Film Review: The Shining

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Stanley Kubrick's 1980 Horror masterpiece The Shining, is an onscreen nightmare that has rightfully left its mark on the Horror genre, even to this day. Jack Nicholson plays the on edge father Jack Torrance, who takes up the role of the caretaker at the Overlook Hotel, living there with his wife Wendy (Shelley Duvall) and son Danny (Danny Lloyd) inside of the large and isolating hotel for a number of months. 

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Figure. 1. The Shining Movie Poster

The madness that surrounds them is always present, ready to creep up on any of them at any time. Jack's insanity and violence builds up, and can be easily noticed through his appearance and language, while the blunt text on screen reading "a month later" or "Tuesday" is shown, so blunt that it's strangely creepy. This repetitive and random use of weeks, days and times changing is so commonly used and mixed up, that it creates confusion and causes you to feel unaware or not in control in terms of being able to keep track of time. "But one key aspect of the film is the fact that most of the sets for the Overlook Hotel, the central location for the film, are spatially impossible." (Sue, 2011) Kubrick's deliberate intentions for this is a very unorthodox approach, but it manages to make the film and set more sinister and terrifying, due to it not making actual sense. The large open spaces of the interior is different to other Horror's that focus on tight and claustrophobic dark places. The set of the Overlook's interior is well lit and brightly coloured, much different to traditional Horror's that are set in dark, shabby and unattractive places. The enchanting way that Kubrick makes such a nice and attractive place scary and intimidating, is impressive. The Shining is set out to feel more like an actual nightmare than a horror film, as nightmares wield a more realistic, relatable and personal fear to them. Not many people can relate to haunting experiences or supernatural events, whereas anyone can find a nightmare familiar which possesses the strong essence of atmosphere that The Shining emits brilliantly. Going back to the Overlook not making architectural sense, neither do dreams have to make sense with their layout or location. The fact it is not possible steers it closer to an unconcious dream's visuals, and it participates in giving the film that nightmarish setting. 

Kubrick being known for his effectively different cinematography, is easily noticed in The Shining. Using symmetry is common for Stanley Kubrick, as it draws attention to the centre of the screen no matter what, and it gives the scenes a strangely satisfying shot to look at. This is shown when Danny speeds around on his bike through the lengthy hallways, following right behind him as he rides. When the camera follows Danny as he turns around these unpredictable corners, all you can do is tense up with fearful anticipation, not knowing what he may bump into when turning these sharp corners. This is well executed, and of course excelled by the steadicam that hovers right behind Danny's head moving at the same pace as him. It gives a third person view, but as it is so close to Danny and directly above his head, it still doesn't make you feel like a spectator and it ensures that you are moving with Danny whether willingly or not. "Once Stanley Kubrick became aware of Garret Brown's Steadicam invention in 1974, he couldn't wait to get his hands on one and play with it. While the opening sequence of Halloween was the first horror film to utilise the Steadicam, The Shining took it even further, smoothly gliding the viewer through the halls and the treacherous hedge maze of the Overlook Hotel." (Konow, 2013) The way in that the camera doesn't stay still much, creates a lot of suspense as it creeps right behind a character and follows them, or wonders off on its own into the unknown for the audience not being able to turn back. Even when the Steadicam follows the murderous Jack while he chases Danny down the hallway with an axe, it is putting the viewer behind the maniac as if they are participating, or looking through the eyes of a chaotic murderer as they're closing in on the innocent boy. 

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Figure. 2. The Shining movie still.

Another incredible aspect of this movie, is the use of mirrors. They're used so cleverly and bring the nightmarish world to the relaxed world. Whether this is the reflection of the backwards words spelling out "MURDER" while Danny chants "REDRUM" repeatedly with a blade in his hand, or when Jack is seduced by the young nude woman, only to spot in the mirror that she's an old dying hag that he's kissed and embraced happily. The way that the situations are somewhat calm to an extent, then when glancing into a mirror the shocking reality and evil introduces itself relentlessly and suddenly, feels exactly like a nightmare. The worst nightmares to experience are the ones that are relaxed dreams, and something switches out of nowhere and flips the world you're living in upside down, polluting the atmosphere without warning or mercy. This is the kind of nightmare that The Shining attacks with, making the audience experience a horrible feeling that they would only feel when they're asleep and dreaming. When Jack looks into the mirror and notices the young lady he has kissed and hugged is an ugly, rotting, dead old lady, the music becomes strikingly violent as her echoes of cackled laughing repeats unmercifully. The events that take place are unpredictable and don't exactly make sense most of the time, such as seeing other characters when the family are actually alone in this hotel. A creepy article by Rob Ager about The Shining mentions some interesting information and theories, one of which includes the idea that Danny is experiencing dream sequences in some scenes, which explains why what is seen on screen is there and how it is convenient to the movie. He compares two scenes, one being when Jack visits room 237 and discovers the old lady that tries to attack him, and the scene where Jack and Danny have a father and son chat in the room, where Danny asks his father if he'll ever hurt him. "Danny was strangled by Jack in the fatherly love scene for having woken him up. The conversation in the fatherly love scene was a false reassurance, and Kubrick ended the scene just as Jack was about to turn nasty. This's why the scene featured melancholy music that ended with a sudden jolt as we shifted to the next scene. It's also why we are shown the rotting woman rising out of the bath tub - it's a parallel of Jack being woken up in bed." (Ager, 2008) Not only this, but he talks about the two scenes being completely mirrored by the movements and events. As Jack holds his arm out to invite Danny to approach him, the lady holds her arm out as she pulls open the shower curtain, pictures are even included to show how the scenes are identical. If The Shining wasn't scary and dark enough, suggesting that Danny was strangled by his father and Kubrick chose to completely hide this from the audience is bizarre. A key question to the film is left unanswered, because the camera stops moments before this horrific scene happens. The idea is that room 237 doesn't exist, and that Danny is dreaming about this room, although the layout is a reflection of room 217, the one that they're staying in. Overall, it makes sense, and it is scary how much it makes sense. It is a page that definitely deserves a read as it brings a potential shocking reality to the film's plot, leaving a haunting scar on the story. It's as if Kubrick didn't give everything away in this film, and he deliberately hid darker meanings and themes in this film for someone to uncover. It is maybe why the film feels like a nightmare you are watching, and not a traditional horror film. The film is a masterpiece and holds so many mysteries and theories because of Kubrick's extraordinary approaches. Out of all horror films, this is one that definitely needs to be seen by everyone. 

Illustration List
Figure. 1. Johnson D, The Shining movie poster. https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-the-shining-1980 (Accessed 11/12/17) 
Figure. 2. Kumar P, The Shining movie still. http://www.thterrortime.com/news/submit-your-film-to-the-overlook-film-festival-at-the-shining-hotel/ (Accessed 11/12/17)

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