Discuss Unreliability In Shutter Island

Discuss Unreliability In Shutter Island Films more often than enough can demonstrate signs of unreliability and the majority of the time it is the narrator who is the cause of the films dubiousness. The dictionary definition of an unreliable narrator asserts that they demonstrate qualities and tendencies that denote an absence of reliability or perception of the narrative. Whether due to age, mental disability or personal involvement, an unreliable narrator provides the reader with either incomplete or inaccurate information as a result of these conditions.  [1]  As Wayne Booth once stated: I have called a narrator reliable when he speaks for or acts in accordance with the norms of the work, (which is to say, the implied authors norms) unreliable when he does not  [2]  . We are consumers of narratives which has given us the ability to identify unreliable stories. However as theoreticians, we are less well able to say what constitutes unreliability and how it is detected.  [3]  Shutter Island is a film adapted, from a novel, by Martin Scorsese; the film is within the film noir genre, with an unreliable narrator that, as result, plays with your mind and makes the film appear to be very ambiguous. Shutter Island is clearly shown through the perspective of a fallacious narrator. A narrators job is to reveal what is real in the narrative and, comparable to tellers in reality, the narrator may have it incorrect or would rather disclose what they deem to be true. On this model we perceive narrative unreliability when we perceive a disparity between the intentions of the implied author concerning what is true in the story and the intentions of the narrator concerning what she would have the reader believe.  [4]  Shutter Islands narrative follows this idea as throughout the film, the central characters perspective gradually becomes more and more inconsistent. The narrator successfully distorts the lines between fantasy and reality which as a result makes the audience struggle to distinguish between the two. It is not until half way through the film where we are initially required to consider the option that the protagonist himself is the one who is in fact mad. It is, to a certain extent, evident from the beginning that something is not right or clear. Scorse se suggests that the narrator is unreliable without explicitly revealing where the perspective diverges from an objective view of events  [5]  ; thus, we can, on no occasion, really believe what we are being shown. In many films it is possible to distinguish between dream sequences, flashbacks and concrete reality.  [6]  Shutter Island has all of these components however it is hard to distinguish which section is which. The unreliability of the narrator in Shutter Island is hard to decipher as the narrator does not really give us a motive to suspect Teddy. The uncertain characteristics of the island and of the establishment are reinforced with the blustery weather, but also visually with repeated long shots. These shots emphasize the remoteness and eeriness of the area as well as the uncanny diegetic and non-diegetic choice of symphony music. Furthermore, figures like Dr Cawlez (Ben Kingsley), Dr Naehring (Max von Sydow) or the warden (Ted Levine), not to mention the patients themselves, make it even easier to align oneself with Teddys judgment that what is happening on Shutter Island is uncanny.  [7]  It is as the film develops that Teddys illusions turn out to be more powerful and make his reliability dither. For example, during his discussions with Noyce in the prison, Dolores interferes as a hallucination and enhances the unsettling of Teddy. Whats more, Richard Dyer and Douglas Pye are two theorists who indicate with respect to film noir the way in which dream, flashback and voice-over structure cast into doubt the status-as-truth of the eventers presented  [8]  . In Shutter Island, Teddy repeatedly has memories and recollections of Dachau, which he recounts to Dr Naehring. These flashbacks however also blend with his dreams and as result become more detached from the proceedings happening in real life. This is an exemplar for the cooperation amongst the narrators partiality, recollection and trustworthiness, which we reexamine after the recognition of Teddys psychological condition. This unreliability persists all throughout the film and even at the end we are still unclear as to what is real. Furthermore, Shutter Island is made within the film noir genre. A key characteristic in film noir is that there will permanently be some form of a mystery. Shutter Island would be considered a neo-noir film due to the fact that it does relate or draw upon the notion, the image and the putative conventions of film noir, and, directly or indirectly, on some of the film featuring centrally within most version of the basic noir canon.  [9]  It has been affirmed that an element of the film noir genre is that the characters the story is centered on are mentally and emotionally vulnerable  [10]  and occasionally they are, or envision themselves, to be physically helpless too. Leonardo Di Caprio is the protagonist in Shutter Island; he has been through a distressing incident where his wife and children have died. He is plagued by images of his dead family and haunted by the fact he was unable to stop it; as a result, he is on a mission to find and murder his wifes murder. However, he is hampered by himself through his mental condition of suppression and deterioration which is the primary narrative impediment for the audience. A quote by Leonardo from the film Memento that sums this idea up: Memories can be distorted. Theyre just an interpretation, theyre not a record, and theyre irrelevant if you have the facts.  [11]   As a final point, when watching a film, we need to be conscious that nonentity may appear as it seems and that even the camera may be lying to us. Seymour Chatman once asserted that visuals are no more sacrosanct than words and that the camera can even conspire with an unreliable narrator  [12]  . In the genre film noir, this method of narrative disruption is very common, for example in the movie The Lady from Shanghai (Orson Welles), the cameras focal point is on the main character who is correspondingly the unreliable narrator, which is confessed by mistake in the introductory narrative. In Shutter Island red herrings can be discovered, however they are quite simply disregarded, which operates to subvert the narrative. Shutter Island supports this idea of not being able to trust the camera: one example is seen when Teddy fires his gun at Cawley where his blood is dashed all over the white board. However, shortly after the image we are presented with a shot that makes it appear as if nothing has occurred, that the gun is fake and the Cawley is still positioned in the same place and very much alive. It is clear in this sequence that the narrative discourse here is built for shock effect  [13]  ; however it also clearly demonstrates to the audience that Teddy and the camera are scheming with each other and that the camera is in actual fact Teddys coconspirator. In conclusion, it can be debated that Shutter Islands story occurs on six distinct planes which are the actual reality, the narrated reality, the perceived reality, the flashbacks, the dreams and finally the hallucinations  [14]  . It is difficult to differentiate each one throughout the film due to the fact that they all blend together which is what makes it confusing and difficult for the audience to extricate reality and the truth from the rest. As a result, the audience, between the unreliable narrator and the unreliable camera work, are left with unclear knowledge of what is really happening. Shutter Island strongly follows the film noir genre characteristics by leaving the revelation of what is real until the end, however, Shutter Island is slightly different to many common film noir films due to the fact that even the ending is slightly unclear, while it is generally supposed that the film will end with Teddys lobotomy as he is taken away by the orderlies in the final imag e of the film  [15]  . Due to the fact that even the ending is ambiguous, it is clear that Shutter Island has a very unreliable narrator which makes it difficult for the viewer to distinguish reality from the rest.

The structure of the play Blood Brothers

At the start of the play , w see the end of the play , a flash back, although at this point we do not know its the end , all we see is 2 men dead on the floor and a very mysterious and creepy music can be heard , leaving the audience wondering what is going on. Then we learn of what is going on as the narrator recites a passage that we here a few times in the play â€Å"As like each other as two new pins, of one womb born on the self same day, how one was kept and one given away? An did you never hear how the Johnston's died, never knowing that they shared one name till the day they died, when a mother cried, my own dear sons lie slain† this passage tells the audience what's happening and gives away the plot, but it doesn't ruin it for the audience as there is still information they do not know for example, how did they die? Why did they not know they were brothers? And lots more questions, causing them to be more indulged in the play. Complication The complication in the play is when Mrs. Johnstone is forced to give up one of her sons to Mrs. Lyons to avoid losing them both to social services or going into so much debt that she just couldn't look after them. If this part of the play didn't happen, there really would be no play as it would mean Eddie and Mickey wouldn't have to meet and they would never become blood brothers, Eddie wouldn't go to university because he wouldn't of been able to afford it and Eddie wouldn't of had the good job and been able to give Linda money later on in the play and give Mickey a job. Rising action Other small complications in the play that are added in to make it more interesting and add more action are important to the play also. The love triangle between Mickey, Eddie and Linda, without this part of the play Linda wouldn't have cheated on Mickey causing Mickey to get jealous and seek out Eddie to kill him at the end of the play. But another complication which was vital and the reason that Linda cheated was Sammie shooting the man and Mickey going to prison for it , if this didn't happen Mickey wouldn't of got depressed had to take his Tablets , he wouldn't of slowly pushed Linda away, and as I said , Linda wouldn't have cheated. Climax The climax of the play is obviously the end sequence which starts with Mrs Lyons who at this point in the play has become a paranoid wreck showing/telling Mickey that Edward and Linda are together, This is a catalyst for the ending everything in the play after this point speeds up (the music, the speech the movement) Mickey is outraged by what he now knows about his wife and Ex best friend so he runs home finds the gun that Sammie used to shoot the man earlier in the play and goes in search of Eddie , during this he the female characters realise what's about to happen and emotions hit there peaks â€Å"he's †¦. Mickey†¦. Mickey's got a gun† (Mrs. J) (p97) the tension and speed increases more and more as we get closer to the end. Shouting and screaming increases the tension, Mickey reminds the audience of what has happened throughout the play â€Å"FREINDS! I could kill you. We were Friends weren't we? Blood brothers, wasn't it? Remember?† then it finally hits the peak when Mrs Johnstone tells them there brothers and they both are shot, Mickey by the police officer then Edward by Mickey. Solution The solution, although sad is the two twins dying, if it wasn't for them not knowing they were twins the play would never have been, but nothing could be peaceful and right until the problem made at the start which was them, was taken away. The secrets and lies had to come clean for the play to be ended and that meant Mrs Johnstone had to learn from her mistakes, she had to be punished for her mistakes and the superstition which pays such a key part in this play had to come true. Finally we end the Play how it started with the mysterious Narrator repeating the passage said at the start â€Å"Did you ever here the story of the johnstone twins , As like each other as two new pins, of one womb born on the self same day, how one was kept and one given away? An did you never hear how the Johnston's died, never knowing that they shared one name till the day they died, when a mother cried, my own dear sons lie slain†. The narrator The narrator in the play plays a very important character in the play, like most narrators he tell the story, but this narrator is slightly more mysterious and complicated than most. He is a ghost like figure; He seems to always be there, but is never seen by the characters, he is truly like a ghost , in some parts of the play he touches the characters they turn round to see who it was but they seem to see nothing although the audience see him there. I have said that the narrator plays a ghost like figure other interpretations of him would be an evil spirit or the devil, I wouldn't Say he was ever like a guardian angel though because all his references are to bad things in the play, he is never really around when happy and comical parts of the play E.G when there children are playing guns but is ever present when tension and anger is involved in the scene , also his song â€Å"The devils got your number† suggests he may be the devil or an evil spirit in connection with the devil. The narrator also continuously refers back to superstition reminding the audience of a very key factor in the play. His lines are never blunt and straight to the point either, they usually are in riddles to make the audience think. Themes The themes in Blood brothers are constantly referred to and gone back to throughout the play, usually reminded to the audience by the narrator but also quite obvious in the play. The first is fate this is mainly shown through the flash back, we see what the ending is like and we are also told by the narrator so throughout the play we know its going to end up like the start. The second and proberly most important theme is superstition â€Å"new shoes on the table, take them off† this theme is a main factor of fear in the play , Mrs johnstone is forever scared to let Mickey and Eddie play and be friends as she is scared if they find out they are brothers they will both die , like Mrs. Lyons said. The final theme is love, love pays a key part and links with superstition Mrs Johnstone loves both her sons and doesn't want them to die , But due to the love triangle between Linda , Eddie and Mickey she has to tell them showing how destructive love really is. The love of different class's is also shown in the play, we see Mrs Lyons and upper class citizen being very over protective of Eddie because she loves him so much she doesn't want him getting hurt in comparison to Mrs johnstone who would rather show her love by letting Mickey enjoy himself and have fun. Dancing Dancing is referred to a lot in the play especially in a lot of the songs, were Mrs. Johnstone refers to a lover taking her dancing or not taking her dancing. Again dancing is compared in the two social classes in the play Mrs Lyons teaches Edward to dance in a very traditional way E.g. a Waltz, were as Mickey Dances to a disco music and Rocky music reflecting on the character as Edward dances a more mature and educated dance and Mickey dances a more playful Un educated dance which doesn't have much structure. Dreams and ambitions Every Character in the play has there own dreams and ambitions again these are Very different over the two social classes. To start though Mrs Lyons has the dream of having a child, so when Mrs. Johnstone comes to her with twins that she doesn't think she can look after Mrs Lyons jumps at the opportunity. In Mrs. Johnstone case she dreams of getting a new husband, moving house, Getting money, she also gets all the things she wants†¦ but these things seem to all cause problems later on in the play , for example Mrs Lyons gets her Child but ends turning into a paranoid wreck because she feels the burden of the secret of adopting Mrs J's baby illegally is always upon her. In Mrs Johnston's case moving house and getting a new man is really ruined as they move to were The Lyons family have escaped to and Mickey and Eddie grow up together, if this wouldn't of happened they proberly would of forgotten each other preventing both there deaths. Both Mickey and Eddies dreams and ambitions also cause destruction there dreams to be like the other seems to cause jealousy which eventually causes Mickey to shoot Eddie, Eddie's dreams of university separates the 3 friends leaving Mickey to fend for himself and make the wrong choices. So to sum up every ones dreams and ambitions seem to come true in the play but they all seem to backfire on the characters. Toy guns Toy guns is an issue covered in the play which causes many problems, when the characters are kids they play with toy guns as said in the song they can get up after a count to ten , they cant die when they play with toy guns they don't understand the dangers of guns , this lack of understanding is carried out into there adulthood and it results in Mickey being put in prison when Sammie pulls the trigger and shoots someone , but still Mickey does not learn his lesson, in the final scene when Mickey holds the gun to Eddie I don't think he means to shoot him , I think he is using it to scare Edward and due to his naivety when he shoots Eddie he kills him , he kills his own brother and best friend. He has never grown up, he is still a kid inside, but the weapon he holds has.

Broomfield and Childs Essay

When the DVD has finished, I will hand round a script of what they have just watched (Appendix.2). We will read the scene taking turns, rather than giving specific parts to individual children. This allows children to feel involved and reduces pressure on those who are less confident to read. When we have read the script, I will explain that in the next lesson we will be using the text to act out the scene in small groups. Lesson two will begin by dividing the children into groups of 4. My Learning Objective for this lesson will be to perform a scene from a given script using emotion and feeling. The children will be given the responsibility to decide who takes on each role and how the scene will be set. When the children have rehearsed their scene they will share their work with the other groups. Through watching individual interpretations of the scene I will be able to assess the level of expression used both facially and in movement and offer constructive praise and potential areas for development. At this point I will seat the children in a circle and discuss that the film ‘Titanic’ is just one version of the events aboard the ship. I will talk to the children about my Great, Great Uncle who was a steward on board the Titanic and did not survive. I will then read the children a Survivor’s Story and explain that although a lot of people did drown when the ship sank, many escaped on lifeboats. Giving the children a balanced view of the facts will allow them to make informed decisions later in the lesson. The children will then be encouraged to write short scripts for a  final scene of the story. They need to choose a genre for their script based on their learning. The ending could take one of the following forms; tragedy, fantasy, romance, or it may have a happy ending. In groups they are to write a script that they will perform to the class in the next lesson. Through planning for a final performance, children are set a specific deadline which may concentrate their minds and keep their attention. They will have access to the props in the classroom and will be able to bring in things from home if required. Giving the children the freedom to create their own scene will allow them to think independently and apply what they have learned from the topic. Promoting creativity is a powerful way of engaging pupils with their learning. (The Report on Excellence and Enjoyment, 2003) It is essential that I monitor the groups throughout the script writing process and offer guidance where necessary. Some children may need encouragement to offer ideas and reluctant writers may need the help of a scribe. By Lesson three all groups will be finishing their scripts and rehearsing their scene. My learning objective for this lesson will be for the children to analyse the characters portrayed by their peers in a professional manner and offer feedback on the performances given. When the children are ready they will perform their scene to the rest of the class. This will be the finale to our topic of the Titanic and will incorporate additional props such as life jackets, fake blood and background music. When each group has performed the children will be encouraged to discuss how effective the scenes were and which parts were; sad, funny, emotional or thought provoking. Peter (2003:23) states, Drama provokes emotional responses in children that are real, and the chance also to learn about their feelings, responses and the consequences of their reactions to situations that are realistic.  Ã‚  This part of the lesson gives me the opportunity to evaluate to what extent my learning objectives have been achieved and how well the children have grasped the topic. It is important that learning objectives are achievable and can be adapted to suit every child. In this continuation of three lessons my learning objectives have covered areas of character, scriptwriting and peer assessment. Each child will have met these objectives in different ways, but the very nature of drama allows for this flexibility. A good teacher will recognise that there will be differences in ability levels within the class and set work accordingly. All feedback should be positive and productive and be of use to the class as a whole. I will assess how the children give and receive feedback and ensure all comments are constructive. McCrae (2003:32) agrees,  It is essential that the teacher does not compare one group with another, but highlights positives of each piece independently; praise in order to encourage self expression and self evaluation.

The Goals of Sentencing in the Criminal Justice System

The Goals of Sentencing in the Criminal Justice System By: Brian Ouellette Criminal Justice CCJ 1020 Mr. Leonardo Cadogan Abstract In the United States there is no standard when it comes to punishment and sentencing. This area of the criminal justice system is in a constant state of change. Sentencing practices and goals are always being closely examined. From getting tough on crime to more rehabilitative approaches, the views and goals of sentencing are always being corrected. Since time began, there was crime and with crime came the need to punish criminals. How criminals were punished and the methods behind the punishment changed throughout the times. Standards of†¦show more content†¦Those who give little credit to incapacitation could claim this to be mere coincidence, while those who support it say the crime reducing effect of incapacitation takes time. Rehabilitation assumes criminal behavior can be improved with non-punitive methods. Rehabilitation, although non-punitive, usually occurs along side punishment. For instance an incarcerated person may be given many rehabilitative options. Mental health programming, substance abuse counseling and even education programming exist in modern day correctional facilities. A judge may sentence someone to attend rehabilitative programming as a part of probation or it may be included as a stipulation in a plea agreement. At the core of rehabilitation is the thought that a criminal is flawed, often thro ugh no fault of their own. Poverty, mental health issues, or childhood trauma may all contribute to a criminal life and rehabilitation attempts to aid in a sort of recovery. If a person is cured of their issues, perhaps they will not fall back into their previous pattern. (Siegel Senna, 2005). Similar to rehabilitation is the idea of restoration. While rehabilitation is through non-punitive means, restoration is the idea that punishment helps to promote a moral sense. 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