It's that brief eye contact followed by the quick retraction between Leo and Mark after he delivers 'to die as a good man', that distinguishes his sanity. Beautifully executed by Leo.
I totally agree. He goes with a quick look, very quick, not some big long look. I think it works perfectly with the scene, which is amazing in how what is happening sneaks up on you and wallops you on the back of the head. Such a scene, such a movie. Scorcese ...
@@paulallen3834 I also believe that the reason Sheehan called him “Teddy” instead of “Andrew” is because he knew that Andrew was happier in the persona of Teddy rather than being Andrew. I believe that he wanted Andrews last moments to be remembered as Teddy ( a good man wanting to find the truth ) instead of Andrew ( a broken man ). So he would pass in a happier state.
Bad ending? This is one of THE greatest endings I've ever seen to a movie. Totally didn't see it coming! It should have won an Oscar solely for Leo's performance! When he felt scared, you were scared. When he was mad, you were mad. When he was crushed/hurting for his woman, you felt it! His performance was downright brilliant!
i completely agree, i was so surprised by his performance in this movie. i mean he's obviously an amazing actor but i didn't expect much going into this movie. the ending also was great.
Max Walker HAHA! All them dorks are just city slickers with a pretty face! Jason Momoa and Paul Walker? Two of the most WOODEN actors I've ever seen. Man, that list is extremely laughable, it really is. Thank you for sharing it. It made my day!
You know that question/quote in this clip reminds me of The Dark Knight quote: "you either die a hero, or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain."
@@ppvc388 there are two theories about that. one is Chuck is unsure if he really relapsed or that Chuck realized that Andrew is sane but is suffering with the realization of what happened and just showed empathy by allowing what Andrew wanted. definitely the signs were there that he is cured. the cigarettes, the look that Andrew give to Chuck and the Doctor, the question, the calm walk and willingness to go with the two nurses and his non-response to Chuck when he called him Teddy.
Is it only me that feels annoyed that Dr. Cawley never got to know that his kinder approach actually worked. He seemed to be a good man in the end for treating his patients like actual people
@@zdrzzyz6019 Mad scientist...? All modern psychologists recommend drugs to their patients and behavioural therapies like this exist, although typically not to this degree. Finally, his approach worked. The only messed up thing was the lobotomy but they didn't know what they were doing back then so he gets a pass.
@@ericmanget4280 your forgetting about all the brain surgeries they performed in the light house taking out different parts of the brain to see what it does they used test subjects and fried their brain
its not ambiguous its hidden - the line at the end and the acting indicates that he knows, he will rather pretend to be teddy and die as him, then live as Andrew - simple
+Gabriel Pauna " to live as a monster, or to die as a good man" (Laeddis pretend to be Teddy in the end to be lobotomized) so I believe that he now wants the lobotomy while he is in touch with reality as Andrew Laeddis because he has come to terms with the source of his trauma and why he is on shutter island and that he is a loving father and husband that is sorry for his offence and sorry for his ignorance of his wife’s well being so this is why I believe this is what he refers to as his ‘good-man’ side that he would rather die/mind-wiped as Andrew coming to terms with his horrible offence rather than live like a monster, teddy, who on shutter island for the last 24 months has acted like a monster beating up numerous guards, orderlies and fellow patients in the persona of Teddy Daniels.
+ReviewCam " to live as a monster, or to die as a good man" (Laeddis pretend to be Teddy in the end to be lobotomized) so I believe that he now wants the lobotomy while he is in touch with reality as Andrew Laeddis because he has come to terms with the source of his trauma and why he is on shutter island and that he is a loving father and husband that is sorry for his offence and sorry for his ignorance of his wife’s well being so this is why I believe this is what he refers to as his ‘good-man’ side that he would rather die/mind-wiped as Andrew coming to terms with his horrible offence rather than live like a monster, teddy, who on shutter island for the last 24 months has acted like a monster beating up numerous guards, orderlies and fellow patients in the persona of Teddy Daniels.
@@samraon1207 that's not true. The "monster" is Andrew. The "good man" is Teddy. Teddy may have hurt some guards and patients physically but he never killed anyone, not like Andrew did. His whole adventure as Teddy was a set up. By himself. And that hospital and everyone around him went along with it because they were told to. And the doctor said specifically that there was no more time they could spend on him and his act. He needs to come to terms with who he really is. They were done with this "Teddy". If Leo had continued to pretend to be Teddy then they would have lobotomized him. If he had dropped the act and actually come back to himself, Andrew, then his treatment would have been complete, there would be no need for them to lobotomized him. But that would require him to live with what he had done, and he couldn't do that. So he chose to be Teddy, the good man, to give himself some comfort before all his memories were gone and he....died, in every sense of the word. Both Andrew AND Teddy gone forever. So he was Teddy one last time. Understand?
I always thought though, when Teddy says that on the steps why didn't the other 'detective' stop him and prevent the lobotomy or whatever they had in plan for Teddy? It was evident that the detective (sorry I cannot remember his name) noticed that what Teddy said was strange and alluded to the fact that he is 'giving himself up' although the 'experiment' may have in fact been successful? Just a thought...
Look at Leo's look at 40 seconds. He knows chuck is shaking his head at the bald guy, he is also staring right at the bald guy. He knows he is Andrew but puts on this act to be teddy so he will be lobotomized so that he doesn't have to live with the memory of his horrible and real past. In the end, he is sane, but can't live with the fact with what he did, so he decides to be lobotomized to escape his reality.
+Noah Sayles Also notice how he was smoking again, but earlier he quit as he believed that they were laced with a drug that drove the consumers insane.
+Razard funny you mention that. I didn't notice but it fits perfect because it will help him get into the role of teddy Daniels and help him forget about what he did. thanks for that.
Dante's Inferno What’s funny about this scene is why does the orderly have the ice pick? Lol that should already be in the lighthouse OR, sterilized. Secondly, lobotomies don’t always work. Especially when they use physical instruments like the pick we saw in this shot. So obviously we can assume by on our conclusions what happens after Andrew walks away. But knowing about the success rate of a lobotomy irks me, especially for this ending.
@@PittsburghSonido I don't think the movie was about the technicalities of lobotomy. Throughout the movie it's said over and over that lobotomy makes you stop being you and I think that was the premise the writer rolled with, so to speak.
Dante's Inferno Fair enough. I just happen to draw my own conclusion. It’s the 50s, psychosurgery is at it’s rawest point, and an orderly is carrying the pick outside. (Lol) This leads me to think maybe the lobotomy wouldn’t work 100%. We can’t conclusively say if it works. We are only given the story’s pieces to put the puzzle together ourselves, is all I’m sayin’. Only a theory.
The last line... Just invoked a tear out of my eye. He was conscious. But he never could heal. I'm not talking psychologically, but emotionally. One of the best movie endings in history.
It makes me wonder whether he was conscious about it the whole time(two years), but figured he had to go the long way to “convince” them to get the lobotomy
+Jan Melkebeek dude he did great job but come on now he's not playing a schizophrenic man who lost his entire family / mind after. The degree in difficulty between the 2 roles is LIGHTYEARS apart. But he played his part as good as he could have don't get me wrong it's not his fault
Fantastic scene. To walk voluntarily to a lobotomy means whatever is going on inside your head must be pure hell. The little flick of the eyes DiCaprio gives at the end is just class acting from one of the all time greats.
yeah, and i guess in the end we also understood the final piece of the puzzle, reason of relapse. its always a consious choice to get away from reality. that part did not change or got cured, just methods did
Imagine living in a world where your wife turns a key and kills your children. And the way death was portrayed was too much for him. It would be for anyone who lived. It was too much for him to bear.
I feel like he was messing with everyone but Chuck. He fooled everyone thinking he relapsed but for some reason, he decided to give Chuck a hint that he was faking.
He can tell that chuck sincerely want him to get out of that facility well. Going threw all that bad memories of war and your lovely wife and 3 kids are know gone. I dont think he eant to live and have no intent to continue.
silencia08 That’s how I initially interpreted it, along with almost everyone else. But the author of the novel, who approved that last line from Andrew, said he saw it as just a split-second moment of sanity for Andrew. Like his real self was still there, but his delusions were still ruling him. I prefer to think that he was sane and chose to be lobotomized, but the author’s intent is an interesting take as well.
I finally understand this scene. Leonardo is now sane after his treatment, but he still chooses to get a labotomy to forget his past. To do so, he pretends to be insane one last time which can be heard at 00:26 and this explains his "partners" reaction at 01:48 and why he's so stunned after he said that last line.
Um he doesn't go to forget his path they kill him. He has the choice to either die as a good man which means he says he's "crazy" when really he know exactly what's about to happen but instead of saying he does he chooses to kill himself essential due to him not wanted to live with the fact that his wife killed the children and he killed his wife.
@@yt_noskcaj6405 They dont kill him he just gets labotomised, but yeah he chooses to be a veggie so he can forget his past. It's not really him being sane though because the insanity was a choice he made to escape his past, thus him choosing the labotomy shows that while hes accepted his past hes still not willing to live with it, and chooses to escape it again.
I disagree. Remember when they told him that he tends to regress back into madness? He knows that now and doesn’t want to risk himself hurting anyone ever again. He concludes that as long as he is still alive, he is in danger of regressing again and hence killing more people than he already has. Andrew’s redeeming factor in the movie is his conclusion that he can’t be redeemed.
You can see the amount of sadness at Chuck's face especially when he says ''Ye what's that boss'' and realize that they indeed tried to help him. Even bald doctor is clearly moved almost in tears when he gave him the last look.
There's just one interpretation that Andrew accepts his fate its answered in dialogue also yea this is really good. Reminds me of Silent Hill and Jacobs Ladder for some reason...
It's an underrated film. Gets thrown aside too much, but this film blew me away. Honestly, the only thing keeping me from calling this film a masterpiece is the kinda dumb twist.
I love the way he pauses just before saying "Gotta get off this rock, Chuck." Maybe that's just suspense, but I feel like it's more him just stepping back and thinking "Well, I made my decision - so here we go."
@@akina3673 and the "they're not gonna catch us" is his way of admitting he's gonna get a lobotomy and not have his depression come back to get him anymore.
He did regain his sanity, but he wanted the lobotomy so he could live as a good man without the memories of his past. Were he still insane, he would not accept the ciggarette, as he would still think it has drugs on it. People say this ending is ambiguous, but I think is pretty clear that at the end he regains his sanity. . . . . Edit: this comment is 6 years old, how is it blowing up so hard right now lol
A. They want him to become Andrews, to think that is a monster. B. He always was Andrews, and his past makes him a monster. In the end he was sane no doubt but i think the main ambiguity is what caracterize the monster in the statement.
first time I watched this and he said "we gotta get off this rock chuck" I felt horrible, I thought he wasn't healthy, then that last line hit me like a building collapsing! the amount of emotions and the message I got from that was incredible! my man was healthy but he didn't want to live with reality...
EXACTLY! He was sane all the time. He just wanted a lobotomy so that he could get away with all those regrets and thoughts and depression he had in him. To die as a good man means "Stay as Teddy the detective and get a lobotomy and forget all that is burning inside him". Truly a masterpiece!
Kingsley's face when he gets the nod that it didn't take. The disappointment and frustration in his face followed by the breif pause to drum up the courage to give the go ahead for the labotomy, so well done. Brilliant!
That and Kingsley's face when DiCaprio looks at him as he's walking to the orderlies. Cawley knew at that point that it had worked; but that Andrew couldn't live with the results.
I feel bad for Cawley. He was a good man trying to do right by his patients, but the one chance he gets to prove his radical treatments work gets undone because the patient it worked on was suicidal. Imagine going to all that effort to help others only to never be allowed to use it.
@Mia Baker no. he's actually deserved for 'the revenant'. he's deserved this one. but no more. where is oscar for jaoquin phoenix or edward norton? where?
Open ending movies are great for conversation and this can be considered an open ending movie......... BUT I think the ending is pretty clear that he was lying to Chuck and that Andrew was pretending to be Teddy that way he can be lobotomized.
+Ranisha Pitts you mean he want to live with no knowledge that he killed his wife becase she killed their three children and the past that kept bugging him that he killed to many people on the past war?! It's pretty obvious that there are no any interpretation on this movie than that.
+Stephen Martell " to live as a monster, or to die as a good man" (Laeddis pretend to be Teddy in the end to be lobotomized) so I believe that he now wants the lobotomy while he is in touch with reality as Andrew Laeddis because he has come to terms with the source of his trauma and why he is on shutter island and that he is a loving father and husband that is sorry for his offence and sorry for his ignorance of his wife’s well being so this is why I believe this is what he refers to as his ‘good-man’ side that he would rather die/mind-wiped as Andrew coming to terms with his horrible offence rather than live like a monster, teddy, who on shutter island for the last 24 months has acted like a monster beating up numerous guards, orderlies and fellow patients in the persona of Teddy Daniels.
I feel the last line where chuck says “teddy?” And Andrew ignores him because he is sane is more important than “to live as a monster, or die as a good man”. That’s what shows he’s aware.
Always amaZed me how people found this ending hard to understand its pretty damn obvious that he has regained his sanity and wants to be labotomized and die in character of Teddy. He even says it in the line ..'I wonder whats worse, to live as a monster or die a good man' it couldnt be more obvious after that!
@@pulsasfalta5195 they didn't explain it for a reason, it's left open intentionally. Which always makes me wonder why people are so adamant about how they know the answer of what the writer was thinking about when he wrote this
This is over of the most CRIMINALLY underrated movie's of all time... Leo is ABSOLUTELY incredible in this movie... It just amazes me that more people don't see this movie for the masterpiece that it is.
@@ronlacker326 It's not for everyone. It's not your usual mindless horror movie, with jump scare after jump scare and the story doesn't hold your hand.
Tyler Wilson Hopefully Chuck at least told the doctor that his treatment wasn’t a failure so they can perform this to others giving them a chance to make a choice like Andrew did. Wether to live as a monster or die as a good man.
Oh my God! That fucking look they give eachother at 1:44 ! His eyes alone tell Chuck that he's sane and Chuck gets the hint but feels his pain and let's him suicide as "a good man." I can't belive I didn't see that before.
+Connor StandingReady " to live as a monster, or to die as a good man" (Laeddis pretend to be Teddy in the end to be lobotomized) so I believe that he now wants the lobotomy while he is in touch with reality as Andrew Laeddis because he has come to terms with the source of his trauma and why he is on shutter island and that he is a loving father and husband that is sorry for his offence and sorry for his ignorance of his wife’s well being so this is why I believe this is what he refers to as his ‘good-man’ side that he would rather die/mind-wiped as Andrew coming to terms with his horrible offence rather than live like a monster, teddy, who on shutter island for the last 24 months has acted like a monster beating up numerous guards, orderlies and fellow patients in the persona of Teddy Daniels.
Everyone’s talking about Leo’s performance but forget Ben Kingsley’s. That look on his face when he thinks his experiment failed… brilliantly done. He’s a phenomenal actor and i loved how he played his role as the doctor.
Leo is truly an astonishing actor. I am really am surprised so many don't give him the credit he deserves. Some people just cant get over his role in Titanic.
What? At the time you left this comment he had been nominated for 4 Oscars (now 6, including 1 win) and is almost universally considered one of the greatest actors to ever live. What are you even talking about?
Yeah people like to argue about shoestrings when the real ending is a haystack. It's a little ridiculous. I am all for dissecting and devil's advocate logic explaining a theory, but the theories that Andrew is actually uncovering the truth are ridiculous and ignore large sections of the second act to make a plot hole canyon big enough to support their theory. Outside of that it's "He's still crazy" which is silly because it totally ignores the last line and Chuck's body language upon standing up and calling out to Teddy. Teddy wouldn't have smoked the cigarette, Teddy wouldn't have said that line, Teddy wouldn't just get up and separate from his partner to go with orderlies. It's pretty clear.
I agree. But im not agree with the cigarette thing. if he was crazy he would smoke cigarettes anyway. Because hypothetically speaking he was reset. And at first he didn't know that cigarettes are bad. For them (who thought he was crazy), it was normal to see him smoking .. Anyway, I repeat. I know he didn't remain crazy at the end, that he was recover. I just don't think cigarette argument is good
the quote is similar in bathman the dark night when harvey dent said "You Either Die A Hero, Or You Live Long Enough To See Yourself Become The Villain” "
At the end of the film we can see that he has fully come to the understanding of his situation and what he had done. Right from the start of the conversation between Chuck and Teddy he is actually manipulating them to assist in his lobotomy which is why when Chuck tells him "that's right we're too smart for em" he replies with "yeah we are aren't we". He meant this literally, as if to say he is smarter than them; and as such they are now playing along with his game, they are the ones who can't understand the treatment had worked. Another nod towards this is when Teddy is walking away, Chuck tries to speak to him, calling out "Teddy?" in a questionable way, and Teddy does not respond to that name, or to him calling out as he known he is not Teddy. The reason that this is important is because if Teddy truly wanted to escape the island he wouldn't walk toward them in the way that he did, and that behavior struck Chuck as odd and that is why Chuck called to him in that way. We can assume that after that question, and with his mannerisms, Chuck knew the procedure had worked, but failed to stop Teddy as had he of stopped them, perhaps Teddy would have gotten worse or attempted suicide in another way. It is a bittersweet ending, in a way, Laeddis found the resolution he needed from the experiment, coming to the understanding of who he was and what he had done but on the other hand as a result of this he felt a myriad of emotions that were too painful for him to sanely bare. In the end, his only solace was knowing lobotomy was an option, which he took. Which would be worse? To live as a monster, or to die as a good man?
When I first watched the movie I thought he actually forgot everything that happened and went back to his disassociation of reality but re-watching it that line stood out to me and made me realize what he was actually doing. Honestly one of the best films I’ve seen
Notice chuck or dr sheehan's expression from 1:45 it's like that tone of surprise when he realised that Andrew hadn't actually lost his sanity and was faking the regress to get a lobotomy. Brilliant acting by both actors.
I finally get it now! He was never crazy, he just did all that acting like a lunatic to get his lobotomy because he couldn't stand to keep "living as a monster" knowing what he did to his family and that was eating him up alive. I've watched this movie near 10 times and it finally just came to me
I wouldn't say he was never crazy but he did without question want death over to live and suffer with memories of his past. He was most definitely crazy and couldn't accept what had happened, if he just wanted a quick death he would've killed himself months ago.
He was sick throughout the film, but the doctor's experiment actually cured him. In the end he decided to pretend to still be sick in order to get the lobotomy.
1:35-1:46 will be studied in acting schools. The subtle changes in his facial expression, and then the last look in to his eyes before he stands up… incredible
The amount of eye contact leo holds after "to live as a good man" it perfect. You get this overwhelming urge that you want him to hold it longer to impact upon "chuck" the gravity of his statement, but he doesn't. He doesn't because any longer and the truth of the situation would be too aparent. He holds the eye contact JUST long enough that chuck picks up the meaning of the statement but doesn't have enough time to sus out his true intentions. He sows doubt, but doesn't have it harvested. The wilful walking to his lobotomization is the just the last nail in the coffin that confirms it.
The man felt guilty because his insanity inconvenienced so many for so long. He was sane before taking his final walk, but stricken with guilt and able feign insanity.
Simply amazing, just from that one line you get the full comprehension that he is sane, he does remember and understand what he had done but he couldn't bear living with that knowledge so he decided to take the only way of avoiding that life. This and blood diamond are my favourite Leonardo DiCaprio films.
One of the greatest endings a movie could have ever had. The way Teddy lets all of them believe that he has yet again gone into his delusion, and how both the docs have a look of disappointment and rue. Then after a brief pause, where we, the audience accept the fact that Teddy has not moved on, he asks Chuck the question. The look of surprise in Chuck's eyes, the way he calls him after Ted walks away is why the ending is not ambiguous at all. It was a clear cut end. Ted knew he is Andrew, yet he wanted to die as the latter. Absolutely amazing.
That blank stare at 1:44 looking down like that even when you know someone’s eyes are on you was a perfect little thing to add. It’s creepy and ominous yet you know he is sane it’s just a perfect little acting thing Leo threw in .
even that line that chuck delivers "we;re too smart for them" Leo's character genuinely replies "we are, aren't we" because he knows hes cured but goes along with being insane still to avoid getting tried as a criminal
The look on Kingsleys face at 0:44 is the same look the captain of Titanic had when he realized there was nothing to be done to save the ship. The ship/the person was lost beyond any chance of being rescued.
The important part of this isn;t just the line about living as a monster or dying a good man, but specifically the moment after. When Chuck calls out to him and says "Teddy?" he doesn't respond because its not Teddy, it's Andrew. Unable to live with the horror of what he did, and what he saw, he would rather go down as the good man Teddy than continue to live as Andrew. Subtle performances here from both Leonardo and Mark with meaning gained from a few choice glances, pauses, and 2 lines of dialogue stating outright that Andrew is sane, and cured, but is unable and unwiling to live with it all. So in a way, as he walks off he is for all intents and purposes committing suicde and there is no hesitation, only calm acceptance of what he wants.
The ending is misunderstood , but now it seems so legendary, yet its so sad that he was sane , but decided to act insane to get the lobotomy , so that he can forget everything about his past ( so that he forgets that he is the monster ) and he can die as a good man, peacefully . This movie is a masterpiece. THE ACTING , THE PLOT , THE EXECUTION AND OF COURSE THE ENDING .
I love the ending to this movie. He knows that he has been seeing illusions and dealt with it. But he couldn't live without the love of his children and wife. Which is why he said goodbye to his friend. Only escape is to be dead inside because his family is gone; he knew and I think his friend knew it as well after they spoke...he was done and needed peace. After the last convincing; he gave up trying to keep the memories alive and decided to die along with his family...although not really dying but in those days...sticking a probe in your eye and swishing your brain around might as well be the same thing. Good but sad movie; 'Bitter Earth' song made it sunk more into the heart.
One of the most important, yet so finely detailed part of this scene comes at 0:39-0:41 - Chuck (Mark Ruffal) shakes his head to the doctor as if to say that Teddy (Di Caprio) has relapsed and has gone back to his former insanity - BUT look at the finest detail, which makes this film so amazing - LOOK at Di Caprio in those 2 seconds, at where hes looking, at his facial expression and ultimately what hes thinking and there in lies your answer to the ending of the film Just 2 seconds, thats all it took masterpiece
Nicole Oliver No man Andrew literally says “Don’t worry partner they’re not going to catch us.” He’ s still in detective mode. *He doesn’t want to believe the meeting he had with Kingsley ever happened.* His last words are foreshadowing because *a part of him knows his days are numbered* but *he still wants to live in his fantasy detective world* ( he addmits to this in the lighthouse b4 this scene. )
JavierLaflare ! Untrue. Andrew is sane here and wants the lobotomy. Even at the end he ignored “chuck” saying teddy because it isn’t his name. Chuck even stands up shocked once Andrew asked him the question because it’s totally out of character of teddy and reassures chuck that he is currently sane. He says this line after he makes sure they confirm the lobotomy.
Its more of an interpretation than an answer but in my opinion his headshake signified that he was in fact sane at the time and would rather die than live with the atrocities he committed
+Ali Hamid It's that heavy rise of his chest in the half a second before the shot changes, like he knows he's done enough to get himself lobotomized and he's accepted his fate in one action. I also thought the brief look into Shehan's eyes after his final words was an even greater demonstration of his acting talent - the stare was just long enough to convey a message (I am sane) but just short enough to make the Doctor question his decision to send him to the Lighthouse. Superb acting.
Here in 2019 bc this movie is insanely underrated. I work in mental and behavioral health and this movie puts you into that world like no other. This may be the most beautifully done film I've ever seen.
One of my favorite scenes in cinema... I also like how he calls him "Teddy" and Leo chooses not to respond. Showing he doesn't actually identify with that name anymore.
Not sure if he doesn’t identify he just ignores because he doesn’t want to live as the monster anymore. He just wants peace but I could be wrong. It’s why it’s such a great movie because we can just wonder what the whole purpose was
00:56 If you needed a 10th detail proving he was cured, notice while he's saying the lines he always used to say, he's saying them quietly with fear and sadness in his voice. Because he knows they're bullshit and he knows what he's doing. At the start of the movie he's confident, loud, concise, not afraid of anything. Here he's talking exactly like someone on the verge of tears.
"CURED" is a weird word to describe this ending with Teddy. In reality Andrew thought he was Teddy and as a result was more at peace with believing he was a detective trying to solve a case. But this still led to unfortunate events where he became violent with others in order to make this "reality"make sense for him to believes he was a good man. When accepted with the actual reality and realizing he was in fact Andrew whom he knows killed his wife who drowned their kids, he is mentally tormented and needs to be heavily medicated to deal with it all but he is non violent, yet he realizes that he is a killer or a bad man. Therefore at the end he cannot deal with neither realities, cause he knows he will revert back to Teddy to escape his anguish again and thus either he become's Teddy and others get hurt or he is Andrew and he gets hurt. Perhaps other then death getting the lobotomy was the actual cure cause all his memories should be virtually gone and he would no longer be either man but rather a dead man walking (zombie) .
Teddy realized he got trapped and that he was never leaving. They knew he was looking into them and lured him in to declare him crazy and trap him there for life. His last line is telling him he knows they are all monsters and that he can't escape. Thats why he calls him by his real name.
"To Die As A Good Man " H3 means that if you were a monster or did some monstrosity in your life ,you should sacrifice yourself in doing one last good thing .
This whole time he was protected by his delusions. His brain was in full survival mode. Until he was cured. Now his reality was far worse. This made him face his trauma and essentially realized it was better not to continue living. The pain, guilt, and sorrow was too much for one man to fathom.
For those who did not understand the ending, Leo knew he would never get out of his trauma so he played a last act to have them lobotomize him. A weird form of suicide without using his own hands.
One of the hardest experiences of my life. Struggling with alcoholism and teetering on psychosis. I stated to my girlfriend at the time "I can't tell what's real" "I can't tell if I'm real" "or if I died a long time ago, and this is a dream" What woke me up from the trance was her response to my next sentence I told her "I don't even know if you are real" She looked at me with heart broken eyes. And told me something on the lines of this "you can deny yourself the truth, you can't deny I exist. All the time and effort and love I've given isn't just a concoction of your imagination" I can deny, hide and run from myself. I cannot however deny others existence nor can I deny others pain and struggles. I often feel overwhelmed by the pain and agony of the world. Yet spend so much time dwelling on my pains. Believing they overshadow the struggles and pains of others. What a false narrative our mind writes. As I sit isolated and slipping back into despair. I pray I may never lose my awareness. Don't give up. Keep fighting.
Yes, so obvious, he doesn’t want to live with the grief and pain of knowing, so he voluntarily wants to forget. The method was a success, but not for him, not for living with it.
Just ended up watching this movie..I know it's been late but this is actually a masterpiece...one of the best endings...dislikers r those who didn't get a thing in this whole goddamn movie
In my opinion he wanted to die. If he had regressed he would've put up a fight but he didn't. He didn't want to go through it again. He knew he would, so he decided to just put an end to it.. And when Chuck said "Teddy" Chuck said it to see if he would respond but once he saw the he just kept on walking then he just sympathize with him and he let him be.. My opinion
Which would be worse: To live as a monster, or to die as a good man? What's the implicit meaning of this dialogue? Who's the monster as Teddy mentioned? And, who's a good man? To Live as a Monster. If he accepts his guilt and becomes sane he will become the Monster. His delusions are his brains way of removing this guilt and hiding the fact that he ignored his family, did not act on his wife's mental illness, allowed her to murder their children and then murdered her. By accepting what the doctors are telling him he will need to go on living in the knowledge that he allowed terrible things to happen and did terrible things. The doctors will be able to treat him without a lobotomy but he will be fully aware of the crimes he committed. To die as a good man. In his delusion he is a good man. He truly believes that he is on the side of law and order and that he is doing right. If he chooses to continue to believe this he will be lobotomised and will no longer have relevant brain function to question what he did or did not do. The death is not literal as the other answer suggests. It is about the fact that if he continues to believe he is this good man he will be lobotomised and effectively "die" believing in this. He will not die in a literal sense until later, but he will do so in the belief he was a good man. What is most exciting and cathartic about this decision is that this appears to be a moment of lucidity where he understands what has happened and is not in thrall of his delusions. He at this point of lucidity makes the decision that he can not live with his crimes and would prefer to lie to his doctor as he knows this will result in his lobotomy. By making the statement to his doctor he makes him aware of this also and by virtue of this you could also argue that he is being a good man by electing to be punished as well as the belief in his delusion that he is good.
I think another major clue people may have missed that shows Andrew is 'cured' and aware of everything and of his decision to be lobotomized is in the way he simply walks off with the attendants at the end, willingly and without question. This is my favourite movie of all time and is still powerful to this day. 'On the nature of daylight' haunts me every time I hear it.
Just curious, but what if all of what he was saying was actually true and that they created that story to make him insane so he wouldn’t expose the whole experimentation project. What if Ruffalo was working for the government and actually came to care for Leo, but had to do his job in the end because he knew Leo would never give in. He gave them the nod because he wouldn’t cave in. Why does Chuck still call him Teddy at the end of the movie instead of Laeddis? It’s like he’s continuing with his real identity at Teddy, and not Andrew Laeddis as his inmate name.
The lack of music in this scene and throughout the movie is one of the best things about it. They could’ve easily added some haunting or sad music during this scene, but instead they just let you sit there in silence and try to figure out what you just watched.
did anyone else notice how when "chuck" shook his head at the doc leo was looking at the doc too. that should tip anyone off that he knew what he was saying.
It's that brief eye contact followed by the quick retraction between Leo and Mark after he delivers 'to die as a good man', that distinguishes his sanity. Beautifully executed by Leo.
I totally agree. He goes with a quick look, very quick, not some big long look. I think it works perfectly with the scene, which is amazing in how what is happening sneaks up on you and wallops you on the back of the head. Such a scene, such a movie. Scorcese ...
Brilliant scene. I wish Mark's character would have said "Andrew?" instead of "Teddy?" though.
@@paulallen3834 it was to show that he didnt replied to teddy anymore meaning he was sane
@@madhu5465 Ohhh, that makes sense.
@@paulallen3834 I also believe that the reason Sheehan called him “Teddy” instead of “Andrew” is because he knew that Andrew was happier in the persona of Teddy rather than being Andrew. I believe that he wanted Andrews last moments to be remembered as Teddy ( a good man wanting to find the truth ) instead of Andrew ( a broken man ). So he would pass in a happier state.
Bad ending? This is one of THE greatest endings I've ever seen to a movie. Totally didn't see it coming! It should have won an Oscar solely for Leo's performance! When he felt scared, you were scared. When he was mad, you were mad. When he was crushed/hurting for his woman, you felt it! His performance was downright brilliant!
i completely agree, i was so surprised by his performance in this movie. i mean he's obviously an amazing actor but i didn't expect much going into this movie. the ending also was great.
Max Walker HAHA! All them dorks are just city slickers with a pretty face! Jason Momoa and Paul Walker? Two of the most WOODEN actors I've ever seen. Man, that list is extremely laughable, it really is. Thank you for sharing it. It made my day!
You know that question/quote in this clip reminds me of The Dark Knight quote: "you either die a hero, or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain."
I agree with you
I wasn’t surprised by the whole “he’s actually a patient this whole time” twist, but the detail and the raw emotion was very effective
I love how at the ending Mark Ruffalo's character instantly realises that he actually is sane after he asks him that final question
A timeless example of how the final question can always show how truly sane one can be.
This bugged me tho. Wouldn't Ruffalo's Charakter just tell them that he is positive that Leo's charakter is not insane but suicidial?
@@ppvc388 it’s a valid point, IMO he just isn’t sure but I think that’s the point. It’s suppose to be dubious so it can be interpreted.
@@ppvc388 there are two theories about that. one is Chuck is unsure if he really relapsed or that Chuck realized that Andrew is sane but is suffering with the realization of what happened and just showed empathy by allowing what Andrew wanted. definitely the signs were there that he is cured. the cigarettes, the look that Andrew give to Chuck and the Doctor, the question, the calm walk and willingness to go with the two nurses and his non-response to Chuck when he called him Teddy.
@@tellyshonestreviews1293what about the cigarettes?? Not sure what u meant by that, but I agree with everything else u said.
Is it only me that feels annoyed that Dr. Cawley never got to know that his kinder approach actually worked. He seemed to be a good man in the end for treating his patients like actual people
Yess
By yes i mean not only you
A good man? He was a mad scientist who drugged people and forced them to become zombies all for his own human experiments
@@zdrzzyz6019 Mad scientist...? All modern psychologists recommend drugs to their patients and behavioural therapies like this exist, although typically not to this degree. Finally, his approach worked. The only messed up thing was the lobotomy but they didn't know what they were doing back then so he gets a pass.
@@ericmanget4280 your forgetting about all the brain surgeries they performed in the light house taking out different parts of the brain to see what it does they used test subjects and fried their brain
Kingsley's face is devastating. Actually gets me crying. Terrific.
Same
Javier Atwood still so powerful 8 months later
ClauClau you better not be a man, men don't cry
Sandor Clegane they empirically do you sexist fool
Sandor Clegane you owe me $100
its not ambiguous its hidden - the line at the end and the acting indicates that he knows, he will rather pretend to be teddy and die as him, then live as Andrew - simple
+Gabriel Pauna " to live as a monster, or to die as a good man"
(Laeddis pretend to be Teddy in the end to be lobotomized) so I believe that he now wants the lobotomy while he is in touch with reality as Andrew Laeddis because he has come to terms with the source of his trauma and why he is on shutter island and that he is a loving father and husband that is sorry for his offence and sorry for his ignorance of his wife’s well being so this is why I believe this is what he refers to as his ‘good-man’ side that he would rather die/mind-wiped as Andrew coming to terms with his horrible offence rather than live like a monster, teddy, who on shutter island for the last 24 months has acted like a monster beating up numerous guards, orderlies and fellow patients in the persona of Teddy Daniels.
+ReviewCam " to live as a monster, or to die as a good man"
(Laeddis pretend to be Teddy in the end to be lobotomized) so I believe that he now wants the lobotomy while he is in touch with reality as Andrew Laeddis because he has come to terms with the source of his trauma and why he is on shutter island and that he is a loving father and husband that is sorry for his offence and sorry for his ignorance of his wife’s well being so this is why I believe this is what he refers to as his ‘good-man’ side that he would rather die/mind-wiped as Andrew coming to terms with his horrible offence rather than live like a monster, teddy, who on shutter island for the last 24 months has acted like a monster beating up numerous guards, orderlies and fellow patients in the persona of Teddy Daniels.
I agree 100%. I actually think it's pretty clear that this is the only way to interpret this ending.
@@samraon1207 that's not true. The "monster" is Andrew. The "good man" is Teddy. Teddy may have hurt some guards and patients physically but he never killed anyone, not like Andrew did. His whole adventure as Teddy was a set up. By himself. And that hospital and everyone around him went along with it because they were told to. And the doctor said specifically that there was no more time they could spend on him and his act. He needs to come to terms with who he really is. They were done with this "Teddy". If Leo had continued to pretend to be Teddy then they would have lobotomized him. If he had dropped the act and actually come back to himself, Andrew, then his treatment would have been complete, there would be no need for them to lobotomized him. But that would require him to live with what he had done, and he couldn't do that. So he chose to be Teddy, the good man, to give himself some comfort before all his memories were gone and he....died, in every sense of the word. Both Andrew AND Teddy gone forever. So he was Teddy one last time. Understand?
RebelWild21 Perfect explanation👍
my heart broke a little when he said "we got to get off this rock, Chuck"
mine too lol
It was such a heart sinking moment. It gave me shivers down my spine.
I always thought though, when Teddy says that on the steps why didn't the other 'detective' stop him and prevent the lobotomy or whatever they had in plan for Teddy? It was evident that the detective (sorry I cannot remember his name) noticed that what Teddy said was strange and alluded to the fact that he is 'giving himself up' although the 'experiment' may have in fact been successful?
Just a thought...
Daniel Chipperfield id say because he knew that's what teddy wanted so he just let him go
That is a very good point! Thanks for highlighting it
Look at Leo's look at 40 seconds. He knows chuck is shaking his head at the bald guy, he is also staring right at the bald guy. He knows he is Andrew but puts on this act to be teddy so he will be lobotomized so that he doesn't have to live with the memory of his horrible and real past. In the end, he is sane, but can't live with the fact with what he did, so he decides to be lobotomized to escape his reality.
i comletley agree
+Noah Sayles That is the conclusion i ended up with too.
+Noah Sayles Also notice how he was smoking again, but earlier he quit as he believed that they were laced with a drug that drove the consumers insane.
+Razard funny you mention that. I didn't notice but it fits perfect because it will help him get into the role of teddy Daniels and help him forget about what he did. thanks for that.
+crazymanjonchin that theory is so stupid man , stop it with it
I love how Andrew doesn’t respond to chuck saying “Teddy”. As it’s not his real name.
Richard Vaughan And he doesn’t reply which means again he is sane
This is what led me to believe he willingly chose to get lobotomized. Such a great ending.
Dante's Inferno
What’s funny about this scene is why does the orderly have the ice pick? Lol that should already be in the lighthouse OR, sterilized. Secondly, lobotomies don’t always work. Especially when they use physical instruments like the pick we saw in this shot. So obviously we can assume by on our conclusions what happens after Andrew walks away. But knowing about the success rate of a lobotomy irks me, especially for this ending.
@@PittsburghSonido I don't think the movie was about the technicalities of lobotomy. Throughout the movie it's said over and over that lobotomy makes you stop being you and I think that was the premise the writer rolled with, so to speak.
Dante's Inferno
Fair enough. I just happen to draw my own conclusion. It’s the 50s, psychosurgery is at it’s rawest point, and an orderly is carrying the pick outside. (Lol) This leads me to think maybe the lobotomy wouldn’t work 100%. We can’t conclusively say if it works. We are only given the story’s pieces to put the puzzle together ourselves, is all I’m sayin’.
Only a theory.
The last line... Just invoked a tear out of my eye. He was conscious. But he never could heal. I'm not talking psychologically, but emotionally.
One of the best movie endings in history.
It makes me wonder whether he was conscious about it the whole time(two years), but figured he had to go the long way to “convince” them to get the lobotomy
@@MisaAcimnah he was really insane during that period
@@MisaAcim He was living delusion, but that treatment did work. However, he just didn't want to return reality and end the suffering
the dissapointment on Kingsleys face kills me everytime
+Catti Lo Fantastic actor, he deserves just as much admiration for his role as DiCaprio did
+Jan Melkebeek dude he did great job but come on now he's not playing a schizophrenic man who lost his entire family / mind after. The degree in difficulty between the 2 roles is LIGHTYEARS apart. But he played his part as good as he could have don't get me wrong it's not his fault
Horselover Phat ...what...
You definitely need to reWatch movie ;)
Uh so what lens would you been referring to? And by the way, saying "my aunt knows a guy who worked at Steven Segal's favorite diner" doesn't count.
Fantastic scene. To walk voluntarily to a lobotomy means whatever is going on inside your head must be pure hell. The little flick of the eyes DiCaprio gives at the end is just class acting from one of the all time greats.
Im at this point. And i saw my own advice in 2019 of having hopes dreams etc. They changed
That is gut wrenching to think about, the emotion and feelings are so strong that you just want it to be gone. Could not imagine!
@@twincardinal5649 what happen. are you doing better
yeah, and i guess in the end we also understood the final piece of the puzzle, reason of relapse. its always a consious choice to get away from reality. that part did not change or got cured, just methods did
Imagine living in a world where your wife turns a key and kills your children. And the way death was portrayed was too much for him. It would be for anyone who lived. It was too much for him to bear.
the last line gave me chills , its like he was just messing with chuck
I feel like he was messing with everyone but Chuck. He fooled everyone thinking he relapsed but for some reason, he decided to give Chuck a hint that he was faking.
He can tell that chuck sincerely want him to get out of that facility well. Going threw all that bad memories of war and your lovely wife and 3 kids are know gone. I dont think he eant to live and have no intent to continue.
He wanted to get lobotomized as the Daniels character (good man) rather than live as the Laeddis character (monster/murderer).
silencia08 That’s how I initially interpreted it, along with almost everyone else. But the author of the novel, who approved that last line from Andrew, said he saw it as just a split-second moment of sanity for Andrew. Like his real self was still there, but his delusions were still ruling him. I prefer to think that he was sane and chose to be lobotomized, but the author’s intent is an interesting take as well.
That final line, the question from Chuck, basically confirms it to me.
I finally understand this scene. Leonardo is now sane after his treatment, but he still chooses to get a labotomy to forget his past. To do so, he pretends to be insane one last time which can be heard at 00:26 and this explains his "partners" reaction at 01:48 and why he's so stunned after he said that last line.
lol i didn't expect to see you in this comment section hello
🤦🏻♂️
Um he doesn't go to forget his path they kill him. He has the choice to either die as a good man which means he says he's "crazy" when really he know exactly what's about to happen but instead of saying he does he chooses to kill himself essential due to him not wanted to live with the fact that his wife killed the children and he killed his wife.
@@yt_noskcaj6405
They dont kill him he just gets labotomised, but yeah he chooses to be a veggie so he can forget his past. It's not really him being sane though because the insanity was a choice he made to escape his past, thus him choosing the labotomy shows that while hes accepted his past hes still not willing to live with it, and chooses to escape it again.
I disagree. Remember when they told him that he tends to regress back into madness? He knows that now and doesn’t want to risk himself hurting anyone ever again. He concludes that as long as he is still alive, he is in danger of regressing again and hence killing more people than he already has.
Andrew’s redeeming factor in the movie is his conclusion that he can’t be redeemed.
You can see the amount of sadness at Chuck's face especially when he says ''Ye what's that boss'' and realize that they indeed tried to help him. Even bald doctor is clearly moved almost in tears when he gave him the last look.
"bald doctor" 💀
No matter what your interpretation of the ending is. I think we can all agree this is an amazing film. Definitely one of my favorites of all time.
There's just one interpretation that Andrew accepts his fate its answered in dialogue also yea this is really good. Reminds me of Silent Hill and Jacobs Ladder for some reason...
One of my favorites of all time as well
It's an underrated film. Gets thrown aside too much, but this film blew me away. Honestly, the only thing keeping me from calling this film a masterpiece is the kinda dumb twist.
@@hopelessent.1700 Exactly, see 1:44.
He knows.
He just died as a good man
That small moment of eyecontact at 1:45 is beautiful. It’s the only moment of ‘sanity’ he knows he can show ‘chuck’.
Amazing way to say It. I love that second
He’s wearing his wedding ring
I love the way he pauses just before saying "Gotta get off this rock, Chuck."
Maybe that's just suspense, but I feel like it's more him just stepping back and thinking "Well, I made my decision - so here we go."
I interpreted as him saying,"I have to move on one way or another"
@@akina3673 and the "they're not gonna catch us" is his way of admitting he's gonna get a lobotomy and not have his depression come back to get him anymore.
He did regain his sanity, but he wanted the lobotomy so he could live as a good man without the memories of his past. Were he still insane, he would not accept the ciggarette, as he would still think it has drugs on it. People say this ending is ambiguous, but I think is pretty clear that at the end he regains his sanity.
.
.
.
.
Edit: this comment is 6 years old, how is it blowing up so hard right now lol
Yeah definitely
It kind of cracks me up, the kind of crazy stuff people will come up with to explain this movie. It doesn't really leave any anbiguity.
he had never lost his sanity to begin with, it was just a mask he'd put on to "die as a good man"
Gaboxxy i tought he actually had the lobotomy after he wake up
A. They want him to become Andrews, to think that is a monster.
B. He always was Andrews, and his past makes him a monster.
In the end he was sane no doubt but i think the main ambiguity is what caracterize the monster in the statement.
first time I watched this and he said "we gotta get off this rock chuck" I felt horrible, I thought he wasn't healthy, then that last line hit me like a building collapsing! the amount of emotions and the message I got from that was incredible! my man was healthy but he didn't want to live with reality...
He chose the only way he thought he could to be at his best. That was quite brave.
EXACTLY! He was sane all the time. He just wanted a lobotomy so that he could get away with all those regrets and thoughts and depression he had in him. To die as a good man means "Stay as Teddy the detective and get a lobotomy and forget all that is burning inside him". Truly a masterpiece!
One of the best psychological thrillers I’ve ever watched.
Same. I did not see the ending coming at all. Fantastic movie
Suggest me some more @Jamaican lyricist
@@wormbook4896 the departed. Stonehurst asylum. Inception. Secret window. Insomnia. Are all simular kinda question things 🤔
@@jamesbyrne4204 thank you James :)
Copied style as the sixth sense
“Don’t worry partner they’re not gonna catch us.”
“We’re too smart for them.”
“Yeah we are, aren’t we?”
Says it all...
That's exactly how the book ends. I'm reading it for second time right now actually. One of the greateat books I've read.
Says what?!
He affirmed it here, wasn't asking a question. He smiles because he's tricking them into thinking he's insane
That the Doctor was just playing along?
Explain pls
Kingsley's face when he gets the nod that it didn't take. The disappointment and frustration in his face followed by the breif pause to drum up the courage to give the go ahead for the labotomy, so well done. Brilliant!
That and Kingsley's face when DiCaprio looks at him as he's walking to the orderlies. Cawley knew at that point that it had worked; but that Andrew couldn't live with the results.
I feel bad for Cawley. He was a good man trying to do right by his patients, but the one chance he gets to prove his radical treatments work gets undone because the patient it worked on was suicidal. Imagine going to all that effort to help others only to never be allowed to use it.
still mysterious how he didnt get any oscars
hahaha, You don't dare to say that again
SirBalageG my bad lol
+김민석 :D
@Mia Baker no. he's actually deserved for 'the revenant'. he's deserved this one. but no more.
where is oscar for jaoquin phoenix or edward norton? where?
He should’ve won an Oscar for this movie, Inception, Gangs of New York, The Aviator, Wolf of Wall Street, and of course the Departed!
See how he looks at the cigarette at 10 seconds. That’s a man savoring the last cigarette he’ll ever smoke.
01:44 - there is your answer, that look
Perfection
Exactly
He let Chuck know that they didn't fail. Also when he got up he knew where he was going and what was going to happen.
No matter what he said, or how he walked down those stairs, that brief look is crystal clear evidence of his sanity at that moment.
Chuk is the monster and him ready to die as good man?
Open ending movies are great for conversation and this can be considered an open ending movie......... BUT I think the ending is pretty clear that he was lying to Chuck and that Andrew was pretending to be Teddy that way he can be lobotomized.
Stephen Martell I think he wanted to live with the knowledge that he killed his wife because she killed their three children.
+Ranisha Pitts you mean he want to live with no knowledge that he killed his wife becase she killed their three children and the past that kept bugging him that he killed to many people on the past war?! It's pretty obvious that there are no any interpretation on this movie than that.
Yes that is what I meant thanks. LOL
+Stephen Martell " to live as a monster, or to die as a good man"
(Laeddis pretend to be Teddy in the end to be lobotomized) so I believe that he now wants the lobotomy while he is in touch with reality as Andrew Laeddis because he has come to terms with the source of his trauma and why he is on shutter island and that he is a loving father and husband that is sorry for his offence and sorry for his ignorance of his wife’s well being so this is why I believe this is what he refers to as his ‘good-man’ side that he would rather die/mind-wiped as Andrew coming to terms with his horrible offence rather than live like a monster, teddy, who on shutter island for the last 24 months has acted like a monster beating up numerous guards, orderlies and fellow patients in the persona of Teddy Daniels.
+Stephen Martell If Andrew wants to be lobotomized, why the facility telling him his real name that he killed his wife? I don't understand
I feel the last line where chuck says “teddy?” And Andrew ignores him because he is sane is more important than “to live as a monster, or die as a good man”. That’s what shows he’s aware.
Broo for real, he just ignored him Cus he knows that’s not his name. Amazing
Always amaZed me how people found this ending hard to understand its pretty damn obvious that he has regained his sanity and wants to be labotomized and die in character of Teddy. He even says it in the line ..'I wonder whats worse, to live as a monster or die a good man' it couldnt be more obvious after that!
@Aaron Paul They should explain which one of the endings is right. This one on the video is realistic, but second one is also good.
And he doesn't respond to the name *Teddy*
@@pulsasfalta5195 they didn't explain it for a reason, it's left open intentionally. Which always makes me wonder why people are so adamant about how they know the answer of what the writer was thinking about when he wrote this
I am amazed there are people trying to explain the ending. Everything is clear. I can't imagine someone who can't get it
he’s referring to the doctors that are running this experiment, he already IS teddy
1:30
You can hear the utter disappointment in Mark Ruffalo's "yeah , what's that Boss ?!"
Brilliant .
This is over of the most CRIMINALLY underrated movie's of all time... Leo is ABSOLUTELY incredible in this movie... It just amazes me that more people don't see this movie for the masterpiece that it is.
Criminally underrated? Man, why am I not in prison then? I think it was a rather lame film.
@@ronlacker326 It's not for everyone. It's not your usual mindless horror movie, with jump scare after jump scare and the story doesn't hold your hand.
@@danieldevito6380 1) This was not a horror film. 2) Was still lame though.
When chuck calls teddy leo didn't look back he knew who he was. Simply a masterpiece
another sign that he knows he is Andrew is when Chuck says "Teddy?" and he doesnt turn around or even recognize the name . it isnt his name
Tyler Wilson Hopefully Chuck at least told the doctor that his treatment wasn’t a failure so they can perform this to others giving them a chance to make a choice like Andrew did. Wether to live as a monster or die as a good man.
Yes, the only explanation as to why he didn't turn around when he calls him Teddy is that it's not his name. No other possible explanation for that.
Oh my God! That fucking look they give eachother at 1:44 ! His eyes alone tell Chuck that he's sane and Chuck gets the hint but feels his pain and let's him suicide as "a good man." I can't belive I didn't see that before.
Honestly one of the most brilliant movie endings I've ever seen.
Obviously he was aware of his condition because he willingly went to get lobotomized.
+Connor StandingReady " to live as a monster, or to die as a good man"
(Laeddis pretend to be Teddy in the end to be lobotomized) so I believe that he now wants the lobotomy while he is in touch with reality as Andrew Laeddis because he has come to terms with the source of his trauma and why he is on shutter island and that he is a loving father and husband that is sorry for his offence and sorry for his ignorance of his wife’s well being so this is why I believe this is what he refers to as his ‘good-man’ side that he would rather die/mind-wiped as Andrew coming to terms with his horrible offence rather than live like a monster, teddy, who on shutter island for the last 24 months has acted like a monster beating up numerous guards, orderlies and fellow patients in the persona of Teddy Daniels.
Good job detective
he has no condition it was a test to turn a sane man insane and they failed he our smarted then most people got the plot wrong
Everyone’s talking about Leo’s performance but forget Ben Kingsley’s. That look on his face when he thinks his experiment failed… brilliantly done. He’s a phenomenal actor and i loved how he played his role as the doctor.
Leo is truly an astonishing actor. I am really am surprised so many don't give him the credit he deserves. Some people just cant get over his role in Titanic.
Dan Nevin I'm not saying he's gay but there's no problem in it... and what's your problem exactly
What? At the time you left this comment he had been nominated for 4 Oscars (now 6, including 1 win) and is almost universally considered one of the greatest actors to ever live. What are you even talking about?
the ending is pretty obvious..not only because of the last line but his action that simply took the cigarette without doubt n smoke it..
Yeah people like to argue about shoestrings when the real ending is a haystack. It's a little ridiculous. I am all for dissecting and devil's advocate logic explaining a theory, but the theories that Andrew is actually uncovering the truth are ridiculous and ignore large sections of the second act to make a plot hole canyon big enough to support their theory. Outside of that it's "He's still crazy" which is silly because it totally ignores the last line and Chuck's body language upon standing up and calling out to Teddy.
Teddy wouldn't have smoked the cigarette, Teddy wouldn't have said that line, Teddy wouldn't just get up and separate from his partner to go with orderlies. It's pretty clear.
I agree. But im not agree with the cigarette thing. if he was crazy he would smoke cigarettes anyway. Because hypothetically speaking he was reset. And at first he didn't know that cigarettes are bad. For them (who thought he was crazy), it was normal to see him smoking .. Anyway, I repeat. I know he didn't remain crazy at the end, that he was recover. I just don't think cigarette argument is good
@@andrestrif6440 but he also says something about weird stuff happening on the “rock” so he’s not reset and still suspicious
Noticed that andrew never light his own cigarette this time , make me wonder that the anger (fire) is gone from his mind
@@brendonrodriguez8343 He said he gotta get off this rock. Which can be interpreted as,"I gotta move on"
Everyone talks about Leo’s acting but mark ruffalos acting in this last scene was phenomenal
It’s not a relapse. It’s a choice. The pain is too much to bear.
the quote is similar in bathman the dark night when harvey dent said "You Either Die A Hero, Or You Live Long Enough To See Yourself Become The Villain” "
Yeah I always thought the same
'Shutter island' isn’t any less than inception. one of the greatest movie ever in my life. The ending was so perfect for me.
It’s much better than Inception.
Way much better than Inception at least for me
At the end of the film we can see that he has fully come to the understanding of his situation and what he had done. Right from the start of the conversation between Chuck and Teddy he is actually manipulating them to assist in his lobotomy which is why when Chuck tells him "that's right we're too smart for em" he replies with "yeah we are aren't we". He meant this literally, as if to say he is smarter than them; and as such they are now playing along with his game, they are the ones who can't understand the treatment had worked.
Another nod towards this is when Teddy is walking away, Chuck tries to speak to him, calling out "Teddy?" in a questionable way, and Teddy does not respond to that name, or to him calling out as he known he is not Teddy. The reason that this is important is because if Teddy truly wanted to escape the island he wouldn't walk toward them in the way that he did, and that behavior struck Chuck as odd and that is why Chuck called to him in that way. We can assume that after that question, and with his mannerisms, Chuck knew the procedure had worked, but failed to stop Teddy as had he of stopped them, perhaps Teddy would have gotten worse or attempted suicide in another way.
It is a bittersweet ending, in a way, Laeddis found the resolution he needed from the experiment, coming to the understanding of who he was and what he had done but on the other hand as a result of this he felt a myriad of emotions that were too painful for him to sanely bare. In the end, his only solace was knowing lobotomy was an option, which he took.
Which would be worse? To live as a monster, or to die as a good man?
0:43 You can see Dr. Cawley´s heart breaking in half in a matter of seconds.
@Donald Donald what no. Because he wanted soo hard to save his damn patient. It's sad that he'll never know he succeeded.
@@touhoumanty9131 maybe he will. We don't know if Shian told him after.
I think at 2:00 he realizes his method had worked.
When I first watched the movie I thought he actually forgot everything that happened and went back to his disassociation of reality but re-watching it that line stood out to me and made me realize what he was actually doing. Honestly one of the best films I’ve seen
Notice chuck or dr sheehan's expression from 1:45 it's like that tone of surprise when he realised that Andrew hadn't actually lost his sanity and was faking the regress to get a lobotomy. Brilliant acting by both actors.
I finally get it now! He was never crazy, he just did all that acting like a lunatic to get his lobotomy because he couldn't stand to keep "living as a monster" knowing what he did to his family and that was eating him up alive. I've watched this movie near 10 times and it finally just came to me
I wouldn't say he was never crazy but he did without question want death over to live and suffer with memories of his past. He was most definitely crazy and couldn't accept what had happened, if he just wanted a quick death he would've killed himself months ago.
He was sick throughout the film, but the doctor's experiment actually cured him. In the end he decided to pretend to still be sick in order to get the lobotomy.
doc cured him but he couldnt bare the truth
1:35-1:46 will be studied in acting schools. The subtle changes in his facial expression, and then the last look in to his eyes before he stands up… incredible
That’s what I noticed right away … it sets the reality of the scene perfectly.
The amount of eye contact leo holds after "to live as a good man" it perfect. You get this overwhelming urge that you want him to hold it longer to impact upon "chuck" the gravity of his statement, but he doesn't. He doesn't because any longer and the truth of the situation would be too aparent. He holds the eye contact JUST long enough that chuck picks up the meaning of the statement but doesn't have enough time to sus out his true intentions. He sows doubt, but doesn't have it harvested. The wilful walking to his lobotomization is the just the last nail in the coffin that confirms it.
"You either die a hero or live long enough to see yourself become the villain."
neowisdom dragon ball?
Now isn't that true, for all of us good men.
That’s gotta be from Naruto or Steinsgate
Extra funny cause Mark Ruffalo (Chuck) was up for the role of Harvey Dent
God I hate seeing this stupid cunting quote on every video.
The man felt guilty because his insanity inconvenienced so many for so long. He was sane before taking his final walk, but stricken with guilt and able feign insanity.
Simply amazing, just from that one line you get the full comprehension that he is sane, he does remember and understand what he had done but he couldn't bear living with that knowledge so he decided to take the only way of avoiding that life.
This and blood diamond are my favourite Leonardo DiCaprio films.
One of the greatest endings a movie could have ever had. The way Teddy lets all of them believe that he has yet again gone into his delusion, and how both the docs have a look of disappointment and rue. Then after a brief pause, where we, the audience accept the fact that Teddy has not moved on, he asks Chuck the question. The look of surprise in Chuck's eyes, the way he calls him after Ted walks away is why the ending is not ambiguous at all. It was a clear cut end. Ted knew he is Andrew, yet he wanted to die as the latter. Absolutely amazing.
That blank stare at 1:44 looking down like that even when you know someone’s eyes are on you was a perfect little thing to add. It’s creepy and ominous yet you know he is sane it’s just a perfect little acting thing Leo threw in .
even that line that chuck delivers "we;re too smart for them" Leo's character genuinely replies "we are, aren't we" because he knows hes cured but goes along with being insane still to avoid getting tried as a criminal
The look on Kingsleys face at 0:44 is the same look the captain of Titanic had when he realized there was nothing to be done to save the ship. The ship/the person was lost beyond any chance of being rescued.
The important part of this isn;t just the line about living as a monster or dying a good man, but specifically the moment after. When Chuck calls out to him and says "Teddy?" he doesn't respond because its not Teddy, it's Andrew. Unable to live with the horror of what he did, and what he saw, he would rather go down as the good man Teddy than continue to live as Andrew. Subtle performances here from both Leonardo and Mark with meaning gained from a few choice glances, pauses, and 2 lines of dialogue stating outright that Andrew is sane, and cured, but is unable and unwiling to live with it all. So in a way, as he walks off he is for all intents and purposes committing suicde and there is no hesitation, only calm acceptance of what he wants.
Nah, teddy is the real one. He's been gaslit this whole time.
@@nokachi3339Nope.
@@MadeInSeventyFour yes
The subtle voice change and not responding to "Teddy?" is so great here.
The ending is misunderstood , but now it seems so legendary, yet its so sad that he was sane , but decided to act insane to get the lobotomy , so that he can forget everything about his past ( so that he forgets that he is the monster ) and he can die as a good man, peacefully .
This movie is a masterpiece.
THE ACTING , THE PLOT , THE EXECUTION AND OF COURSE THE ENDING .
Yep in the end he made the one choice and I feel it was understandable.. because who would wanna live knowing what really happened.
I love the ending to this movie. He knows that he has been seeing illusions and dealt with it. But he couldn't live without the love of his children and wife. Which is why he said goodbye to his friend. Only escape is to be dead inside because his family is gone; he knew and I think his friend knew it as well after they spoke...he was done and needed peace. After the last convincing; he gave up trying to keep the memories alive and decided to die along with his family...although not really dying but in those days...sticking a probe in your eye and swishing your brain around might as well be the same thing. Good but sad movie; 'Bitter Earth' song made it sunk more into the heart.
One of the most important, yet so finely detailed part of this scene comes at 0:39-0:41 - Chuck (Mark Ruffal) shakes his head to the doctor as if to say that Teddy (Di Caprio) has relapsed and has gone back to his former insanity - BUT look at the finest detail, which makes this film so amazing - LOOK at Di Caprio in those 2 seconds, at where hes looking, at his facial expression and ultimately what hes thinking and there in lies your answer to the ending of the film
Just 2 seconds, thats all it took
masterpiece
Ali Hamid it looks as if Teddy is waiting to see that the bald guy is going to believe if he relapsed or not
He actually doesn't know or really care at this point. That's why he walked away smoothly leaving us with the question
Nicole Oliver No man Andrew literally says “Don’t worry partner they’re not going to catch us.” He’ s still in detective mode. *He doesn’t want to believe the meeting he had with Kingsley ever happened.* His last words are foreshadowing because *a part of him knows his days are numbered* but *he still wants to live in his fantasy detective world* ( he addmits to this in the lighthouse b4 this scene. )
JavierLaflare ! Untrue. Andrew is sane here and wants the lobotomy. Even at the end he ignored “chuck” saying teddy because it isn’t his name. Chuck even stands up shocked once Andrew asked him the question because it’s totally out of character of teddy and reassures chuck that he is currently sane. He says this line after he makes sure they confirm the lobotomy.
@@carnstar wow! That was a really good explanation
0:39-0:41 - Di Caprios face, there is your answer
Masterpiece of a film
+Ali Hamid sorry maybe I am dumb, but whats the answer? He was waiting to chuck do the shake in the head?
Its more of an interpretation than an answer but in my opinion his headshake signified that he was in fact sane at the time and would rather die than live with the atrocities he committed
+Ali Hamid It's that heavy rise of his chest in the half a second before the shot changes, like he knows he's done enough to get himself lobotomized and he's accepted his fate in one action. I also thought the brief look into Shehan's eyes after his final words was an even greater demonstration of his acting talent - the stare was just long enough to convey a message (I am sane) but just short enough to make the Doctor question his decision to send him to the Lighthouse. Superb acting.
L.DiCarprio he acting good work.& he's bestt actor..
Actually he didn't know or really care what was going on All he did was leave us with the question showing every one that he couldn't face reality
It's insane how one line can make a movie 10 times better
0:43 Ben Kingsley reading the script for Iron Man 3.
Lmao
His eyes looking chuck before he stand up telling everything. Best actor ever
0:44 that's how my dad looks at me after every report card
neo jake 😂
🤣🤣
🤣🤣
1 of the GREATEST performances by Leo, the look he gives at 145 was INCREDIBLE.
This is up there with "The Usual Suspects" as far as mind-blowing ending.
Here in 2019 bc this movie is insanely underrated. I work in mental and behavioral health and this movie puts you into that world like no other. This may be the most beautifully done film I've ever seen.
One of the greatest movies I've ever seen in my life. Thank you Leo, Mark and Sir Kingsley.
Don't forget Professor Scorsese!
The worst part is everyone believed Dr. Cawley.
His "experiment" worked not only on Teddy but on the audience.
Haunting.
This is the most emotionally haunting thriller I have ever seen. It has so much to say and especially thanks to Leonardo’s brilliant acting.
One of my favorite scenes in cinema... I also like how he calls him "Teddy" and Leo chooses not to respond. Showing he doesn't actually identify with that name anymore.
Not sure if he doesn’t identify he just ignores because he doesn’t want to live as the monster anymore. He just wants peace but I could be wrong. It’s why it’s such a great movie because we can just wonder what the whole purpose was
00:56 If you needed a 10th detail proving he was cured, notice while he's saying the lines he always used to say, he's saying them quietly with fear and sadness in his voice. Because he knows they're bullshit and he knows what he's doing. At the start of the movie he's confident, loud, concise, not afraid of anything. Here he's talking exactly like someone on the verge of tears.
Does chuck know he's cured at the end when he say teddy?
Yup
Yeah, because Teddy is not insane, and Teddy is his real name
CHUCK WAS HIS FUCKING PSYCHIATRIST!!! for like 2 years! He called him teddy because he didn't want to be call Andrew Laddeus
"CURED" is a weird word to describe this ending with Teddy. In reality Andrew thought he was Teddy and as a result was more at peace with believing he was a detective trying to solve a case. But this still led to unfortunate events where he became violent with others in order to make this "reality"make sense for him to believes he was a good man. When accepted with the actual reality and realizing he was in fact Andrew whom he knows killed his wife who drowned their kids, he is mentally tormented and needs to be heavily medicated to deal with it all but he is non violent, yet he realizes that he is a killer or a bad man. Therefore at the end he cannot deal with neither realities, cause he knows he will revert back to Teddy to escape his anguish again and thus either he become's Teddy and others get hurt or he is Andrew and he gets hurt. Perhaps other then death getting the lobotomy was the actual cure cause all his memories should be virtually gone and he would no longer be either man but rather a dead man walking (zombie) .
@@manime4790 no Chuck was going along with him. Like he had been ever since this movie started.
Teddy realized he got trapped and that he was never leaving. They knew he was looking into them and lured him in to declare him crazy and trap him there for life.
His last line is telling him he knows they are all monsters and that he can't escape. Thats why he calls him by his real name.
No, Teddy doesn't exist
@@pawehebda2583 your IQ is too low for this movie like 90% of the people who watched it
"To Die As A Good Man "
H3 means that if you were a monster or did some monstrosity in your life ,you should sacrifice yourself in doing one last good thing .
That's like a shot taken at Dr. Sheehan. "I know you guys will neutralize me but you're gonna have to live as the monsters".
This whole time he was protected by his delusions. His brain was in full survival mode. Until he was cured. Now his reality was far worse. This made him face his trauma and essentially realized it was better not to continue living. The pain, guilt, and sorrow was too much for one man to fathom.
For those who did not understand the ending, Leo knew he would never get out of his trauma so he played a last act to have them lobotomize him. A weird form of suicide without using his own hands.
One of the hardest experiences of my life.
Struggling with alcoholism and teetering on psychosis.
I stated to my girlfriend at the time
"I can't tell what's real" "I can't tell if I'm real" "or if I died a long time ago, and this is a dream"
What woke me up from the trance was her response to my next sentence
I told her
"I don't even know if you are real"
She looked at me with heart broken eyes. And told me something on the lines of this "you can deny yourself the truth, you can't deny I exist. All the time and effort and love I've given isn't just a concoction of your imagination"
I can deny, hide and run from myself. I cannot however deny others existence nor can I deny others pain and struggles. I often feel overwhelmed by the pain and agony of the world. Yet spend so much time dwelling on my pains. Believing they overshadow the struggles and pains of others. What a false narrative our mind writes.
As I sit isolated and slipping back into despair. I pray I may never lose my awareness. Don't give up. Keep fighting.
Yes, so obvious, he doesn’t want to live with the grief and pain of knowing, so he voluntarily wants to forget. The method was a success, but not for him, not for living with it.
1:45 I like that quick glance he gives him before leaving
Just ended up watching this movie..I know it's been late but this is actually a masterpiece...one of the best endings...dislikers r those who didn't get a thing in this whole goddamn movie
In my opinion he wanted to die. If he had regressed he would've put up a fight but he didn't. He didn't want to go through it again. He knew he would, so he decided to just put an end to it.. And when Chuck said "Teddy" Chuck said it to see if he would respond but once he saw the he just kept on walking then he just sympathize with him and he let him be.. My opinion
What i Think 2!
Which would be worse: To live as a monster, or to die as a good man?
What's the implicit meaning of this dialogue? Who's the monster as Teddy mentioned?
And, who's a good man?
To Live as a Monster.
If he accepts his guilt and becomes sane he will become the Monster. His delusions are his brains way of removing this guilt and hiding the fact that he ignored his family, did not act on his wife's mental illness, allowed her to murder their children and then murdered her. By accepting what the doctors are telling him he will need to go on living in the knowledge that he allowed terrible things to happen and did terrible things. The doctors will be able to treat him without a lobotomy but he will be fully aware of the crimes he committed.
To die as a good man.
In his delusion he is a good man. He truly believes that he is on the side of law and order and that he is doing right. If he chooses to continue to believe this he will be lobotomised and will no longer have relevant brain function to question what he did or did not do. The death is not literal as the other answer suggests. It is about the fact that if he continues to believe he is this good man he will be lobotomised and effectively "die" believing in this. He will not die in a literal sense until later, but he will do so in the belief he was a good man.
What is most exciting and cathartic about this decision is that this appears to be a moment of lucidity where he understands what has happened and is not in thrall of his delusions. He at this point of lucidity makes the decision that he can not live with his crimes and would prefer to lie to his doctor as he knows this will result in his lobotomy.
By making the statement to his doctor he makes him aware of this also and by virtue of this you could also argue that he is being a good man by electing to be punished as well as the belief in his delusion that he is good.
I think another major clue people may have missed that shows Andrew is 'cured' and aware of everything and of his decision to be lobotomized is in the way he simply walks off with the attendants at the end, willingly and without question. This is my favourite movie of all time and is still powerful to this day. 'On the nature of daylight' haunts me every time I hear it.
We know Andrew is choosing to have his mind lobotomized when they call him Teddy and he doesn’t turn around. He just wants the pain to go away.
Fun fact-- Every cigarette he smokes is lit by someone else throughout the entire film. Patients aren't allowed matches.
That last question is one which no insane man would ask
Totally false
@@TitanFlare Thanks for the elaboration
@@ecddanieldce6753 you're welcome :)
Just curious, but what if all of what he was saying was actually true and that they created that story to make him insane so he wouldn’t expose the whole experimentation project. What if Ruffalo was working for the government and actually came to care for Leo, but had to do his job in the end because he knew Leo would never give in. He gave them the nod because he wouldn’t cave in. Why does Chuck still call him Teddy at the end of the movie instead of Laeddis? It’s like he’s continuing with his real identity at Teddy, and not Andrew Laeddis as his inmate name.
Slow paced and very well executed scene with varied meanings in every dialogue
The lack of music in this scene and throughout the movie is one of the best things about it. They could’ve easily added some haunting or sad music during this scene, but instead they just let you sit there in silence and try to figure out what you just watched.
he finally came to his sense, and decided to die out of guilt knowing what he did to his family
His wife killed the kids though?
true, the wife killed the kids but yet he felt there must be something he could've done but he didn't. he just couldnt bear the fact that it happened
What confuses me is he isn't going to die, he's going to get lobotomized, so he'll still live as a monster
@@minV5326 lobotomized will turn him to someone like forrest gump without any memory so teddy not really die but his soul does
How Dicaprio hasn't won an Oscar yet is beyond me.
+callycap3 :>
+callycap3 Apparently, if you it "di caprio" instead of Dicaprio, you would have received waaaaay more likes.
But... He did win an Oscar, for The Revenant.
@no known alias. Read when his comment was posted, idiot.
Palmen1990
Idiot? I did read when it was posted, nobody said it so I thought I would.
did anyone else notice how when "chuck" shook his head at the doc leo was looking at the doc too. that should tip anyone off that he knew what he was saying.
The look he gave him at 1:45 concludes the whole movie
What a work of art capturing past trauma and depression, and its effects on future life 😌
Leo’s performance as always was amazing in this film but lets appreciate Mark Ruffalo’s as well 👏🏻
Mark is so amazing in this movie..