Thriller Film Openings- Shutter Island

The opening sequence to Shutter Island conforms to the codes and conventions of the Thriller genre. One way in which it achieves this is quick shots and obtrusive editing. Quick shots accentuate to the feeling of suspense and tension of the film and creates disorientation of time and space.

Another way it conforms to the codes and conventions is the non-diegetic sound that creates great tension. This tension music is essential in thriller films and it adds to the suspense as it gradually gets faster and louder until the climax where there is a loud sound and then a sudden stop which makes you think that something is going to happen. Furthermore, Shutter Island conforms to the codes and conventions of a thriller film in the sense that all of the scenes are filmed in a dark and eerie manner. This low key lighting creates a sense of fear which gets the audience more involved and also sets the mood of what the film will be like. In this opening scene you can see little breaks in the frame, which give a vintage as if it looks like it was filmed in the 1950's. This gives the effect that the film is set in the past or that where it is set is isolated, as they do not have the technology for a digital camera. Giving the effect of isolation also helps the film fit to the codes and conventions of a thriller genre because the isolation suggests that the victims are unable to call for help and have no way out, this gives the audience a false sense of security as they think the protagonist will not survive which according to Todorov's theory is very peculiar.