“Shutter Island” seems to mark a first for filmmaker Martin Scorsese. It is his first effort at fright since 1991’s “Cape Fear” introduced the world to a previously unheard of thought – a psychopathic Robert De Niro character not affiliated with the mob.

Scorsese’s film is a much different type of horror movie. If it were not for the computer-generated special effects, one might think the film were a product of an earlier time in film.

“Shutter Island” harkens back to a day when a film was meant to frighten and thrill, and it did so with good, old-fashioned mind tricks.

The film begins with Leonardo DiCaprio as Teddy Daniels, a U.S. Marshal, taking a trip out to the aforementioned island in order to search for a woman who has disappeared from the world’s most secluded and high-security insane asylum.

From the moment he hits dry land, DiCaprio’s character, and by association, the viewer, is paranoid and nervous.

Scorsese immediately lets viewers know they are not to be at ease at any point as the music crescendos to an unsettling and aggravating level.

Of course, the bumps in the night, the thrills and chills are all soon to follow.

The way Scorsese really sets the film apart from its hack-and-slash contemporaries is by way of paranoia.

It is not long before the viewers find themselves questioning the motive of every character and fearing to trust what they see. A shifting eye here, a hesitant answer there, and Scorsese has effectively convinced the movie-goer that they themselves may be losing their minds, or at least losing the ability to gauge whether anyone in the film is straightforward and honest.

DiCaprio is convincing as Daniels and truly shows his experience, shedding the image of his more lovable “Titanic” and “What’s Eating Gilbert Grape?” personas.

It is almost difficult to know whether we should root for DiCaprio or question his motives as well as everyone on this strange island.

A problem arises, though, when the film begins to hit a fever pitch and many of the characters maintain a stoic nature that does not seem to fit a situation that involves disappearing people and strange happenings, all while a Katrina-force storm is battering the island.

It is understandable DiCaprio’s character, being the new kid on the island, is unsettled and increasingly agitated. But the fact that Ben Kingsley and Mark Ruffalo’s characters continue to keep totally calm, even when things are getting a little too heated for comfort, makes an otherwise impressive acting job by DiCaprio seem too stark of a contrast between reactions from all the characters involved.

Ultimately, Scorsese does what he does best; he delivers a film that is long on plot and solid acting even if it is short on emotional investment. “Shutter Island” delivers a large scoop of creepy, unsettling paranoia and a glimpse of DiCaprio finally growing into his grown up acting ability.

David Thill can be reached at 581-7942 or [email protected].