Shutter Island (2010, 139 Minutes)

Playing as a part of Scorsese: More Than a Gangster

Neo-noir has been a reoccurring genre in Martin Scorsese’s films, but Shutter Island finally allowed Scorsese to fully emulate the classics of his childhood in the form of a gorgeous detective mystery. U.S. Marshal Teddy (Leonardo DiCaprio) and his partner Chuck (Mark Ruffalo) go to a mental hospital on a mysterious island in order to investigate the disappearance of one of its patients. While there, he uncovers secrets about the facility while slowly realizing that his ties to it run deeper than he thought. Scorsese uses the time period and genre in order to create a visually intoxicating world, one that harkens back to the heavy stylization of older noir while bringing its own voice to this concept. Its story more directly comments on the trapped “comfort” of the post-War America these stories were created within, repression and violence lying beneath the façade of the safe world we built for ourselves.  It’s also the only film in the series to highlight Scorsese’s fruitful later work with DiCaprio over numerous projects together (The Wolf of Wall Street, Gangs of New York, The Aviator, and the upcoming Killers of the Flower Moon).

This screening will be introduced by Amanda Bartlett, an award-winning senior reporter for SFGATE covering culture, history, science and breaking news. She’s written extensively about the local theater scene as well as a number of films shot around the Bay Area and beyond, from “The Matrix Resurrections” and “The Princess Diaries” to “The Birds” and “Killer Klowns from Outer Space.” She has appeared as a guest on the Midnight Mass podcast co-hosted by drag legend Peaches Christ and filmmaker Michael Varrati and previously worked for the Roxie Theater, Noise Pop and Frameline Film Festival.” 

Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Mark Ruffalo, Ben Kingsley, Max von Sydow, and Michelle Williams)

Playing back to back with Cape Fear at 9 PM. Catch both for $20.