Andrew, exhibits a number of symptoms. But this isn’t the only psychological disorder mirrored
in the movie, some of the other disorders, brought to light are;
- Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID): The film delves into the concept of dissociation,
specifically dissociative identity disorder (DID). Without giving too much away, it calls into
question the dependability of one's memory and perception, blurring the line between reality and
illusion. Teddy Daniels, the protagonist, undergoes confusion and identity shifts, resulting in an
intense psychological journey.
- Paranoid Schizophrenia: While not explicitly diagnosed in the film, some viewers and critics
have speculated that Teddy Daniels' experiences and behaviors could be interpreted as indicative
of paranoid schizophrenia. Paranoid schizophrenia is a subtype of schizophrenia, characterized
by prominent delusions and auditory hallucinations related to persecution or grandiosity. Teddy's
paranoid thoughts and suspicion of a larger conspiracy might align with this interpretation.
- Delusional Disorder: The film also delves into the topic of delusional disorder, which is
characterized by fixed, false beliefs (delusions) that persist in the face of evidence to the
contrary. Teddy Daniels becomes increasingly convinced that a massive conspiracy is unfolding
on Shutter Island involving the staff and patients of Ashecliffe Hospital. His delusions cause him
to suspect that he is being duped and manipulated, adding to the mystery surrounding the island.
Andrew appears to be fighting a battle between his conscious "Teddy" and unconscious
"Andrew." He is aware that his wife, Dolores, murdered their children and that he murdered her
in rage. His defense mechanism, however, drags him back to his self-created reality. In this
sense, Shutter Island is a perfect example of Freud's theory of psychosis.
