SHUTTER ISLAND Breakdown | Ending Explained, Easter Eggs, Hidden Details & Things You Missed

SHUTTER ISLAND Breakdown | Ending Explained, Easter Eggs, Hidden Details & Things You Missed. After picking up the 4k blu ray and revisiting Shutter Island for this breakdown, I found a lot of incredible details and hidden things in it that seeped into my subconscious on a first watch, and this really elevated the movie far beyond the appreciation that I had for it originally. In this video, we dive into how Scorsese has crafted a masterpiece here, and we're going to be breaking down why the film is so haunting. We'll of course also be talking about the ending and all of the clues that build towards it, so if you still haven't seen it where have you been, lets get into it!
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So Shutter Island is one of those movies that lived rent-free in my head, even though I'd only watched the film a handful of times. After picking up the 4k blu ray and revisiting it for this breakdown, I found a lot of incredible details and hidden things in it that seeped into my subconscious on a first watch, and this really elevated the movie far beyond the appreciation that I had for it originally. Scorsese has really crafted a masterpiece here, and throughout this video, we're gonna be breaking down why the film is so haunting. We'll of course also be talking about the ending and all of the clues that build towards it.
Now I was someone who guessed the twist in the first scene on my first watch. The idea it was all in someone's mind is a trope that's been used in a number of films and shows like The Twilight Zone, Fight Club, The Machinist and so on. However, even though I think you can safely guess it in the opening scene, the film actually goes beyond the twist due to its complex characters and narrative.
Even the title itself is layered, with Shutter Island being an anagram of truth and lies. If we're really reaching, it can also be re-arranged to say Ted Hunts Liars with Di Caprio's character going under the name Teddy Daniels.
This is later changed up to become Edward Daniels, and we discover that he's actually called Andrew Laeddis which is also an anagram of Edward Daniels. Later on, when we meet Laeddis, we can see that he has a giant scar across his face that also goes through his eyebrow. One thing that you might overlook is that Teddy also has a cut through his eyebrow, and this was given to Dicaprio by the makeup department to symbolise that they are one and the same.
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[@heavyspoilers]

Check out our breakdown of Arrival here - kzbin.info/www/bejne/gIWWiaeom5hraqs

[@kingdoge8237]

watch the ninth configuration. stacy keach, thats the OG psych thriller. I feel shutter island is a scam to be honest

[@PhantomFilmAustralia]

Doctors don't carry guns, which explains why Teddy's partner Chuck never had one to surrender upon arriving onto the island.

[@truthedministry]

Shutter Island was ruined for me by the trailer for it. The trailer made the "twist" super obvious. So, I watched the film waiting for a second twist, like in Total Recall when Quaid is almost convinced, but notices that they guy telling him that none of it is real is nervous and afraid to the point that he starts sweating. Instead... I just got the obvious twist I was already expecting. Still a great film that was excellently shot and directed, but I never bothered rewatching it.

[@aquaviii]

0:00 Shitter Island

[@mk-ultramags1107]

The first scene Teddy walks past his own hand cuffs

[@admiralmelon8239]

i was so invested in the conspiracy of the island and that teddy was being gaslighted into thinking he was insane that i didn't accept the reality until the movie ended lol. even teddy accepted it before me, great movie.

[@email471]

ME TOO the entire ending I thought they were lying to him !

[@surenhohn5191]

i still dont believe it! Free my boy teddy!!

[@hndrx7197]

​@@surenhohn5191me too! And even though he was the bad guy, my mind is set (don't know why) that he was right.

[@matso_yt]

​@@email471lmao same

[@dogisgood1464]

This movie is so good that you could actually interpret it that way. This whole thing WAS a way to keep up the experiments and they caught wind he found out about it. They concocted this whole thing to drive him nuts. Its given away when Kingsley talks about how trained and also dangerous he is. He is a war hero and US Marshal, and he also had a tragic loss and serious ptsd. He was actually dangerous to them but with a key weakness they could exploit. That is discussed as well. What better way for top secret psychology experiments to stay hidden than to turn the tools on him. The movie can be watched that way including his last line. He is a soldier and realized the point of it. Its even mentioned that the N. Koreans and the Russians are doing the same kind of psychology experiments. Its as if he agreed with the violent generals and not the psychologically driven method. Remember he was told by Kingsley that he was on the front lines of a war. He actually chose the nazi doc and the general that talked about biting his eye, over Kingsley and Ruffalo. He says "why don't you try". That could be thought of as forget this stuff lets just have controlled war. Which we are.

[@ZacThaBarber]

How DiCaprio didn’t win an Oscar for this is beyond me

[@porkch0mp538]

freal

[@joestiff3689]

That is wot I was going to write he was outstanding in this film

[@claytonguedes3253]

💯

[@Jags2Riches]

There's at least several of his movies I've made that exact same statement on.

[@chriscunningham8703]

Because it wasn't a very good film...

[@MarkSashegyi]

What really sucks is that the treatment did work, but because Andrew didn’t want to live with the pain it appears as if it failed, and likely set back any new approaches to psychotherapy over lobotomies-which was Dr. Cawley’s main motivation throughout the film. “What should be seen as a last resort, is quickly becoming a first response. Drug them up and lock them away.”

[@bunk95]

Psychotherapy and lobotomies are fictional. Fiction is used to market things outside of fiction of course.

[@LordAlderaan]

Yeah, this was what went through my head too. Can't blame him though.

[@acab3146]

Yup, the same, and it pisses me off, honestly xD Just because Andy was a pussy all the doctor's work became a waste and also his reputation suffered, pretty selfish

[@Se7Tripz]

Fantastic point

[@draconiansquid1570]

Which apparently was a movie thing and not in the book if im not mistaken which kimda makes the whole thing different from the novel which is wild such a small thing can change everything

[@kuldeepnayak8341]

The best thing about the movie is that even though you doubt this all being in his mind. You just don't want to believe it and you start to actually feel connected and follow Teddy's journey which makes the ending more exciting. As both Teddy and audience knew it all along just they don't want to accept it and live in his fantasy. The movie was never never about discovering the truth it was always about denying it.

[@erenyeager7967]

1 year late comment but agreed When i saw the movie first time i thought they were just trying to fool Teddy until the end

[@cormacmacaongusa]

The audience didn't know all along lol

[@tilarium2]

I never thought he regressed back into the fantasy. It's was that line about living as a monster or dying as a good man that shows it. He considers himself a monster for what he did and he doesn't want to live like that. He sees the lobotomy as a death of himself, a way to escape the pain of what he did.

[@Mostly_Crazy]

Yeah well he died a monster anyway because by hiding the truth he needlessly sentenced many more like him to be lobotomized instead of getting the help they need.

[@prophez23]

Exactly

[@boobgoddess]

not really..but he can still die as a good man without living as a monster that "they" made him out to be becUse deep down inside..he knew that there was no escaping it..if everyone is in on it...

[@robertcooper457]

Also, as mentioned, how easily he just walks off with the guards, the whole scene is calm and clean as well as the fact that Dr Cheen calls him Teddy and there is no reaction. That last one is mainly what makes me think he never regressed back.

[@AZ_actual_voter]

The movie leaves no question about this: he chose the lobotomy over having to live with the knowledge of what happened to his family and his part in it.

[@mrcead]

That last part hit hard. He knew but played along and chose to forget it all, asked "chuck" for mercy with what's basically an assisted suicide without having to explicitly say so. This movie effed me up

[@liislive529]

that’s interesting I love how the movie built it up with Dicaprio great acting to where at the beginning you think he can’t help it but as the movie progresses he shows he knows more and more than you think by the end even the bald guy knew he knew by the end

[@cuzmcc]

lol 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@LADYBOY1988]

Hit you hard 🤣🤣🤣 you melon it's a film hits you hard 😂😂😂 ma homie stop putting comments on KZbin 🤣🤣🤣

[@miichelle22]

@@cuzmcc k. Kkk k k k. Ok.

[@ccva780]

@@LADYBOY1988 loool right? Mfckr so melodramatic 🤣🤣🤣

[@Solsev]

I honestly don't know how someone could watch this film and walk away from it thinking he had truly regressed. It's expertly acted, and the expressions subtle, but the wording itself is so on the nose, I almost wish the line about monsters and heroes wasn't in there.

[@juu2356]

Exactly this. Leonardo is such an outstanding actor and also the others in that scene and movie were doing an amazing job.

[@eddiedantes7732]

I like the final line. It really drives home the complexity of his past. It's not just that he killed his wife. It's that, apparently, to which the movie alludes, he ignored his wife's own mental illness... which led to the death of his children and his rage then leads to his killing his wife, a mentally ill woman. As much as we want to side with Teddy / Andrew, he is indeed very violent, so violent that he has killed and would have killed many other innocent people had the props been real weapons. All this is to paint a subtle realization for the viewer that his past is far more complex than just the killing of his wife, and, the final line, for me, indicates this cryptic conclusion.

[@mandiesavage8130]

It did work, the line at the end was him telling "chuck" I know who I am and I can't live with these memories. I cried during this movie and honestly I cried reliving it with this video. There's been so many movies that should've won Leo an Oscar and imo this is definitely one of them. Shutter Island is one of my favorite movies ❤

[@user-ne2ms9os2i]

One thing that wasn’t explicitly mentioned but I think is a cool detail is that like you pointed out his clothes as a detective don’t fit but the patient white clothes are almost a perfect fit for him when he puts them on, showing which ones are truly his and which are not.

[@Graymenn]

The white ones are for orderlies, not patients.

[@mk-ultramags1107]

So many details. The opening scene shows Teddy walk past his own handcuffs. The glass of water shows all 3 perspectives. "Who did this to you?"... "You did."

[@rashmisingh-ug7bt]

​@@mk-ultramags1107glass of water?

[@mk-ultramags1107]

@@rashmisingh-ug7bt During the scene when Teddy is interrogating all the patients, the woman who writes down "Run" asks for a glass of water and we get 3 different shots. One shows the glass half full, another shows it empty and when she picks it up to take a sip, it disappears altogether. It's different for each POV

[@dogisgood1464]

That would work if it wasnt that he was in orderly clothes not patients.

[@Jack.Ashford]

Another little detail you didn’t mention is that in the ending when Andrew gets up to go to his lobotomy, Dr. Sheehan calls him Teddy and he has no reaction, which shows that he has left his fake identity behind.

[@thejunktownsheriffkilliand4800]

Always fascinated me that even after those ending hints that he's been "cured" and is aware of the reality but just plays the delusion again nobody in there catches up to it. Sheehan could have easily gotten the clue

[@gustymaat7011]

Or realized that he was drugged to change his mynd and it worked.... funk

[@ainenicainte]

OR Sheehan forgot himself and called him by his real name. I think this is last clue that he was right all along

[@alxexp]

@@ainenicaintenah ur wrong

[@samatic7937]

It would be more believable if there were just 2 shackles, but instead there are multiple shackles this means it could just be a boat storage of the shackles which means Teddy is the real deal cop not an inmate.

[@dragonsgreedgaming3500]

Brilliantly done. Watching this movie a second time is like watching a whole new film, as nearly every scene takes on a new meaning when you look at it from the perspective of everyone else who knows that Teddy is actually an inmate the whole time.

[@alilarhdiri9666]

Leo should have at least 5 Oscars by now. His movies are masterpieces

[@michaelblair7141]

I am definitely of the opinion that he chose to go through with the lobotomy, but wanted to also reassure Dr. Sheehan that it had indeed worked. It was like a final goodbye and a thank you all in one. Great breakdown!

[@bunk95]

How do you know he got harmed in ways that are marketed with lobotomy? Who’s gonna act like those made to be thought of as human are lobotomized?

[@ridiak3637]

⁠@@bunk95What does this even mean?

[@DisobeyZOG]

@@bunk95huh?

[@FreddyBoBeddy]

​@@ridiak3637We may never know. I read it three times, and have no idea what point they were trying to make.

[@gabagool_ovahere]

​@@bunk95this comment is a lobotomy

[@LonnieBray]

I wish you pointed out that at the end, chuck called out "Teddy" and Andrew did not respond. Meaning he was no longer in the illusion. Amazing review nonetheless 👏🏾 🙌🏾

[@fiknbeyo]

Nice point out! I never peeped that until now.

[@manishabharti2538]

I was about to mention this 😅

[@juu2356]

you can notice that right after he said "which is worse, to live as a monster or to die as a hero". there for like one second, he looks at Dr Sheehan very straight. this is the moment, where you can tell that he still was aware of and accepted that he is andrew.

[@AdmiringObserverR]

but was that just intentional at that point? He deliberately did not answer because it did not matter.

[@biereney1636]

THIS

[@KevinColt]

Every Leo Dicarpio film is a masterpiece, lets just admit it.

[@aerpx]

easy to admit, my favorite actor by a mile.

[@charlieross4674]

While i enjoyed Critters 3 as a young boy, im not sure anyone would call it a masterpiece!

[@jandoor2068]

Wasn't he in Titanic? That movie sucked donkey balls.

[@erenyeager7967]

Hé has some flaw movies but not much. More good movies of him than bad thats for sure

[@JerkVegas86]

Boogie Nights Sucked 😂

[@junioredits25]

This movie hit me hard, never expected that kind of an ending at all. I actually couldn’t accept the fact that all the investigation that Andrew did was just his illusion and the doctors and nurses were playing all along.

[@devindenman526]

I think I read somewhere that the creepy woman doing the "shush" motion did it because she didn't have any knowledge of the experiment they were doing with Laeddis and because of her loose grip on reality she thought that he was in disguise and fooling the staff and guards. The shush was her basically saying, "Oh, you're wearing a disguise! Well, mum's the word, I won't tell."

[@SignalFlowers]

This is exactly it.

[@Happypotato917]

@@SignalFlowersso the movie was an experiment? Am done 😂

[@Spaced7]

Love this! I always assumed she knew the truth and that the whole institute was 'briefed' one way or another. She 'shushes' herself to keep quiet.

[@danielciocilteu3545]

Or maybe, just maybe, Andrew was a very vocal patient who talked a lot of nonsense in the ward so many other patients found him too nosy and so she motioned him to shut up, one more time. XD

[@bunk95]

The video said she was [lobotomized]. Theres other torture to make one behave in similar ways.

[@AndrewStonerock]

He doesn't see the lady drinking water either. It really helps hammer home how much his mind is trying to protect him from water.

[@F76CC]

I think that’s something that’s well known at this point though so he didn’t bother mentioning it.

[@RKyle-wx6rp]

Oh my goodness, I noticed the weird cutaway, but did not even think about it until now

[@liamfrr]

i thought that invisible glass of water was an editing mistake at first

[@toptiertech7291]

@@F76CChe didn’t mention it 😂😂

[@F76CC]

@@toptiertech7291 yeah. That’s what I said….

[@Yourhighnessnona]

Can someone tell me why he was considered so violent? He shot his wife because she killed his kids. He also regretted it right after. And why was everyone scared of him?

[@saramack99]

Wondering that too. His wife is way worse than he is. I don’t understand why he’s the most dangerous patient

[@stefthorman8548]

he's an mentally unstable war hero@@saramack99

[@mylesmarkson1686]

And also, why were people (Dr. Naehring & The Warden) telling him throughout the movie that violence is a good thing? It's like they wanted him to be more violent, not cure him from being so violent.

[@Frank2489]

If I’m not mistaking, there reason for him being considered extremely violent and dangerous is because of his military training and his detective mind. He’s able to concoct highly elaborated and detailed conspiracy theories in his mind and act them out from a point of view of a hero putting in danger the other patients in doing so. At least that’s what I got from it.

[@wizarddog]

When he would go into his delusions, he would violently assault patients and staff. In addition, because he had a keen mind, he could bypass most of their counter measures like locked doors and evade security. He was intelligent and resourceful but his inability to deal with the tragedy regarding his family left him in his delusional state to protect himself.

[@universaldragonninja]

When he finds Rachel in the cave at first she doesn’t have any shoes but then before he leaves she’s wearing shoes. They mentioned that every patient only gets two pairs of shoes, so not only should she be barefoot but she shouldn’t have any shoes to wear. That whole scene with Teddy in the cave could have be an allegory to Platos cave.

[@justinwinningham4892]

Was this real or in his head?

[@jasonbriggs2559]

This is one of my favorite movies of all time! I have watched it multiple times and see something new with every viewing. Another detail at the very beginning is you can see the shackles hanging in the room on the boat where Teddy (DiCaprio) wakes up. This is an immediate clue that he had been a prisoner and was just waking up on the boat after having been most likely sedated and dressed for the role he was about to play. At some point, his clothes had to have been changed, and the fake gun belt put on him. This is also evident by him being disoriented when he is standing at the sink, and he tells himself to pull it together. I always asked myself HOW could he not have already met Chuck when the boat left the dock? Well, that was the reason...he was sedated. When he finally woke up, the role play began...

[@coltondenham9533]

I thought it was odd when I saw the shackles this explanation would make semse

[@lakshmisree5878]

p

[@Zeta9966]

I mean there are all these odd things about him, but you could also chalk it all up to him having PTSD from the war trauma he experienced. There are so many misdirections thrown at us throughout the movie. The woman looking at Chuck could be that she's scared to say anything because she's afraid of the caretakers.

[@Jaymen_]

@@Zeta9966if you watched the film for the first time you would think this. But the ending would tell you the truth and watching it more times you could see more Easter eggs. Like the shackles on the wall.

[@juu2356]

PLUS the sedation could also be one reason for his sickness in the beginning. when I had been in narcosis I always felt very sick afterwards...

[@Sooch900]

I always thought that he was “cured” and then willingly accepted the lobotomy by acting like he regressed. Excellent break down, I missed quite a few things that you brought up in the video!

[@moneloxakshay1054]

he was cured, he didn't regress. he accepted the lobotomy because he didn't wanna carry on living with the guilt. check the last line he says to Shaheen

[@MiddleClassNaPobre]

@@moneloxakshay1054thats what i thought after watching it… it gives me chills when i starting to understand “die as a good man”

[@juu2356]

plus check the look he gave Dr Sheehan right after he had said this @@moneloxakshay1054

[@AdmiringObserverR]

Either existence he has the choice to live as is a shitty one, so I can believe this.

[@Phantom_Anthem]

@@moneloxakshay1054that’s what he literally said

[@MrEloliver]

unlike you, i didnt guess the plot twist from the start, and that made the ending 100000x better. The ending was amazing and the way andrew came to grips with the reality of what happened but still chooses to live the rest of his days oblivious of the trauma he's faced is kinda heartbreaking looking back at it.

[@Kanonamos]

I agree with you and most of the comment section on that the roleplay did indeed work and helped him to realise and accept reality, and that even so he couldn't live with the pain of it so feigned regression and accepted the lobotomy willingly. He asked if it would be worse to live as a monster, or to die as a good man. I think he viewed himself as a monster, but by accepting the lobotomy, which would forcibly make him more peaceful, he would "die as a good man". The question about monsters and good men also makes speculate that he also viewed the lobotomy as a sort of atonement for his sins, not only against his wife and kids but also against the staff in the hospital and also the other patients. I really feel that it's a tragic end for Andrew, who got so close but was yet so far. He chose to "die as a good man" because he felt that there was no point to him continuing to live, because he would only "live as a monster". In order for Andrew to not only embrace the truth but also work for his own freedom and future, he would need to believe that he has a future. He did not feel this way. However, he missed an opportunity to do something that he and only he could do, which was to tell his story and warn others against his particular kind of tragedy. Had he lived, he could have wrote memoirs or done interviews to boost public awareness of the dangers of ignoring mental health issues, which would have had validity due to him being a cured patient, and the support of his doctors. I'm not confident Andrew thought of this possibility, but even if he had, would he have taken it in light of the enormity of his tragedy? The will to live isn't so easy to rekindle. All I know is that I wish he had. Fantastic movie. Thanks for making me think about it again.

[@imarxb]

Watching this film broke my heart at the time. Martin Scorsese is a great director.

[@jennyanydots2389]

He also directs animal porn on the DL, not a lot of people's are aware of that but it's 100% fact son.

[@evanfromheaven9981]

To me, what makes Andrew reverting back into the fantasy impossible at the end is exactly what you stated, Teddy Daniels would not have willingly walked over to the guards and workers and accepted the lobotomy. Everything we saw about Teddy in the movie shows his distrust of the staff and doctors. I have to respect Andrew’s decision, I would not want to remember such a traumatic event either and I wouldn’t have to worry about harming anyone anymore. Great film and great video!

[@SuicideMelody]

I wanted to share something here. I could relate to Teddy so much, because I had a similar situation with my partner. Less tragic than in the movie thankfully but it was also related to mental illness, and I didn’t treat it seriously. It brought my partner to very dark places and I just couldn’t forgive myself that I didn’t understand the initial symptoms, misinterpreted everything and didn’t help him. I was blaming myself very hard. So for the ending, I watched the movie multiple times and I was always 100% sure that he remained in his delusions. Years passed, and I finally managed to get over that situation by working with a therapist and taking a course on how to recognize mental illness, how to react to it and how to support, so if it ever happens again I won’t let my loved one down. And I rewatched the movie yesterday, and I realized that Teddy actually accepted the reality even if it was horrible. And this time it was so clear to me. Maybe because I accepted my reality as well. And took steps to prevent similar situations happening in the future. I can’t talk about it with anyone really, so I though I share it here.

[@cdub3102]

Hope you are doing good I can relate on a similar level. Not as bad but I hope you find peace. Proud that you own it

[@sleeplesshead602]

I can't watch this only once. This movie blew my mind and also saddening me because of the fact at the end. I would like to watch it again this weekend. The details are amazing. Great job explaining the details!

[@Artofficial1986]

I really love this movie. I mostly love the setting of an inescapable mysterious island. The added danger of the storms and possibly violent patients made the whole movie feel really spooky and atmospheric.

[@fuckit2424]

Spot on as far as that vibe the movie gave from beginning to the very end man 💯

[@damianstarks3338]

Can’t thank you enough for this breakdown this movie is definitely a masterpiece.

[@ericorton9600]

You mean the book was a master piece...

[@kingdoge8237]

check out ninth configuration

[@Cole444Train]

@@ericorton9600 Not sure why both can't be true.

[@ericorton9600]

@@Cole444Train Sorry but I'm going to be one of those guys, you'd know if you read it.

[@Cole444Train]

@@ericorton9600 aaaaaaand you're being one of those guys.

[@ramtigerfalcon8387]

You've got my attention friend. 3 of my all time favorite( Shutter island , Arrival, Dune) movies I've just listened to you break down and also present idea/ interpretations that I hadn't already come up with. Let's keep it going friend. Subscribed.

[@brothermouzone1307]

My first time watching this movie was the Superbowl after party 2023. I too figured out in the opening sequence, something was off with Leo's character. The Easter eggs and your in depth analysis; never would have made the connection. I'm surprised you did not reference/similarities the water and the color red to the movie The Sixth Sense. Excellent job!

[@FormerGovernmentHuman]

Great job. My only nitpick which I can’t remember for sure, doesn’t Shaen call him Teddy as he walks away and he doesn’t respond? Slightly signaling he’s done playing the role.

[@ReelRejects]

I ADORE THIS BREAKDOWN! I’ve watched it twice mate

[@heavyspoilers]

Internet high five to the crew

[@jennyanydots2389]

Which time did you pound off to it?

[@liislive529]

I watched it 5 times not gonna lie I love this movie I watched this movie 1000 times

[@agc8355]

. . . love ? o k 4 me thO a bit of actual dialogue since "great scene" y'et he just babbles on & on a n d ON ~ adore huh well - am out reject

[@UC4AQUgrQ9EwVIGoF0w7xHXg]

​@@jennyanydots2389 all of it

[@blacjackdaniels200]

I admire the talent you have. You notice so many things. I’m definitely going to watch more of your videos and subscribe. Very good content.

[@snscee]

Came across your channel today🤯you are brilliant, Scorscecee is a genius!

[@tomfurlong5384]

I only watched this movie once about 10 years ago and it's always stuck with me. After watching this Breakdown I'm going to watch it again later. These breakdowns of classic movies are brilliant.

[@sentientcardboarddumpster7900]

Same here. I really liked it back then too. I understood the twist at the end, it's always stuck with me. I never bothered to go back and watch again, but honestly I'm not the best at picking up this kind of depth on movies. If I watch a movie I enjoy I usually come to KZbin and watch a breakdown of it like this. I appreciate this trend, and this channel name being Heavy Spoilers is perfect haha. This one's a W for the algo

[@caledunsmore]

Yeah it's actually better the second time knowing the twist and noticing all the clues

[@bradley163]

Damn. This is an expert level breakdown. My favorite Scorcese film of the past 15 years by a wide margin.

[@pnut3844able]

The only scorcese movie I like, bc its not another dumb mob movie

[@thefearofg0ds758]

@@pnut3844able you should check out The Aviator, Wolf of Wall Street, and Silence if you haven't already. Scorcese took like over a decade long break away from making Mob movies after The Departed(though The Aviator came out before). The Aviator sort of has a few of the same vibes as Shutter Island as it deals with mental illness.

[@brothermouzone1307]

​@@pnut3844able Are you calling Goodfellas, The Departed and Casino dumb mob movies?

[@brothermouzone1307]

Wide margin? Not arguing with your opinion, The Departed and Wolf of Wall Street by a wide margin, how does Shutter Island rate a wide margin? Just curious.🤔

[@expert-editz]

​@@brothermouzone1307 the departed is one of the best movies of all time. Not sure what the other guy is waffling about.

[@mrjxn007]

Absolutely BEAUTIFUL breakdown! Thanks so much! I thoroughly enjoyed your video!! 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

[@prodbyuhh]

amazing video. a lot of effort went into this, i can tell

[@OofieTV]

The cave scene eerily reminded me of Plato’s Allegory of the Cave ! Especially considering this movie is about accepting that what you thought was reality is actually fake

[@sentientcardboarddumpster7900]

Plato really struck gold with that idea. It's lasted so long, and only continues to get more and more analysis and consideration. There is so much depth in the allegory

[@tombryant52jumpscoach]

Which makes the whole movie work so well. We are on Teddy's side through much of it because all of the characters seem to represent the world's view of the shadows on the wall, and Teddy seems to have seen the broader truth of reality when in fact, his view is the fantasy due to his being insane.

[@bunk95]

Reality is seemingly used in place of fiction. Fictions not fake but theres acting like fiction is non-fiction, etc.

[@victorianicholson5220]

Wow! This is a fantastic breakdown! I think another important element of the weather is the fact that when he is in the past, similar to water, is that the camp is snowing, displaying his PTSD. It shows those memories are frozen and stuck in his mind rather than the fluidity of water which he can change. I think once he starts working things out, that’s when he sees his family frozen, showing the PTSD has them stuck in his mind no matter how many times he tries to change the memory. I think he definitely chooses to have the lobotomy as he realizes the memories are always there no matter how many times they try to use the role play. He recognizes that he doesn’t want to forget again, unless it’s forever.

[@GERntleMAN]

I only watched it twice, but remember that I thought in the end Andrew chose to not live as a monster and made the conscious decision for the lobotomy in a more subtle and calm way, speaking in the language they gave him by orchestrating this elaborate therapy. He honoured the effort that way. Seemed always rather clear to me

[@charlieross4674]

I always thought I was pretty smart by getting that last part when he said that, but I didn't get anything else shown in this breakdown but there are many many comments about the "die as a monster/live as a good man" line, which shows me that that was the most obvious, telegraphed hint in the movie lol.

[@mikerb1531]

great analysis. Love some of the things that i definitely missed while watching this file 10000 times.

[@desember1467]

I found this video and ran straight to Netflix to see Shutter island, only so that I could come back to this video. I found the movie okay at first, but with this video for context, I realize that Shutter island is simply a masterpiece of a movie. You make great videos man. Thank you for your hard work.

[@shitty80smovielover]

I absolutely love the fact that you're going through and breaking down some of my favorite movies of all time. Secondly, Thank you! He chose to be lobotomized in the end! It gives some agency, otherwise the movie's just too damn sad for words. You're the best, keep it up, can't wait to see what you break down next. But no matter what it is I'll be hitting that like button.

[@heavyspoilers]

Ey thanks so much and hope you enjoy the next one

[@paulnolan4971]

The end is heartbreaking. His decision.

[@blizzart9191]

The ending is heartbreaking in both ways:D that's the cool thing in this film, it's not purely a happy ending, but also no sad one... more on the sad spectrum, but still somehow a happy one, if you contrast it to the sad tone and atmosphere throughout the film. This movie is a masterpiece. Period.

[@bunk95]

He was harmed in ways marketed with the fiction of lobotomy? How could you tell?

[@sams9744]

I've tried to watch this film and it just scared me too much to continue. It's on the freeview channel tonight but yet again the first scene of them going through the grounds and seeing the weird looking balding woman with a scar across her neck. Never understood the plot as i could watch the film. So it's easier and I'm grateful for being able to watch the YT shorts. It does remind me of Titanic for some reason, only in reverse. He survived, she didn't... I don't think I'll ever be able to watch the full movie, tbh. Even more grateful for this video... Great job!

[@jaimepastropleselmaisenfai6364]

Tyy, great video Bonne continuation et bon chance

[@markweaver8529]

I've seen this film a few times,but the way you broke it down made me realise what an absolute masterpiece the film is. From the writing,to the acting to the directing. An astonishing film. Also the little nuggets I've never seen in the film before,like the woman he interviewed in the canteen that was drinking out an imaginary cup.

[@lenasamzelius5530]

We should mention that the book Shutter Island by Dennis Lehane is very well written and incredibly interesting! Thank you for the video!

[@sarahryan3440]

Thank you for this breakdown. I actually thought I'd worked it out, but there were so many things I'd missed

[@AaronSilvious]

Very nice. A lot of points I missed after watching it many times.

[@jamescrawford1534]

I always thought (in retrospect) the patient who shushed is parroting what everyone is saying, but doesn't realise he is subject of the secret

[@masonharris1202]

That’s actually brilliant

[@TheSmokeweeda]

I love this breakdown. I went back and watched the entire movie again, and I saw all the clues which makes me appreciate this movie even more. At the 17:47 minute mark, you can see Dr Sheehan and an orderly look at each other and smirk while Teddy is interrogating the staff. Amazing! These are the things you wouldn’t notice unless you watched the movie a second time. What a masterpiece!

[@yashjhunjhunwala6381]

great observation

[@Nuli_A]

Yeah. I watched it a third time and couldn't help but marvel at their reactions. They were playing along the whole time. They just let him. 😅

[@IagoMartinsJ]

And how does no one talk about just after the nurse "define unusual, this is a mental institution, marshal, for the criminally insane, usual isn't a big part of our day" and then EVERYONE LAUGHS because they are literally doing a very UNUSUAL thing, by this "play pretend"

[@horizoniki]

All these little details we don’t notice but our subconscious does. That’s why this movie will live in our heads rent free forever.

[@GodWorksOut]

Now watch it again believing that he really is Teddy and it’s a totally different movie. You’ll notice a ton more Easter eggs then.

[@thepinkdungeon]

This videos also plays in my head at the most random times lol. Saw it 3 times

[@HishamHossain]

The best explanation video, so well researcher and put together!

[@heavyspoilers]

Thank you 🙏

[@jimmyolsenblues]

I agree that he knew at the end. he was self aware and chose his own fate.

[@joshuabrodsky1857]

I remember watching this movie for the first time and at the end still being on the side of Dicaprio's character, thinking they were setting him up. I was so convinced that Teddy was actually a cop, I just glossed over the big reveal.

[@sydneysparksjoy]

Same here! I thought Ashcliffe had won, and they’d silenced Teddy for discovering their cruel experiments. But then I watched the film more times. After this video-just as Scorsese intended-the truth is so much more heartbreaking than what the audience and Teddy is led to believe. 🥺

[@coalkey8019]

This is the first video of yours I've watched. You got a new subscriber.

[@DanPlayMore]

very good video and breakdown...this movie is soo good...so much work has been put into this...and DiCaprio is amazing

[@heavyspoilers]

Thanks so much

[@maxfuzzovski8833]

One of my favourite movies of all time. Story, actors, ending, pure perfection. This masterpiece is very underrated. You must watch it more than once to fully understand perception of story.

[@cdamiengtz.]

A masterful movie , always great to watch each time & as for the ending.....The Dr. "Chuck" calls him Teddy after walking off, he doesn't acknowledge him at all because that's not his name, it's Andrew. When you hear another person's name you usually wouldnt look cause it's not your name being called

[@MrElhecka]

Thanks for the great video, I missed this before. One thing I still don't understand - I've probably just missed something and hopefully someone can help with this: when Teddy and Chuck are in the graveyard, Teddy tells Chuck that he has been researching the clinic and is convinced that they are conducting horrible experiments, and that he wants to expose the whole thing. Chuck responds that perhaps the clinic already knows what Teddy is doing, and has actually lured both of them to the island as a trap. If Chuck is really Teddy/Andrew's doctor, why would he say that? He seems to be confirming or at least reinforcing Teddy's delusion and paranoia by saying it, and decreasing the chance that the role-play will work.

[@mylesmarkson1686]

Great point, and I don't think that anyone has ever come up with a good answer. The only answer I ever got was "Well, due the horrible storm, they had to hurry his delusions along to get the role-play done faster". Are you kidding me? It's scenes like this one (with no half-decent explanations) that make me think that Teddy really was a US marshal and that the doctors are brainwashing him into thinking he's a patient. And so they're constantly filling his head with paranoia and violence to drive him crazy and eventually worthy enough to become the 67th patient at Ashecliffe.

[@ringox4957]

Had to pause when I realised the narrator was one of my favourite battle rappers back in the day! On top of that, this was such an excellent breakdown and review, there was alot I missed on my watch and really enjoyed this

[@chaseorosco9017]

One thing you didn’t mention was Chuck’s reaction when he snapped at the male patient he was interviewing. He makes an attempt to restrain Teddy while looking over to the nurses. He also attempts to restrain Teddy when he snaps at Dr. Jeremiah.

[@timo4698]

This film is genuinely amazing for the storytelling. Trying to help the person accept their own guilt and consequence is a noble idea but unfortunately he cannot live with his past , so he delved into fantasy. A very real component of ptsd like behaviour.

[@tombryant52jumpscoach]

Accept his guilt but, more importantly, accept reality. But the reality is so horrible that he cannot permanently live with it, and to protect himself from the endless horror, he resets back to a fantasy that he can live with but is unacceptable to the institution because that makes him highly violent and dangerous.

[@neglectfulsausage7689]

I judge him guilt free. He did what needed t o be done.

[@nootypenguino]

Really good explanation. Thank you. Such a sad story and ending

[@nikkimcdonald4562]

Nice video . I didn't realize people were confused about the ending.

[@hardcoreclassicenjoyer]

Hey mate, had to pause ~8 mins in to write a comment. This is unbelievably good commentary. I know it's standard symbolism being explained, but it's all concise, accurate and engaging. Thanks for making this. A cut above many good movie analyses

[@kylecarter1599]

I haven't watched this since it hit DVD, but you got me wanting to watch it again. Great breakdown!

[@thebossy1]

I've always been obsessed with this movie everything down to the amazing score. I don't know how many times I've watched it. Thanks

[@Jaymen_]

I’ve watched this movie about 5 times. I really love the atmosphere of it all and of course Leo’s performance and the end when he says that famous line always gets to me.

[@atomicpsych0]

Probably the best movie breakdown video I've ever seen. Great job man, to bad there's no more movies as good as this to review

[@immortalxd6190]

This is by far the best breakdown I came across. Thank you so much for explaining it so simply and brilliantly ❤️

[@markb6295]

Loved this video breakdown

[@westbrook3371]

Brilliant analysis

[@amandahugginkiss55]

Dennis Lehane is an amazing author and he deserves more credit than the director, imo. This film inspired me to check him out which led me to reading his entire library. He's great and Shutter Island is my favorite. Great video, great content, thanks!

[@MsArtemis64]

Shutter Island and Mystic River are two of my favorite books, and they were both made into great movies!

[@monochromenight8943]

Authors can't get more credit than the director when it comes tor a film. If that were the case it would be the same for many screenplay writers. Orĺ hell, editors, the often usung heroes.

[@w3bbi3]

The book is so much better I laughed the first time I tried to watch shutter Island

[@dylanstevely1443]

I originally watched this movie a few years ago and had no clue what was actually going on . But then I watched it a second time a year later and realized most of the things you said in your video. But after watching your video it shed a lot of light on the little details that I’ve missed

[@eelobrian6727]

👍👍👍👍👍👍👍 Best Shutter Island vid on KZbin and I've seen many!

[@blizzart9191]

Something important you didn't mention in the ending talk scene between Teddy and Chuck: look at the curious and surprised facial gesture of Chuck when Teddy brings the quote with the monster vs. good man, telling his psychiatrist subtly that he's" cured" now, and going forward now by choice, to "die"as a good man at least, instead of going on with being a living hell for all around him. The ending isn't open, imo., if you watch and analyse very carefully, because on the question of "what's now, boss/ teddy?"Chuck asks him back to hear some kind of future plans or visions. Instead he shows his old behaviours in a very open way with the devastating paranoia phrase, that was build around on throughout the whole film openly( representing fire, the delusion), which then gets contradicted again seemingly by his deeper going ending quote( representing the water element, the reality), building up the whole contradictory theme into this last two phrases basically, leading into a clear, developed conclusion now. I know, hard to understand maybe, but let's assume he would be still in his typical mental trauma phase: he won't go up by himself to take the walk to his "electricity chair" without still trying dumb shit again or defend himself, because as we learnt through the film: he's a man of"power" with strong defense mechanisms. But the way he now talks and walks calmly, rather than hasty and offensively, shows his progression on a psychological level and that he understood to do the "society" there a favor and dying as a good man, than being the living monster, that he otherwise would be. Also he knows in his mind, that Chuck got the message there and will respect him for that decision. He died in the battle as good, honorable man so to speak.

[@Polymathically]

A few additional things worth mentioning. When Dr. Cawley is first introduced, pay attention to how he speaks about how the mentally ill used to be treated. Before he says "drowned", he quickly glances at Teddy and slightly changes his tone. While this further underscores Dr. Cawley's distaste for what passed as mental health care in the past, it's also his way of testing Andrew. Dr. Cawley knows that Andrew's children were drowned, and thus even the mention of drowning might be enough to trigger him. When Teddy is interviewing the staff and forces one of them to admit he breached protocol to use the restroom, Chuck can be seen in the background glancing and nodding at one of orderlies, non-verbally assuring him that Teddy is stable. Also, the guard that lets them into Ward C wasn't the one laughing; if you turn on the closed captions, it says that an unseen inmate was laughing. Anyway, great video!

[@mdmohitulhaque8648]

Ishtuk jugia baichung vutia?

[@T.BoneStone]

🐐🐐🐐this one is also rent free for me as well I’ve personally always felt that he chose to go back in to the fantasy. He didn’t want to face the truth of what he did. I never caught the cup of water not being there! What a find!! Really appreciate this breakdown as a whole and you for taking the time to make it! Thanks Paul!! Keep ‘em coming

[@australianjackaroo6660]

Thanks, I really enjoyed that video

[@BigShugZ]

Ive watched this 3 times now. Great breakdown

[@mattgriffinreal]

Great review, Paul. This is one of my favorite films. You shared some things that I never noticed before, and it makes me want to watch the film again for the n-th time. This was definitely during the prime era of Leonardo DiCaprio (after Titanic,) and I don't think that Leo could have chosen a better script (other than The Great Gatsby.)

[@Cole444Train]

what do you mean Leo choosing the script?

[@stevemammen5595]

I love the fact that you dug deep through this movie. I had to watch it a few times to get more out of it. Great film!

[@bettycrispy397]

Just bought the book of this and can’t wait to to get all effed up, all over again. This movie is TOP NOTCH, and the you did a great review! You just gained a new subscriber!

[@mremptytheeclip9420]

I've always wanted this movie explained. Thank you!

[@cavemanzach9475]

I actually really agree with your intro. I guessed the twist from the trailer and wrote the movie off as cliche without ever having watched it. However, when I did I was floored by everything about it. The twist is only one facet of the film, with all of the character development and movement from scene to scene actually being really, really good.

[@thegamerboneless2864]

Even at the end when marked called him teddy he didn’t respond or look back. This was a brilliant movie in the fact that you can spot new things each time you watch it. Look at the background characters and dialogue when theirs groups.

[@immwk]

Great breakdown mate. Going to rewatch Shutter Island soon

[@lilgoblin29]

Thank you! I have seen this movie five times and until I heard this explanation I never got it. So thank you thank you!!! I have to go watch it again now that I understand what’s going on. I never knew.

[@JusNoBS420]

Love how you have been great films that some of your younger viewers might not have seen before but should 😊

[@AjaxOutlaw]

Yea. When chuck realized what he was actually doing the look Ruffalo gives says it all. Great performances all around

[@vudusid8717]

Another interesting fact that you missed is that in the book Andrew messed up his wives weekly medication due to being drunk, and this is what led her to have a psychotic episode and kill the kids. Dunno why they left this detail out in the film but it really adds to why Andrew felt so much guilt. It was basically his drinking problem that caused his kids death. This kinda reminds me of The Shining. Jacks drinking problem is what made him susceptible to the spirits infultrating his mind in the book, a drinking problem he got from his father, and his father from his father etc.

[@carmelotorres239]

Tremendous breakdown, wish I could give this more likes 👌🏽

[@orarinnsnorrason4614]

The smirking guard in the concentration camp could be on purpose coz in my mind he didn't care at that point weather he was going to die or not and doing this (smiling at face of death) is a common thing among people that have done horrendous acts during their lives. Edit: Great breakdown btw specially with the woman with the glass of water what an awesome trick that one was, never noticed it and I've seen this movie more than once.

[@senderoverland]

I watched both this movie and inception in theaters since they came out around the same time period. Both kept me up for a few nights after just trying to fully understand what i saw😂

[@joemilner7710]

Wow, this gave me the chills… after I first saw it with my family, I remember taking my dog outside right after credits rolled and it messed with my mind even as a 15 year old… this is a masterpiece of cinema and am happy people realize it finally!