Trivia
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Spoilers (5)
Before settling on Mark Ruffalo for the role of Chuck Aule, Leonardo DiCaprio and Martin Scorsese also considered Robert Downey Jr. and Josh Brolin.
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This was originally commissioned as a directing vehicle for Wolfgang Petersen. However, there were considerable modifications made to Dennis Lehane's novel in order to create a more action-driven blockbuster.
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Shortly (August 2009) before its original release in October 2009, the movie was pushed back to February 2010. It did, however, have a special "secret" screening at Austin's "Butt-Numbathon" film festival in December of 2009. Critics attended the screening but were asked not to release their reviews until the official release date.
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The whispered line in Complex C ("Stop me before I kill more") is likely a reference to William Heirens, a serial killer in Chicago in the 1940s.
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The movie's US$40.2 million opening weekend take in the United States marked a career best for director Martin Scorsese. It went on to gross over $293 million worldwide, making it the highest grossing film of his career.
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Scenery from Peddocks Island (initial island approach), Acadia National Park in Maine, Medfield State Hospital in Medfield, MA, and the Rice Estate at Turner Hill Country Club in Ipswich, MA were combined via CGI to create the imagery of Shutter Island as a whole. The large mountainous area of the island seen during the ferry approach was added in post-production and does not exist, but the decaying brick buildings on the lowlands are real ruins from Peddocks Island.
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This is the fourth time that director Martin Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio have worked on a film together. They previously collaborated in Gangs of New York, The Aviator and The Departed.
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The ball-point pen Teddy uses in the film is a Parker Jotter, it was released in 1954 (the year the film takes place) and was the first successful and reliable ball-point pen to hit the market, which quickly drove fountain pens into obsolescence. Over 3.5 million pens were sold that year and the Parker Jotter dominated the ball-point pen market during that decade.
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The traumatic killing of Nazi guards of Dachau concentration camp is a historical event, taking place on 29 April 1945 when the camp was liberated by the US Army.
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The film was intended to be released in October 2009 but it was postponed because Paramount's remaining yearly marketing and Oscars campaigning budget could only afford for its two other movies, Up in the Air and The Lovely Bones.
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Columbia first optioned the film rights to Dennis Lehane's novel in 2003 when it was first published but after many delays, the rights relapsed back to the author.
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Some of Val Lewton's 1940s zombies movies were an inspiration for Martin Scorsese in creating the film's mood.
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First scheduled to be released by Paramount in the US and Canada on 2 October 2009 to be in contention for that year's Oscars. Paramount later pushed the film back to 19 February 2010 due to financing problems (the studio didn't have the $50-$60 million necessary to promote an awards movie). Another reason cited for the push-back was Leonardo DiCaprio's unavailability for the interview circuit due to other filming commitments. Paramount also figured that a film geared towards adult audiences might achieve some traction in the doldrums month of February when there are traditionally very few "intelligent" movies released.
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The film opened with a $41 million weekend, Martin Scorsese's best figures and (up until the release of Inception later that same year), Leonardo DiCaprio's.
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To give his actors an idea of how his film would be stylistically, Martin Scorsese screened Out of the Past and Vertigo for his cast and crew.
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The quote "remember us for we too have lived, loved and laughed" seen on a plaque on the way to the mental institution is taken from Medfield's Vine Lake Cemetery. A contest was held to come up with an quote to be used on a stone marker as a remembrance of those who died in the 1918 influenza epidemic known as the Spanish flu.
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Spoilers
There are several clues and intentional continuity errors throughout the film that foreshadow the ending. This includes a patient's drink of water disappearing between shots (she drinks from an empty hand), a cardigan appearing briefly on 'Rachel' (which is later worn by the other 'Rachel') and lines from Edward/Andrew's dreams being repeated (such as "Why are you wet, baby?"). These techniques are also used in his dreams showing a similarity between what he perceives as a dream and what he perceives as real.
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Dolores in the dream sequence is depicted as having her back hollowed out and ashen. In this aspect, she bears a strange resemblance to the Skogsra or Huldra of Norwegian folklore: beautiful forest trolls whose backs resembled hollowed-out trunks that seduced men into marrying them. If their men abused, them they would wreak vengeance on the men or revert to an ugly form. This may connect Dolores' mental breakdown to Teddy/Andrew's alcoholism and the implied mental and verbal abuse that she suffered at his hands as a result.
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The Dachau dream sequences were originally intended to be shot entirely in 65mm, but on the second night of using the 65mm cameras, they broke down entirely. However, a few shots in which Teddy goes through the camp in civilian clothes survive in the movie.
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It is shown in the movie that Andrew Laeddis is an anagram of Edward Daniels. It is also shown that Rachel Solando is an anagram of Dolores Chanal.
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The title "Shutter Island" is an anagram of both "Truths and Lies" and "Truths / Denials".
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