Last week I was asked to participate in a telephone conversation about Martin Scorsese's Shutter Island with some pretty big names in the film writing community: David Poland of The Hot Blog, Glenn Kenny of Some Came Running, and NY Mag contributor Bilge Ebiri. No, I have no idea why I was conisdered worthy of such company, but of course I jumped at the opportunity-- a movie like Shutter Island, with all its crazy twists and arty references, deserves to be discussed with smart people as much as possible.
Below you can download the files to listen to our entire conversation or listen to it in the embedded players, divided up into chunks by topics ranging from the movie's surprising box office success to the intricate meanings of the ending. Spoilers, obviously, for Shutter Island ahead. It was a fascinating conversation to be a part of, and well worth a listen in my humble opinion. Hopefully I didn't sound like too much of a ninny, but I'll let you be the judge.
What made this film the largest Martin Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio opening of all time?
Why should audiences see this film more than once?
What influences of classic cinema do you see in Shutter Island?
Discuss the collaborative relationship between Scorsese and DiCaprio.
What does the twist ending mean? How does it affect your experience as a filmgoer?
