Shutter Island From Novel to Film Martin Scorsese's Shutter Island is a brilliant film adapted from Dennis Lehane's equally brilliant novel. After feeling an emotional connection to the book, Scorsese set to work on creating this masterpiece starring Leonardo DiCaprio. Upon its release, Shutter Island sparked all kinds of reactions; this completely divided critics and fans. Scorsese's portrayal of Teddy Daniels (the main character) and Dr. Cawley is very comprehensive and only a little liberal, with almost nothing missing or added. The overall tone or mood of the film is quite different from the feelings I had while reading the book. Scorsese presents a much scarier and creepier vibe in the film. Lehane, on Scorsese, said in an interview: "I felt empathetic for the character, overwhelmed by the nature of the story." (Wong). Scorsese has often been hailed as the greatest living American director and has worked in the film industry for over forty years. He describes the process of translating the mood he felt within himself onto the big screen as having to constantly "choose, select, highlight certain visual and sonic elements." (Wong). Scorsese recalls that he looked to a few other select films for inspiration and reference when creating Shutter Island. These films include Samuel Fuller's Shock Corridor from 1963, Otto Preminger's Laura from 1944, and Jacques Tourneur's Out of the Past from 1947 (Wong). Early reviews of this thriller were completely divided. Some critics and fans were surprised, while others felt downright offended. Roger Ebert falls into the first category. In his review of the 2010 film, he praised the effectiveness of the thriller by referencing its careful thought from the very first musical notes that accompany the opening credits. Ebert beautifully compares Shutter Island to film noir with its similarities including a flawed hero and characters with baggage. He admits that it may take multiple viewpoints for a person to appreciate the ending, but then asserts that such quality is part of what makes Shutter Island such a masterpiece. AO Scott of the New York Times is left with the feeling that he has no control over his environment, starting with his lack of control over his own body (as he vomits from seasickness on the ferry). Even when Teddy is talking with his partner, Chuck Aule, he appears unsure in his facial expressions as he often looks down. When I first read Dennis Lehane's novel, none of these concepts were presented to me. Although Teddy is still vomiting from seasickness and speaking with his partner for the first time, Lehane describes him as a much more nonchalant and confident person. On page 13, in chapter one, we read the first conversation between Teddy and Chuck: “Are you okay? » asked Chuck. “You look