Rene Descartes was a philosopher who introduced a popular philosophical method called Radical Doubt in his book Meditations on First Philosophy. Descartes “proposed to discard any kind of belief that could be doubted, [because] it might be false.” In both Shutter Island directed by Martin Scorsese and The Shining directed by Stanley Kubrick, viewers are introduced to characters who doubt the very existence of reality, much like Descartes, and who have drowned in the depths of madness. Fear, paranoia and doubt are the main ingredients that make both films a psychological labyrinth that constantly teases the brain at every turn. Martin Scorsese and Stanley Kubrick are both masters of filmmaking and are not regulars in the horror genre. However, both have created a product that makes viewers wonder what it means to be sane. The goal of this essay is to demonstrate the similarities and differences between Shutter Island and The Shining based on the themes of madness, isolation, and alcoholism. The story of Shutter Island revolves around Marshall Teddy Daniels and his partner Chuck Aule and their journey to a remote and barren island to investigate the mysterious disappearance of an inmate from the asylum. The island is home to a fortress-like mental institution, Ashcliffe Hospital, which houses 66 of the country's most dangerous criminals. From the beginning, Martin Scorsese introduces viewers to the theme of isolation. In the opening scene, Scorsese uses the boat ride as a sign that illustrates how the island is drifting away from reality. Viewers are never introduced to an unfiltered view of the "real world" outside of the asylum. The only information available about reality beyond the middle of the sheet of paper... he finds himself trapped on the island due to a hurricane, just as Jack finds himself trapped in the hotel due to a blizzard. Both Shutter Island and The Shining revolve around unreliable protagonists. Viewers are introduced to the "heroes" and then their slow descent into madness. Isolation and madness are prominent in every scene of both films, turning normal, loving fathers into crazed, psychotic killers that led to both their demise. Works Citedhttp://www.swif.uniba.it/lei/foldop/foldoc.cgi?Cartesian+doubthttp://faculty.ccri.edu/paleclerc/intro/desc_method.shtmlhttp://movies.ign.com/articles /107/1070199p1.htmlhttp://www.theauteurs.com/films/3506http://metaphilm.com/index.php/detail/the_shining/http://www.houseofhorrors.com/shining.htmhttp://blog .cinemaautopsy.com/2010/02/16/film-review-shutter-island-2010/
tags