Task 1...

Shutter Island

45 Minutes

This scene in Shutter Island, includes characters Teddy Daniels, Chuck Alue (both US Marshalls), Rachel Solando (a patient at the mental institution)

As soon as we meet Rachel, she is presented with a high angle shot, victimising and subordinating her. This is then is opposed by a slight low angle shot accompanied by low key lighting creating a shadow behind Teddy, connoting that he is the superior, as he is in power and she is not. Having the institution show hose empowered by the government are more significant than a mental individual connotes that the institution want you to believe that the government are to be trusted.

Again we are then presented with a high angle shot, presenting Rachel in the middle of the frame, surrounded by other men, perhaps connoting that males are more important. Having the men dressed in white shows their purity and cleanliness that sane people have, whereas having a close up Rachel with no shoes on shows that she is feral like and does not comply to simple social norms such as wearing appropriate clothing (dirty clothing).

The change in Rachel’s behaviour causes concern to the professionals, from being quiet and soft spoken, to lashing out at the officer.

Having the Marshall moving down to Rachel’s level, as a parent would do to a child, insinuates that she has no longer got the qualities of a functional human being, and is being treated as a dependant being, this is also enforced through Rachel’s constant need of reassurance from the Dr.

What is also alarming is that in the 50’s black people were only just being accepted and having one of them working above a mentally ill person, proves how little they are thought of by society.

This therefore, creates the idea of moral panic, if people like this are living among us and have not been diagnosed by doctors, then it leaves the everyday person in danger, and they cannot confrom to the everyday norms and values.