There is no doubt that Inception is a very original, very creative film. But its star Leo Dicaprio (Titanic, The Departed)'s last film actually bares some striking similarities--especially when comparing main characters. Time to compare and contrast mind-bending 2010 critical/box office hits. More specifically, Inception and Shutter Island.
Before I begin, I must warn you that I will be stating major spoilers for both of these films. You have been warned.
If you are one of the very few people who hasn't seen Inception or forgot the story, I will refresh your memory. A man's wife dies after he ignored the signs that she was going insane--an insanity he was partly responsible for. He is so upset that he is loosing touch with reality and delving into a mythical world. In this world, his wife manifests as a malicious entity, and he is resistant to outside force to try and take him out of his fantasy (he is actually harming others when in his odd state of mind). In the end it appears he let go of his wife, but the final scene hints that he may once again be in a dream. This is deliberately left unclear and the ending is cause for much debate and speculation.
Now for the plot of Shutter Island. What appears to be a mystery of a marshal trapped on an island turns out to be some desperate doctor's last ditch effort to break a psychiatric hospital's patient out of a mythical world he has created for himself. The world is caused because the man is distraught over killing his wife (he did so after his wife killed his children after he ignored the signs that she was mentally ill). In his delusions, his wife manifests as a malicious entity, and he is resistant to outside force to try and take him out of his fantasy (he becomes a danger to others when in his odd state of mind). In the end it appears he has let go of his insanity, but then he appears to revert back to it. The last lines (as he is being led for a severe lobotomy) imply that he is doing so consciously. This is a departure from the book, in which he reverted back to his hallucinations against his will.
One has to admit--the stories are really similar. Now, one has to ask them-self why?
This type of theme might have significance for DiCaprio, or perhaps both directors (highly regarded Christopher Nolan and Martin Scorsese) thought he was fitting for that king of story (one should note the latter had collaborated with him on several other projects before). Another theory would just be that he was selected since he is a high profile Hollywood name and both movies were critic darlings.
Why, though, are the stories so similar. Why are the characters so alike? The writers were different, and the films were made at around the same time. It is possible Inception Director Nolan was inspired by the Dennis Lehane book Shutter Island was based on, but this is just speculation.
The themes that are similar between films appear to be the effects of grief and guilt and the dangers of delving into insanity and fantasy to ease the pain. In both stories the person subconsciously chooses to start their dreamlike state, but quickly looses control and becomes a danger to those around him. It is a powerful message--the temptation to give up on regulating one's emotions can be very strong, but the effects could be very devastating.
It is odd that two of the best rated films so far this year were dealing with the same issues, but there probably is a reason behind it. With such an abundance of environmental and anti-war movies filmmakers would of course be looking for a new story to tell, and with the economy in a tizzy many people are feeling quite down. A tale that tells of why are mind gets so upset--and how to control it--would be both original and appealing.
Also possible is the fact that with major breakthrough in psychology and civil rights for the mentally troubled Hollywood--and the broader culture--is just starting to explore the lives of people who are really messed up. Films like Star Wars have metaphorically explored the effects of dabbling with "craziness" and its results, but only recently has it been popular to make a film with a really screwed up protagonist. Think back to all the most classic and popular films before this century: almost all of them have a relatively nice, sane hero. The darkest corruption of a character tended to be in their morals (such as Citizen Kane)--now movies are showing people who's entire sense of reality has been torn apart.
To understand culture--and what appeals to it--one can get quite a good deal of information by looking at the films. Comparing 2010's mind-bending twist ending thrillers can go so far as to show society's perception of culture and human nature changing.
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