# Spoil Shutter Island for me (or more precisely: don't) \[SPOILERS LIKELY\] **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 18, 2010, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spoil-shutter-island-for-me-or-more-precisely-dont-spoilers-likely/529468 "2010-02-18T15:17:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Short\_Guy\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9adbd/32.png) [@Short\_Guy\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Short_Guy_1)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2010, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spoil-shutter-island-for-me-or-more-precisely-dont-spoilers-likely/529468/1 "2010-02-18T15:17:36Z")
This is going to be a bit of a strange question, because I want to go see Shutter Island when it comes out here in Belgium, and I don’t want to know how it ends, except in one particular case, which I’ll explain. Upon reading the description on IMDb and watching the trailer, I can’t escape the feeling that this is a “twist ending” sort of thriller, the twist being (all too predictably) that the DiCaprio character will turn out to have been an inmate at the asylum all along. (“There are 66 inmates here currently, are there not? Who is number 67?”) Since I’m profoundly tired of this particular twist, I’d like to ask anyone who’s already seen it (or read the book): if it does turn out the way I fear it does, please tell me; if it doesn’t, just say that it doesnt, but please don’t spoil the movie for me. I hope this makes sense. Thanks! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Gordon\_Urquhart](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/db5fbb/32.png) [@Gordon\_Urquhart](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gordon_Urquhart)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2010, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spoil-shutter-island-for-me-or-more-precisely-dont-spoilers-likely/529468/2 "2010-02-18T16:53:32Z")
You are right (as long as the film follows the storyline of the book, which I read a couple of weeks ago and felt like throwing against the wall upon finishing it). ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2010, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spoil-shutter-island-for-me-or-more-precisely-dont-spoilers-likely/529468/3 "2010-02-18T17:02:58Z")
It’s from Martin Scorcese. Is it a horror movie like the commercials seem to indicate? ---
**Author:** ![It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/it_s_not_rocket_surgery/32/312_2.png) [@It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/It_s_Not_Rocket_Surgery)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2010, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spoil-shutter-island-for-me-or-more-precisely-dont-spoilers-likely/529468/4 "2010-02-18T17:26:42Z")
It’s funny - I asked almost the same question with the same worry yesterday: [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=552591](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=552591) ---
**Author:** ![Short\_Guy\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9adbd/32.png) [@Short\_Guy\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Short_Guy_1)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2010, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spoil-shutter-island-for-me-or-more-precisely-dont-spoilers-likely/529468/5 "2010-02-18T21:33:12Z")
> [@Gordon\_Urquhart](#): > > You are right (as long as the film follows the storyline of the book, which I read a couple of weeks ago and felt like throwing against the wall upon finishing it). Oh dear god no. Thanks for the info. ---
**Author:** ![Short\_Guy\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9adbd/32.png) [@Short\_Guy\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Short_Guy_1)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2010, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spoil-shutter-island-for-me-or-more-precisely-dont-spoilers-likely/529468/6 "2010-02-18T21:35:15Z")
> [@It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](#): > > It’s funny - I asked almost the same question with the same worry yesterday: > [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=552591](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=552591) Funny, I did a search and everything. Curse my searchability! ---
**Author:** ![Sefton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@Sefton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sefton)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2010, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spoil-shutter-island-for-me-or-more-precisely-dont-spoilers-likely/529468/7 "2010-02-20T23:57:16Z")
God I wish I’d read this thread. I just came out of the theater. Yech. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2010, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spoil-shutter-island-for-me-or-more-precisely-dont-spoilers-likely/529468/8 "2010-02-21T02:18:13Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > It’s from Martin Scorcese. > > Is it a horror movie like the commercials seem to indicate? Well, no. The book is more a mystery, with some elements of spooky. ---
**Author:** ![stpauler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@stpauler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stpauler)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2010, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spoil-shutter-island-for-me-or-more-precisely-dont-spoilers-likely/529468/9 "2010-02-21T02:48:39Z")
I got bored with the movie and knew nothing about it going in 'cept for a scary looking commercial (and I thought it would be more of a horror flick too). Once the “twist” was revealed I wanted to bark at the screen. But, I’m curious about one part, we found the 67 part, but what was the “Rule of 4”? ---
**Author:** ![DMark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2010, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spoil-shutter-island-for-me-or-more-precisely-dont-spoilers-likely/529468/10 "2010-02-21T03:14:48Z")
We just saw it and liked it. To answer the OP - you are, well, sort of right, but not exactly - there is a bit of a twist to the twist in the very last line of dialogue. ---
**Author:** ![stpauler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@stpauler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stpauler)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2010, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spoil-shutter-island-for-me-or-more-precisely-dont-spoilers-likely/529468/11 "2010-02-21T03:17:06Z")
> [@stpauler](#): > > I got bored with the movie and knew nothing about it going in 'cept for a scary looking commercial (and I thought it would be more of a horror flick too). Once the “twist” was revealed I wanted to bark at the screen. But, I’m curious about one part, we found the 67 part, but what was the “Rule of 4”? And why is the “Rule of 4” missing in the [preview trailer](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HYVrHkYoY80) too? ---
**Author:** ![sulamith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f08c70/32.png) [@sulamith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sulamith)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2010, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spoil-shutter-island-for-me-or-more-precisely-dont-spoilers-likely/529468/12 "2010-02-21T04:41:53Z")
Dammit! I was hoping for much more than some M. Knight Shama-lama-ding-dong ending. ---
**Author:** ![FalseMirage](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/96bed5/32.png) [@FalseMirage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FalseMirage)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2010, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spoil-shutter-island-for-me-or-more-precisely-dont-spoilers-likely/529468/13 "2010-02-21T18:31:53Z")
I knew that was the case when he found the “Rule of 4, who is 67?” note. But I thought the band-aid he wore on the side of his forehead would be covering a frontal lobotomy entrance wound. I’m still not sure about the last line in the movie or the significance of the final shot. ---
**Author:** ![Rodgers01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b19c9b/32.png) [@Rodgers01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rodgers01)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2010, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spoil-shutter-island-for-me-or-more-precisely-dont-spoilers-likely/529468/14 "2010-02-21T18:52:36Z")
> [@stpauler](#): > > And why is the “Rule of 4” missing in the [preview trailer](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HYVrHkYoY80) too? Holy cow, you’re right. They should have dropped the “Rule of 4” bit totally, because (IIRC) they never explained it. ---
**Author:** ![myriad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de0a6/32.png) [@myriad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/myriad)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2010, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spoil-shutter-island-for-me-or-more-precisely-dont-spoilers-likely/529468/15 "2010-02-21T22:34:55Z")
“I’m still not sure about the last line in the movie or the significance of the final shot.” I actually liked this movie…didn’t see the ending coming, and thought the “reveal” was handled well, they took some time with it. What made it even more (twisty? dark) was the line at the end. “would you rather live as a monster or die as a good man” meant that he KNEW who he was at that point, but chose to get LB’ized because he didn’t want to live with the memory anymore. ---
**Author:** ![pepperlandgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f17d59/32.png) [@pepperlandgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pepperlandgirl)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2010, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spoil-shutter-island-for-me-or-more-precisely-dont-spoilers-likely/529468/16 "2010-02-21T23:29:12Z")
> [@Rodgers01](#): > > Holy cow, you’re right. They should have dropped the “Rule of 4” bit totally, because (IIRC) they never explained it. Yes they did. The doctor had a whiteboard with a spotlight to explain it. The rule of 4 were the 4 names. Andrew became Edward and Delores became Rachel. I’m not sure how you missed that because it was at the very beginning of his whole explanation and sort of the whole key to the movie. ---
**Author:** ![Rodgers01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b19c9b/32.png) [@Rodgers01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rodgers01)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2010, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spoil-shutter-island-for-me-or-more-precisely-dont-spoilers-likely/529468/17 "2010-02-22T00:02:04Z")
> [@pepperlandgirl](#): > > Yes they did. The doctor had a whiteboard with a spotlight to explain it. The rule of 4 were the 4 names. Andrew became Edward and Delores became Rachel. I’m not sure how you missed that because it was at the very beginning of his whole explanation and sort of the whole key to the movie. :smack: I remember the four names of course (Teddy Daniels/Edward Laeddis, etc.), but was attention drawn to the fact that this is what the “rule of 4” referred to? Or did those of you who are smarter than me just figure it out? 😛 ---
**Author:** ![RandMcnally](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b782af/32.png) [@RandMcnally](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RandMcnally)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2010, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spoil-shutter-island-for-me-or-more-precisely-dont-spoilers-likely/529468/18 "2010-02-22T02:44:36Z")
Did anyone notice that when the woman who axed her husband drank water she didn’t have a cup in her hand? ---
**Author:** ![GrandWino](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grandwino/32/67_2.png) [@GrandWino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrandWino)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2010, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spoil-shutter-island-for-me-or-more-precisely-dont-spoilers-likely/529468/19 "2010-02-22T15:52:27Z")
> [@RandMcnally](#): > > Did anyone notice that when the woman who axed her husband drank water she didn’t have a cup in her hand? YES!!! I thought I noticed that too but then when it cut to another angle after she takes the drink from a missing cup, she has the cup again and sets it down. Weird! ---
**Author:** ![pepperlandgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f17d59/32.png) [@pepperlandgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pepperlandgirl)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2010, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spoil-shutter-island-for-me-or-more-precisely-dont-spoilers-likely/529468/20 "2010-02-22T16:11:30Z")
> [@Rodgers01](#): > > :smack: I remember the four names of course (Teddy Daniels/Edward Laeddis, etc.), but was attention drawn to the fact that this is what the “rule of 4” referred to? Or did those of you who are smarter than me just figure it out? 😛 The doctor said “The rule of 4, Teddy” when he was pointing at the names. > [@HelloNinja](#): > > YES!!! I thought I noticed that too but then when it cut to another angle after she takes the drink from a missing cup, she has the cup again and sets it down. Weird! There were _many_ moments like that. They look like editing mistakes, but they’re not (I’m sure Scorsese has made mistakes in his films, but not those kind). They were just moments when Teddy had a break with reality. When she sets down the glass it’s empty. When Teddy looks at the glass again, it’s half full. My sister and I thought that the Laeddis in Teddy’s dream bore an uncanny resemblance to DeNiro–specifically DeNiro as the Creature in **Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein**. Did anybody else notice that? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spoil-shutter-island-for-me-or-more-precisely-dont-spoilers-likely/529468.md?page=2)