The Shining

🔥 6th Watch | U.S. CUT | Top 100 | Stanley Kubrick Ranked There are two twins. There are two Grady's. There are two Jack's. And recently, I learned there are two Shining's too. For my entire life, I thought the 144-minute version of The Shining was the only version, but there is also a separate European version, which omitted 24 minutes of footage. Apparently, Stanley Kubrick removed the footage because he believed Europeans wouldn't need that information to understand the story. However, it should be noted that despite the common belief that Kubrick preferred the European Cut, Kubrick considered both cuts to be "directors cuts" and didn't prefer one version over the other. Otherwise, he likely would've promoted one of the versions over the other. Either way, The Shining is a masterpiece, but I thought it would be interesting to compare the different versions. Since I have an amazing 4K disc of the U.S. Cut of The Shining, I opted on not watching a lower-quality version of the European Cut and decided to more closely examine the U.S. exclusive material on my next watch. CHANGE ONE: EXTENDED INTERVIEW The extra footage begins by including an extra line of Wendy's dialogue to Danny, with her saying, "I think we're going to have a real good time." Then, the film cuts back the interview. The scene starts with Bill walking in the room and greeting Jack Torrance. Jack then tells us what his prior occupation was, saying that he was a former schoolteacher and now a writer. Jack then asks why the Hotel has to close in the winter, pointing to the fact that the Overlook likely has great skiing potential. Mr. Ullman then responds by saying that the cost to keep the roads open would be impractical, foreshadowing the eventual snowstorm later in the film. The extra footage serves as a way to give the viewer more exposition about the Overlook Hotel. Some people don't like exposition and say that it removes the mysterious nature of the story. However, saying that the roads close in the winter does not remove the mysterious nature of the story. It just acts a way of foreshadowing the later events of the story. And there is no harm to learning Jack's occupation. In fact, since Jack claimed he was a former schoolteacher and not an active one, it raises the question on why he was no longer a teacher. Was he fired? Did he quit? Does this perhaps relate to his character in any way? Since the extra exposition doesn't hurt the film in any way, I would say that I like this addition. Besides, the film transitioning from Wendy to someone walking into the interview room is a lot smoother of an edit than cutting directly into the middle of a conversation. CHANGE TWO: THE DOCTOR SCENE After Danny's vision of the blood elevator in his bathroom, the film doesn't cut to the Torrance's driving along the mountain side to the Overlook Hotel. Instead, we first see a doctor check up on Danny. I do like how fluid the transition in the European Cut feels. Danny's vision lingers in our mind as the family of three drives up to the hotel, serving as an eerie note and introduction to the hotel. However, the U.S. Cut is great too. This scene is composed of two segments. Firstly, the doctor asks Danny questions about Tony. But afterwards, the doctor and Wendy go to the living room, where they talk about Danny's injury (the same injury Jack speaks of at the bar with Lloyd). The first segment gives us some information about Tony. In the European Cut, we don't really learn a lot about Tony. This is the same for the U.S. Cut, but it gives us a little more to work with. In this scene, Danny describes Tony as a voice hidden inside his mouth and then says that he hides. This gives Tony a lot more character and it poses the question on why Danny would have an imaginary friend who hides. The first segment of the scene also raises an interesting theory about The Shining. One of the most memorable moments of The Shining is near the end of the film where Wendy sees a man wearing a bear costume gives a ghost a blowjob. However, in this scene, Danny lies down on his bed with a massive stuffed animal bear. Additionally, as Danny is lying down, he's not wearing pants. Furthermore, he conceals his underwear by covering it with his hands. This imagery is odd. To half-undress a child for a scene is a very deliberate choice and to have a bear stuffed animal nearly overwhelm Danny in the background is a strange way to block a scene. Therefore, this raises the theory that Jack had actually been sexually abusing Danny. The only times a bear is seen in the film is in the bear sex scene and the doctor scene. Danny is clearly uncomfortable with the doctor, placing his hands over his underwear in a form of protection. Additionally, during Closing Day at the hotel, Jack was briefly reading a playgirl magazine, which hints at Jack's need for sexual satisfaction. In the bathroom scene with the lady, Jack feels the need to smooch her. Maybe sometimes Jack needs to satisfy himself with Danny? And lastly, the interaction between Danny and Jack in the bedroom was very tense. Danny was awkwardly compliant and very stiff in his interaction. Perhaps Danny was scared of the other times Jack did to him when they were alone. This could also explain Danny's need for Tony. Perhaps it's a mechanism to protect himself from his father. Some of these hints could also suggest physical abuse, something the film more directly suggests. However, this theory of Jack sexually abusing is interesting to think about when watching The Shining and it completely falls apart in the European Cut, which omitted the doctor scene. Overall, the first segment of the Doctor scene provides a lot of texture and ambiguity. The second half of the scene is equally as interesting. After Danny says he does want to talk about Tony anymore, the doctor and Wendy go to the living room, where they eventually talk about Danny's incident. This is the same incident that Jack speaks about to Lloyd at the bar. However, just because they both talk about the same incident doesn't make the scene redundant. The way Wendy shrugs off the incident as "just the sort of thing you do a hundred times with a child" hints at the problems with their parenting and the suggests an abusive family relationship. Wendy's performance in this scene is terrific, subtlety demonstrating her conflict. She tries to shrug this incident off, but you can also tell that she is bothered by the story. Furthermore, Anne Jackson's performance as the doctor is impeccable. The dynamic between Wendy trying to dismiss the incident and the doctor being very concerned over what Wendy is saying shows how messed up the Torrance family is. At the end of the scene, Wendy then talks about how this caused Jack to quit drinking. This concern over the Torrance's and Jack's prior alcoholism lingers as the film cuts to the closing day with the Torrance's driving to the Overlook. Thus, the key difference between both cuts is that in The European Cut, the horrors of the Overlook linger during the driving scene, while in the U.S. Cut, it's the family horrors which linger. I also love the Doctor and Wendy's interaction. I love how the Doctor feels absolutely disturbed by hearing Wendy's store. It helps build one of the main themes of the film: patriarchy. Despite being a doctor, the doctor is powerless to tell Wendy that Jack is a troubled man. Jack is essentially immune to society. Furthermore, I also think it's interesting to point out that in the doctor scene, Wendy says that Jack hasn't had any alcohol in five months, meaning Danny's incident occurred five months ago. However, in the bar scene, Jack says, "It was three goddamn years ago!" This is a massive time difference, and it raises the question of why they would say different times. However, it also puts the reliability of Jack and Wendy into question. Overall, while it's certainly not a vital scene to the movie, it certainly has a lot to offer, raising a lot of questions that help strengthen the film's ambiguity. CHANGE THREE: EXTENDED OVERLOOK TOUR This extended sequence is composed of three smaller scenes. The first extended segment is when Mr. Ullman shows Jack and Wendy the main open area of the Overlook Hotel. The second segment is when Jack and Wendy are inside their room within the hotel, and the extra footage also includes a few extra seconds of Mr. Ullman showing Jack and Wendy the exterior of the hedge maze. The final segment is the longest, as its not just an extended segment from a scene already in the European Cut, but rather an entire new scene. I like the first segment, because it highlights the Overlook's illustrious past, which is ironic considering the terrible things that have happened there (and that will happen later). It's a reminder that it's easy to mask evil. Beauty and money can be really effective facades. In addition, it also provides more information about the Overlook Hotel, and this information doesn't compromise the enigmatic nature of the film. Not all exposition is hurtful, and this is an example of that. The second segment doesn't offer that much. However, in the European Cut, the scene where Mr. Ullman shows Jack and Wendy their room ends very shortly, with a rather abrupt cut. In the U.S. Cut, the scene plays out just a little longer so that it never feels like the scene rushes. Additionally, this extra footage shows the bathroom where the famous "Here's Johnny" scene occurs. It's eerie how Jack and Wendy are casually standing in the bathroom together, only for everything to fall apart later with Wendy fighting for her life in that bathroom. Evil can loom in the most unexpected places, and at times it can be impossible to notice. Overall, I like this second segment too. However, the third extension to this sequence is the most intriguing and valuable addition. Firstly, this is the scene where Jack and Wendy are greeted to Hallorann. In the European Cut, Hallorann randomly just appears and shows Wendy the kitchen. This scene serves as a bridge to help smoothen out the story. Hallorann's introduction isn't jarring. This third segment takes place in the ballroom. Some people like the European Cut and how we never see the ballroom until Jack meets Lloyd, as it feels like there is this whole other world to the Overlook Hotel, which was unknown to us previously, making the hotel full of surprises. I like this, but since so much runtime occurs between this scene and the famous bar scene, by the time this scene occurs, we've essentially forgotten about this scene and the bar scene still feels like a surprise. Furthermore, I love how this scene is blocked. When Jack enters the ballroom, before he reaches the bar counter, he suddenly stops, hinting as this disturbing presence of the bar. However, this is really subtle, and it shows how grandeur and beauty can convincingly mask evil. Seeing such casual scenes at seemingly innocent locations of the Overlook Hotel, only for the film to subvert this later by including some of the most haunting scenes in these locations highlights the irony of the Overlook Hotel. And furthermore, it prevents the closing day sequence from feeling too rushed. Overall, I really liked these extended segments, as well as this additional ballroom scene. CHANGE FOUR: WENDY PUSHING CART This is a very short scene, and it doesn't really have a big impact on the story. In the European Cut, the film cuts directly to Danny riding his Big Wheel. However, in the U.S. Cut, the film cuts to a brief scene of Wendy pushing a cart of food before cutting to Danny. Danny's ride through the Overlook Hotel shows how massive and unoccupied it is compared to Closing Day. However, this brief scene with Wendy emphasizes it even more, since Wendy is shown alone rather than only with Jack. Overall, due to the scene's brevity, it doesn't clearly help the film. However, it definitely doesn't hurt the film. Personally, the scene's greater emphasis on the Overlook's isolation evokes stronger emotions, which is why I like the inclusion of this scene. It doesn't hurt the pacing, and this aspect of the film is not one which benefits off subtlety. CHANGE FIVE: EXTENDED BREAKFAST SCENE After Jack takes a bite of the food that Wendy gave him, in the European Cut, the film cuts directly to Jack throwing a tennis ball. However, in the U.S. Cut, Wendy and Jack talk about the Overlook Hotel and how massive it is. Wendy says she likes it, but at first thought it was kind of scary. Jack refutes this, saying that he fell in love with it right away. However, he then continues by saying he felt like he knew what was around every corner as if he had been there before. This last part obviously foreshadows the film's ending (SPOILERS) about Jack's reincarnation and how he had "always been the caretaker." However, this scene doesn't completely spoil the ending, as afterwards Jack imitates a scary ghost noise. Since we know that Wendy likes ghost stories, it introduces the likely possibility that Jack is just trying to scare Wendy a bit. Furthermore, due to the ambiguous nature of the story and the possibility of Jack's unreliability as a character, maybe Jack's just flat out wrong. Therefore, this scene definitely doesn't spoil the movie. An aspect of the scene that I do like is Jack's rebuttal to Wendy saying that he loves the Overlook Hotel. It demonstrates just how quickly the hotel had dominated over him. This extra footage establishes this sort of special connection between Jack and the hotel, raising many questions as to why this is the case. CHANGE SIX: EXTENDED JACK THROWING TENNIS BALL This change is not even a ten second extension. It's just another shot of Jack throwing the tennis ball along the wall. In addition, after the film cuts to Danny and Wendy running to the hedge maze, there's an extra line of dialogue where Wendy says, "Whoever loses has to keep America clean." Make of that as you will, but we get more footage of Jack Torrance throwing a tennis ball against a wall. That is enough for me to prefer the U.S. Cut over the European Cut. It doesn't impact the pacing. It doesn't impact the flow. There's just more tennis ball. CHANGE SEVEN: LISTENING TO THE RADIO Like the brief scene of Wendy pushing her cart, this scene also acts as a way of showing just how lonely the Overlook Hotel feel, as Wendy is completely isolated in the kitchen. However, this scene also serves as exposition. We didn't need this exposition, as Wendy reveals it shortly after to Jack later in the "Can't you see that I'm working" scene. However, this redundancy is great, because when Wendy tells the same information to Jack, we are put into Jack's shoes and subconsciously feel a similar level of annoyance. This adds slightly more engagement to the scene, which makes this scene beneficial. And as stated before, it also continues to show the isolative nature of the hotel. Overall, I think it's a fine addition, and it's certainly not detrimental to the film. CHANGE EIGHT: EXTENDED TYPEWRITER SCENE In the European Cut, after Jack gets mad at Wendy for disrupting him, he cocks the typewriter back and the film cuts to Wendy and Danny playing outside in the snow. In the U.S. Cut, after Jack moves the carriage to its original position, you can hear him typing again for a couple seconds. Afterwards, the Thursday flashcard appears. And only then do we see Wendy and Danny playing in the sun, accompanied by the iconic Kubrick stare. It's not a big change, but it's a change I actually really like. It's not because seeing Jack type actually reveals anything insightful. We can infer that Jack continues to use his typewriter afterwards, most likely typing "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy." However, it's the Thursday flashcard that makes the difference. What makes this small change so great is that after only thirty seconds, another day flashcard appears (Saturday). This results in Jack's Kubrick stare taking up a large portion of the entire day. It makes it feel like Jack was in that Kubrick stare for the entire day, showing just how much he had been deteriorating. And why include the extra bits of Jack typing again? It results in a smoother edit to the Thursday flashcard. A hard sound followed by a hard cut followed by another hard cut is pretty jarring. By transitioning to the Thursday flashcard by using the soft sound of typing, the transition is smoother, resulting in a more fluid experience, helping the pacing for the U.S. Cut. However, since the European Cut omitted the Thursday flashcard, the European Cut made the right decision to use the hard sound as a cut into the next scene. Both versions of the scene made the right choices in how they transitioned. However, I prefer the U.S. Cut better because of what it implied in the next scene with Jack's Kubrick stare. CHANGE NINE: TELEVISION SCENE This one-minute scene takes place directly before Danny sneaks into the room, only for Jack to notice him and ask Danny if he likes the hotel. This scene's purpose is to create a more fluid chain of events. In the European Cut, after Danny's iconic scene with the twins, the Monday flashcard occurs, and Danny for some strange reason sneaks into the hotel room, where he finds his dad sitting upright on his bed. In the U.S. Cut, however, Danny and Wendy are watching television alone when Danny asks to get his fire engine toy. Wendy tells he can get it, but that he can't make a sound so he wouldn't disturb Jack. That is why Danny sneaks into the room. In a vacuum, the television scene doesn't offer anything critical. Wendy's dialogue does hint at abuse, as she believes that if Danny disturbs Jack than he would get "grouchy" and possibly do something to Danny. However, at the end of the day, it's just a mom and her child watching a movie. However, this scene creates a smoother narrative, making it easier to follow the narrative. This is what makes this scene valuable. CHANGE TEN: EXTENDED BAR SCENE Am I going to say to an extra minute of one of the greatest scenes of all time? No. Both versions have legendary bar scenes. But the U.S. Cut simply has more, and the quality doesn't drop. The extra content starts by Jack giving a toast, followed by a drink and a nearly demonic stare as the alcohol seems to consume him. Then, Lloyd asks how things are going. Jack says that there's problems with the "sperm bank upstairs." Referring back to my thoughts about the Doctor scene and Jack's sexual tendencies, this description of Wendy helps prove that Jack isn't fueled by true love, but sexual pleasure. In response, Lloyd then says, "Women. Can't live with them. Can't live without them." This is followed by Jack saying, "Words of wisdom Lloyd. Words of Wisdom." Overall, the bar scene is just impeccable, and an extra minute of perfection is never going to hurt. CHANGE ELEVEN: EXTENDED "LEAVE THE HOTEL" SCENE This extension is just an extra line of dialogue, and it calls back to Danny's incident before they drove up the hotel. Due to being such a short moment, it doesn't impact the pacing and it's a pretty inconsequential extension. Therefore, neither version is better. Most people probably wouldn't even notice it when they watch this scene. However, the insignificant purpose this line of dialogue has is that Danny's visions of the Overlook's horrors had now become reality. It's a subtle way of saying that the final act of the film is about to begin. CHANGE TWELVE: DANNY'S TRANCE This occurs directly after the bathroom scene with Jack and Delbert Grady, and it shows Wendy talking to herself about how she will help Danny. Then, it shows Danny in a trance, with Tony being in complete control of Danny. This scene is a great reminder that Tony exists in the first place, since Tony practically disappeared while Danny was in the Overlook Hotel. However, it's also just an eerie scene that adds tension to the story. Furthermore, the transition from Jack and Delbert to Wendy is less jarring than transitioning from Jack and Delbert staring at each other to Jack walking to turn off the receiver. Overall, it's not a crucial scene to the film but it definitely doesn't hurt the film by any means. I would say it's mildly beneficial. CHANGE THIRTEEN: HALLORANN'S CALL Earlier in both versions of the film, Hallorann called the US Forest Service, and their conversation concluded with the Forest Service saying to call again in twenty minutes for updates. Therefore, this additional scene further conveys Hallorann's increased concern for the family at the Overlook Hotel. Furthermore, the inclusion of the earlier scene also means that this scene flows naturally within the narrative. It doesn't really impact the pacing. Earlier in the movie, we saw day flashcards to keep track of progress in the film. For example, after Jack's iconic Kubrick stare earlier in the movie, "Saturday" appeared on the screen. However, in this scene, the U.S. Cut shows a 8 a.m. flashcard. This is the first time we see a flashcard for the time of a specific day, and it foreshadows that tonight is when the climax of the film is going to occur. It adds a lot more tension to the film and the subsequent scenes, including Hallorann's flight and the famous "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy" scene. Because of this, I like this scene's inclusion in the U.S. Cut. CHANGE FOURTEEN: EXTENDED PLANE SCENE In the European Cut, Hallorann stares blankly forward before the film cuts directly to him driving in his car in Denver. In the U.S. Cut, however, Hallorann also asks a flight attendant when they will be landing in Denver. Yes, the exposition about Denver is redundant, but the true point of the line is to show Hallorann's urgency. He's asking when he gets to Denver. With this scene, and Change 13 too, the U.S. Cut better conveys Hallorann's sense of urgency to reach the Overlook Hotel before things get worse. This urgency is even more appropriate, considering the 8 a.m. flashcard I mentioned earlier in Change 13. After Hallorann asks the flight attendant when they will arrive, showing that he had been staring forward in this blank manner for the majority of the flight. However, then the film cuts to Jack typing on his typewriter, shifting our attention back to it and the ambiguous papers that Jack had been writing. This extra shot helps set up the "All work and no play" scene we see a couple scenes later. CHANGE FIFTEEN: DURKIN'S AUTO SUPPLY The Shining is known for its very thick atmosphere. The movie attracts the viewer and shuts you inside the rich odors of the Overlook Hotel, making it one of the most mesmerizing movies of all time. But this scene seems to detract from this. It almost kind of feels like a breath of fresh air. So, is this a bad scene? No. This scene is a reminder on what "normal" is. Hallorann and the store employee's dialogue, along with the production design, give a sense of familiarity and normalcy. This puts into perspective how crazy the events of the Overlook Hotel had become. The With this bar set, the Overlook becomes stranger, eerier, and scarier. Furthermore, the dialogue also reveals how Hallorann has access to the snowcat, a question that goes unanswered in the European Cut. I also like this scene because of how it impacts Hallorann's character. In the European Cut, Hallorann is portrayed as a chef who is a horny loner in his alone time. But this scene adds another dimension to Hallorann's character. Hallorann knows Larry, the store employee, and given their first name basis, they seem to have a friendly relationship. This creates a lot of questions regarding Dick Hallorann's character. Why would a horny loner chef be friends with Larry? It makes Hallorann's character even more of an enigma. You've heard about less being more, but sometimes more is less. Consequently, I like this scene, and while it's not a necessary inclusion to the story, it certainly does add something to the narrative. I think this is a good scene. CHANGE SIXTEEN: WATCHING CARTOONS This scene serves the exact same purpose as the scene where Danny requests to grab his fire engine in the hotel room. The scene is meant to create a more fluid narrative by bridging other scenes together. In the European Cut, Wendy randomly just starts calling out to Jack with a bat. This transition is jarring. However, in the U.S. Cut, after Hallorann drives the snowcat through the snowy road, the film cuts to Wendy and Danny watching cartoons alone, before Wendy says she needs to do something, taking a nearby bat with her before cutting to the iconic "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy" scene. Therefore, due to the extra fluidity this scene provides, this scene is great and benefits the film. CHANGE SEVENTEEN: SKELETON SCENE This scene only lasts for about ten seconds. The inclusion of the skeletons definitely feels a little cliche and the story would've been perfectly fine without them. I think the omission of these skeletons would work better, like in the European Cut. However, it definitely doesn't ruin the film. In fact, I think the irony of a hotel vitality being portrayed by a symbol of death is pretty interesting, so I don't feel this scene is completely meaningless. CONCLUSION Obviously, both versions have their own merits, and I won't deny that I am pretty biased towards the U.S. Cut given it's the one that I have access too. However, the only real criticisms of the U.S. Cut I've seen people give are that it weakens the pacing and that it gives too much exposition. However, I've never had a problem with the U.S. Cut's pacing. I've always admired the way it gradually progresses through the story. To me, the U.S. Cut feels like a glacier. It's slower, but it's more powerful. Nothing brings this glacier to a halt. There's this common perception that slower pacing is bad pacing. But the truth is that bad pacing is inconsistent pacing. The Shining's pacing is very consistent and never once have I been bored by the film. And still, even calling the U.S. Cut's pacing "slow" is misleading. It moves a moderate tempo, especially compared to films like 2001: A Space Odyssey and Stalker, which are still masterpieces. Thus, I don't understand the criticism of the U.S. Cut's inferior pacing. Secondly, the U.S. Cut does indeed offer more information. However, a lot of this exposition relates to stuff that doesn't really impact the mood of the hotel. Does explaining why the Hotel isn't open in the winter truly make the Overlook more mysterious? Does explaining how Hallorann got access to a snowcat truly make the Overlook more mysterious? If anything, a lot of the exposition serves as foreshadowing and as a means of bridging multiple scenes together. However, not only does the exposition not detract from the mood, but it also raises more questions. Furthermore, ten seconds of skeletons don't ruin a film. As a result, I like the U.S. Cut of The Shining more. To me, it's simply a more textured version of the same, impeccable story. The eerie atmosphere, committed performances, impossible sets, paradoxical vibrant color palette, musical mickey mousing, and powerful screenplay are present no matter what version you watch The Shining. It has some of the greatest performances of all time. It has one of the best soundtracks of all time. It has some of the greatest scenes of all time. And it's directed by the greatest directors of all time. "You believe his health might be at stake?" "Yes." "You are concerned about him?" "YES!" "And are you concerned about me?" "OF COURSE I AM!" "Of course, you are... Have you ever thought about my responsibilities? Have you ever had a single moment's thought about my responsibilities? Have you ever thought for a single solitary moment about my responsibilities to my employers? Has it ever occurred to you that I have agreed to look after the Overlook Hotel until May the 1st? Does it matter to you at all that the owners have placed their complete confidence and trust in me, and that I have signed a letter of agreement—a contract— in which I have accepted that responsibility? Do you have the slightest idea what a moral and ethical principle is? Has it ever occurred to you what would happen to my future if I were to fail to live up to my responsibilities? Has it ever occurred to you? HAS IT?" ⬅️ Previous Review: Obi-Wan Kenobi: Film Edit