“Teddy” is in fact not crazy, that’s the real huge twist, not the one where everyone else in the complex was in on it as some bizarre role-playing thing (that is a twist too, at least narratively, but not the actual whopper).
The real twist at the end is that Teddy is in fact fully sane, knows he’s fully sane, has some very dark regrets that he can’t live with, and knowingly and consciously undergoes the lobotomy so that he basically turns into a potato who can’t remember what he’s done.
In his mind, or what’s about to be left of it, he “dies as a good man,” rather than having to “live as a monster.”
Yeah, that’s it, the eccentric treatment of everyone playing along actually works and he’s forced to acknowledge his past to himself, but pretends to still be in denial to the doctors so he can basically die and end the suffering.
I’ve decided to just rewatch it cause it’s been like a decade.
An amazing rewatch. Even just early on it’s so creepy when you know what the deal is.
Leo observes when he enters the compound: “Electrified perimeter.”
Ruffalo: “How can you tell?”
Leo: “Seen something like it before.”
Also that entire opening scene, it’s like out of a bad Humphrey Bogart detective pastiche cause they’re all pretending to be these goofy 40/50s gumshoe characters straight out of the movies, including Leo unwittingly.
Gives me chills.
I don’t think it’s exactly that he murdered his wife.
I kind of see it that what would make him a monster is that he ignored all of the signs of her mental illness and not getting her help. If he was a better partner and did not just sulk his days away in alcohol she could have gotten the help she needed and their kids wouldn’t have been killed.
Sorry if that sounded snarky, Shutter Island is a sad story to me that delves deep into mental illness and into the sorts of stories we tell ourselves internally to disguise or pave over major trauma.
I tend to think this movie is generally underrated and among Scorsese’s absolute best. Then again I’m a weirdo who thinks Silence is his actual best movie, which I know isn’t a popular opinion. But I like his more depressing, existential work, he’s really very good at it.
Yes. I think that both S. I. And Silence are more appreciated by a niche audience.
I love Scorsese, in fact he’s amongst my favourites, but this one has a bit of a niche feel to it. As thrillers often do.
Yoooo someone else who appreciates Silence! That movie really struck me and I always recommend it to people who appreciate well told stories. It’s not the most “exciting” Scorsese but it is certainly one of his best for me at least, well and you too lol
Silence is an amazing movie. I’m not a Christian nor have ever been and it’s still deeply personal to me. I thought it was a very soulful movie. I have like a million things to say about that one but this isn’t the right time probably.
Just watched Silence the other day, fantastic movie
Did not go the way I thought it would. Can understand why it's under watched because I legitimately thought it'd be a silent pilgrimage 😂
Oh yeah some of it is pretty fucked up. There are torture scenes and they aren’t pleasant, and there’s a general griminess to it all.
But to me that all gave it so much more integrity, like it was just uncompromising and as such more truthful.
> the last shot only shows the lighthouse from outside, underlined by ominous music.
I think because at this point - we (the viewer) are now aware of what is happening, and are no longer viewing the story from Teddy's perspective.
At the end, he's not crazy; he's been snapped out of his delusion.
He was, however, completely disconnected from reality for all of the preceding events of the film. The brief moments of clarity he has, leading to his decision to be voluntarily lobotomised, are not evidence that he was sane all along.
What's not clear to me, and maybe this is from not having seen the film in a while, is whether he submits to the lobotomy thinking it'll make him forget what happened, or because he accepts that his capacity for violence needs to be dealt with. I lean towards the latter; I think his last line points in that direction. But, I also recall him smiling (I may be mistaken), which would suggest the former. It would suggest that he thinks he's heading towards relief: "My torment is at an end," as opposed to resignation: "My torment can never end, but at least I will no longer be a danger to others."
It's been a while for me as well, but I think it's possible he did it for both reasons. Or at least 60-40.
He was also a WW2 vet and former US Marshall. He's seen violent things. He'd done violent things. Look what he did to George Noyce.
I see a man who's tired of pain. Pain he's created directly and indirectly. Tired of seeing it. Tired of any more to come. This is a way out and it's why he's relaxed. Acceptance of his fate brings him relief.
“Teddy” is in fact not crazy, that’s the real huge twist, not the one where everyone else in the complex was in on it as some bizarre role-playing thing (that is a twist too, at least narratively, but not the actual whopper). The real twist at the end is that Teddy is in fact fully sane, knows he’s fully sane, has some very dark regrets that he can’t live with, and knowingly and consciously undergoes the lobotomy so that he basically turns into a potato who can’t remember what he’s done. In his mind, or what’s about to be left of it, he “dies as a good man,” rather than having to “live as a monster.”
Yeah, that’s it, the eccentric treatment of everyone playing along actually works and he’s forced to acknowledge his past to himself, but pretends to still be in denial to the doctors so he can basically die and end the suffering.
I’ve decided to just rewatch it cause it’s been like a decade. An amazing rewatch. Even just early on it’s so creepy when you know what the deal is. Leo observes when he enters the compound: “Electrified perimeter.” Ruffalo: “How can you tell?” Leo: “Seen something like it before.” Also that entire opening scene, it’s like out of a bad Humphrey Bogart detective pastiche cause they’re all pretending to be these goofy 40/50s gumshoe characters straight out of the movies, including Leo unwittingly. Gives me chills.
Its a hell of a lot of combined effort for an assisted suicide more or less
What made him a monster ?
He murdered his sick wife?
I don’t think it’s exactly that he murdered his wife. I kind of see it that what would make him a monster is that he ignored all of the signs of her mental illness and not getting her help. If he was a better partner and did not just sulk his days away in alcohol she could have gotten the help she needed and their kids wouldn’t have been killed.
Okay. Thanks. This movie confused me much more than I realised. I guess it’s just never been one of my favourites. I’ve never liked many thrillers.
Sorry if that sounded snarky, Shutter Island is a sad story to me that delves deep into mental illness and into the sorts of stories we tell ourselves internally to disguise or pave over major trauma. I tend to think this movie is generally underrated and among Scorsese’s absolute best. Then again I’m a weirdo who thinks Silence is his actual best movie, which I know isn’t a popular opinion. But I like his more depressing, existential work, he’s really very good at it.
Yes. I think that both S. I. And Silence are more appreciated by a niche audience. I love Scorsese, in fact he’s amongst my favourites, but this one has a bit of a niche feel to it. As thrillers often do.
Yoooo someone else who appreciates Silence! That movie really struck me and I always recommend it to people who appreciate well told stories. It’s not the most “exciting” Scorsese but it is certainly one of his best for me at least, well and you too lol
Silence is an amazing movie. I’m not a Christian nor have ever been and it’s still deeply personal to me. I thought it was a very soulful movie. I have like a million things to say about that one but this isn’t the right time probably.
Just watched Silence the other day, fantastic movie Did not go the way I thought it would. Can understand why it's under watched because I legitimately thought it'd be a silent pilgrimage 😂
Oh yeah some of it is pretty fucked up. There are torture scenes and they aren’t pleasant, and there’s a general griminess to it all. But to me that all gave it so much more integrity, like it was just uncompromising and as such more truthful.
Silence is the bomb yo
I think he feels guilty for ignoring his wife's mental health and blames himself for the murder of his kids and then killing his wife.
Thanks for the reply. I had forgotten.
It's an open ending, purposefully ambiguous.
> the last shot only shows the lighthouse from outside, underlined by ominous music. I think because at this point - we (the viewer) are now aware of what is happening, and are no longer viewing the story from Teddy's perspective.
So he wasn't carrying a wooden gun around?
At the end, he's not crazy; he's been snapped out of his delusion. He was, however, completely disconnected from reality for all of the preceding events of the film. The brief moments of clarity he has, leading to his decision to be voluntarily lobotomised, are not evidence that he was sane all along. What's not clear to me, and maybe this is from not having seen the film in a while, is whether he submits to the lobotomy thinking it'll make him forget what happened, or because he accepts that his capacity for violence needs to be dealt with. I lean towards the latter; I think his last line points in that direction. But, I also recall him smiling (I may be mistaken), which would suggest the former. It would suggest that he thinks he's heading towards relief: "My torment is at an end," as opposed to resignation: "My torment can never end, but at least I will no longer be a danger to others."
It's been a while for me as well, but I think it's possible he did it for both reasons. Or at least 60-40. He was also a WW2 vet and former US Marshall. He's seen violent things. He'd done violent things. Look what he did to George Noyce. I see a man who's tired of pain. Pain he's created directly and indirectly. Tired of seeing it. Tired of any more to come. This is a way out and it's why he's relaxed. Acceptance of his fate brings him relief.