Shutter Island Opening

Camerawork

• The scene opens with a wide shot of the boat emerging from the mist by the sea. The wide helps the reveal of the boat to be really dramatic and ghostly.
• We cut to a mid shot of Teddy being sit in a toilet. We can't see his face, but we see his figure in the bathroom. The camera tilts up and down very slightly to create the effect of a boat on the sea, causing Teddy to feel very seasick.
• The next shot is a over the shoulder close-up of Teddy looking at himself in the mirror, insisting he must 'pull [him]self together'. As we see two of Teddy in one shot it implies split personality.
• When Teddy looks out of the mirror, the closed framing of the close-up really helps us to empathise with his claustrophobia in the boat. 
• Teddy washes his hands in the camera looks down at his hands, and then quickly tilts up to a close-up of his face. The fast tilt mirrors the feeling of being seasick as the boat is rocking back and forth. Teddy breaks the fourth wall here, and we feel like he is addressing us, almost acknowledging his fictionality, as you may do in a play. This is a clue into the reveal at the end of the film about our perception of the reality.
• There is a wide shot of Teddy walking through the sheltered level of the boat, and large claw-like equipment is hanging from the ceiling. The camera changes focus between this equipment and Teddy, and these being in close proximity to Teddy, swinging as the boat sways, makes us feel quite uncomfortable.
• We are first introduced to Chuck, Teddy's colleague, by a mid shot looking through a metal cage, ceasing a feeling of separation between the Teddy and Chuck, perhaps showing he's difficult to read or get through to. It also reflects the hidden reason for Chuck being here, and what he keeps from Teddy.
• Dialogue between Teddy and Chuck is shown through mid shots, most with the open framing and the sea going on 'forever' behind them. It shows further how they're just surrounded with water- Teddy's worst nightmare.
• When Chuck asks whether Teddy has 'a girl', is it accompanied by a close-up, with Chuck in frame but the full focus on Teddy. Through this we see how uncomfortable he is when discussing his wife.
• cross-cut to a flashback of Teddy's wife; first we see Teddy's wife and then the camera pans as we see Teddy doing up his shirt. There's a closeup of his wife's bare feet standing by Teddy, which shows how close they must have been. 
• Close-up on Teddy when he simply adds, 'she died'. We see how upset but also how in control he is of his emotions from this shot. He dismisses any sympathy by simply saying, 'don't worry about it,' which is a bold contrast to his attitude to his wife's death later on in the film.

Editing

• The editing style is quite simplistic, with straight cuts and continuity, but not in the flashbacks.
• When we cross-cut to the flashback, we see a record playing, then quickly cut to a zoom on Dolores (his wife) and then cuts to a still close-up of Dolores. The high-speed editing and awkward cuts reflect the warped nature of Teddy's flashbacks.
• It cross-cuts to a frame of the water rushing by near the boat, and then to a freeze frame back to his wife. This make it seem awkward and slightly creepy that it's a still image, and as the sound of the waves continues underneath still image it links the two together. This is the first reference to Dolores and her connection later on in the film with water. 

Sound 

• There's a sound bridge that opens the first scene, so we hear the sound of the sea before the mist of the sea appears. 
• The diegetic sound dominates until the flashback, there is a very quiet orchestral score that goes underneath the whole scene, but it's barely there. Therefore the main focus is on the dialogue and what's going on in the frame. All we hear are waves, fog horns, the equipment swinging on the ceiling of the boat and Teddy being sick.
• During the flashback, non-diegetic sound of what could be a women's voice but very warped. It adds to the nostalgic but melancholic feeling on the flashback.

Lighting and Colour

• The colour of the scene is very cold until the flashback. It emphasises how uncomfortable Teddy is in this setting. In the flashback scene the colours are very warm, which show that this is a happy memory for Teddy. It is a great contrast between the flashback and reality, and really helps to distinguish between the two throughout the whole film. 
• The lighting in the first section inside the boat is very important- the only light source in the bathroom is from outside, so it casts shadows over Teddy's face so one side is lit and the other isn't this further highlights the idea of split personality, or an element of Teddy that is being hidden from us. 
• In the flashback the lighting is warm and natural, and there is also a light shining behind them, particularly catching on the edges of Dolores' hair, making her look angelic and etherial.

Mise-en-scene

• It is clear from the close-ups of Teddy that he is very uncomfortable around the water. He constantly looks distressed and sweaty, throwing up as he looks out on the never-ending sea. His fear or sickness when he looks at the water is of course a reference to the end of the film, which foreshadows the link to Dolores and water. 
• Dolores is dressed in a light, airy dress, her toe-nails a painted pink and her hair is up in curls- clearly the first memory of her is in her best light, and Teddy immediately recalls the best things about her. 
• The men's costumes epitomise the style of the 50s, and as they are suits it shows they are going to a formal working atmosphere.