The Shining

🔥 7th Watch | Top 100 | Stanley Kubrick Ranked I recently had the enormous pleasure of watching The Shining in theaters for the first time. It was a tremendous experience. The way everyone instantly grew silent as we were blasted with the iconic dies irae sequence whilst gliding past a secluded lake house was mesmerizing. This immersion lasted throughout the entire runtime. Despite being over two and half hours long, The Shining is one of the best paced films of all time. Though being patient, never once did the film drag. If anything, it's astonishing how quickly The Shining seems to traverse through the plot. I will never understand people who say that the longer US Cut of the film is too slow and the EU version sharpens the pacing. Regardless of the cut, The Shining is phenomenally paced. The Shining also has one of the most potent atmospheres of cinematic history. The Shining puts you in a trance from the first frame and doesn't release you until the last. Kubrick is so talented at creating rich atmospheres, but he was arguably at his best during the production of The Shining. In the film Stalker, the stalker says that "flexibility and softness are the embodiment of life." However, the cinematography of The Shining was anything but: it was restrained and precise. Kubrick's camera work was simple: Slow zooms and distanced tracking shots comprised of most of the film. Almost all of these shots were medium or long shots. Kubrick seldom used a close-up in The Shining; he wanted to distance himself as far away from the characters as possible. Kubrick's camera motions were strictly one-dimensional. Tracking shots glided from left to right without any vertical component. Tracking shots from behind directly followed the actors straight, without any horizontal component. These tracking shots weren't as lively as the iconic tracking shot from GoodFellas, which weaved in and out of the characters, circling them to create a disorienting and kinetic scene. These tracking shots were distanced and linear, lacking any warmth. What the makes the cinematography even more powerful is how the camera seems to represent the spirits of the Overlook Hotel. Tracking shots are really just the Overlook's spirits following and observing the Torrance family. The iconic Kubrick zoom is really just the spirits closing in on their target Jack Torrance. At times, the spirits not only follow the action, but guide it. During the "Wendy, I'm home" scene, the camera seems to guide the violent motion of the axe as Jack attempts to break down the bathroom door. The cinematography was one of the main vessels used to drive the cold and creepy nature of the film. But the cinematography is by far from being the only vessel. The production design is grandiose and luxurious, but also exotic and unstable. The abuse of symmetry creates an inflexible, unfamiliar setting which lack any of the characteristics of a comforting home. The contradictory layout of the hotel creates a sense of disorientation. The scene with Dunkin's Garage provides a big breath of fresh air, but it makes our return to the Overlook Hotel even more jarring. The production design is subtle, but it's subconscious effect on the viewer is one of the biggest driving forces of the film. While less subtle, the eerie soundtrack is just as creepy. The soundtrack is chaotic, with piercing notes that shed any warmth or safety. The performances are also a crucial to delivering the cold atmosphere of The Shining. Jack Nicholson's performance as Jack Torrance is extremely over-the-top, practically feeling inhuman. Many of the performances are purposefully sterile, with Philip Stone as Mr. Grady being a massive standout. The Shining is a horror film. I don't think anybody is arguing against that. However, the more I watch The Shining, the more comedic undertones I see. The irony within the dialogue, Jack Nicholson's over-the-top performance, the way the actors deliver their lines, the mickey-mousing with the soundtrack (having the soundtrack synchronize with the character's actions)... it's funny. Kubrick is extremely talented at layering dark humor within his stories, and I feel that talent is put onto full display in The Shining. In a way, this dark comedy makes the film even creepier, helping it distinguish from its peers, solidifying itself as a multifaceted Kubrickian masterpiece of cinema that is endlessly rewatchable. ⬅️ Previous Review: Star Wars: The Force Awakens