The Shining

The perfect horror movie. An endlessly rewatchable masterclass in tension management. Brilliantly acted all around but to me, Shelley Duvall is the clear standout. She personifies complete terror so intensely. The Shining is layered to the point that people go insane while interpreting this movie. Completely deciphering the movie would take a lot of time and effort, more time than I could possibly justify putting into this diary entry. Instead, I would like to provide a brief account of a couple of approaches. Generally, I believe that alcoholism and abuse are the movie's overall main themes. There's the obvious domestic abuse as Jack injured Danny in the past and, well, the movie's entire second and third act. There's also the shining itself. As Halloran says, when something happens it can leave a trace of itself behind. The shining may itself be one of those traces, left behind by said abuse. It essentially acts as a warning signal, alerting Danny of potential dangers. In addition, the hotel acts as the opposite. It exemplifies danger and abuse in several levels. Masculinity, misogyny and the social division of labor are also relevant. Jack mirrors patriarchial dynamics and the domestic work (including Jack's responibilities as the care taker) is delegated to Wendy. Jack's insanity works as en exaggeration of gender roles and norms. Room 237 is also relevant here, as Jack is lured in by the sight of a naked young woman, who he inherently perceived as an object for his sexual desires. White supremacy is also for sure a theme. The reference to the native american burial grounds and Grady's racism are thematic markers. The Overlook hotel's ghosts also seem to be frozen in the segregated 1920's. I haven't given this too much thought yet but it's something to keep in mind on a rewatch. As far as the ending goes, I am sympathetic to multiple readings but I like the idea of the resurrection reading as it implies a connection between Jack and the hotel. He has always been part of the hotel, as he has always been abusive. He wasn't turned into a abuser by the hotel but the abusive patterns he personifies have always been there. The same can be said about the movie's broader implications about racism and misogyny. These patterns are inherent in his character, the specific patriarchial configuration of masculinity he personifies, the hotel, and, extrapolating from this, societies' structure as a whole. They've always been there instead of having developed over time through external corruptive influences. I just gotta say, for how much I adore this movie, the opening title crawl is hideously ugly. Which is a shame because the opening sequence itself is beautifully atmospheric.