The Shining

“hello, danny. come and play with us. come and play with us. danny. forever… and ever… and ever.” my second kubrick film, and one of his most recognisable films of all time, with high praise as a horror classic. i really didn’t know exactly what to expect - as the first movie i saw from him was lolita (probably an unusual first choice, but as an adaptation to the controversial novel it was pretty good). ‘the shining’ is totally a slow-burn - a family of shelley duvall and jack nicholson plus their child look after a hotel during the winter - as the father tries to get ideas for his next book, but things obviously start to become sour from there, as the isolation from civilisation and human connections leave the man completely insane - which mirrors events that previously happened in that exact same building, of a father killing his two daughters. ‘the shining’ is also a book-adaptation (which kubrick seems to love doing) of the classic novel by stephen king - known for his absurd horror stories, and he reportedly didn’t like this adaptation - which is odd, but he’s an odd guy so i guess it kinda makes sense. i think it’s a crime it’s taken me so long as a self-proclaimed horror fanatic, and while it wasn’t my favourite horror film or anything, and i felt tired at parts - it’s still an incredible horror film which has basically everything going for it. i originally though this would be a ghost story of sorts - with the building causing its inhabitants to go a tad insane - and while it’s kinda that, but it also really isn’t. it’s a major character study of the protagonist author. the hotel they’re staying in has a cycle of tragic events - and is stuck in a cycle of violence - with native americans being buried there, and also another man slaughtering his family. jacks madness is mainly manifested through this. also, it kinda discusses the danger of the patriarchy - this seemingly normal man turns into a violent abuser who puts his wife and child at risk, and an ordinary man as the main villain is often more scarier, and effective. the scene where jack is seen in the 1921 picture confused me at first, but now i kinda think the hotel kinda absorbed him - and now thats his permanent purgatory. there’s also just interesting symbolism throughout which i probably didn’t get at first glance - such as the labyrinth suggesting jacks inability to escape the urges of his own mind. there’s been countless stephen king adaptations i loved - carrie, misery, and other ones i disliked (the it movies were terrible) but somehow, the shining seems to the one that sticks out like a sore thumb, and i mean that in a complimentary way. theres various reasons why this is so highly regarded - one major being its subversion of common horror tropes. while excessive jumpscares and minimal light are used to create dread - this movie perfectly crafts dread through it’s maximalist bright lights, open spaces and an eerie pace - which is a lot more honourable than other horror cliches that everyone’s seen before a million and one times. i’ll be the first one to say that the cinematography is easily one of the biggest things going for it. through its tricycle scenes showing the endless, geometric walls - which create major claustrophobia. another way kubrick creates dread is through its unusual room placement which cause disorientation. besides visual quality, the performances were also immaculate - particularly shelley duvall. while her performance has pure raw emotion and terror - she was victim to kubrick’s grueling directional style - having to take certain scenes multiple times, which gave her significant stress and probably altered her life forever for the worst. jack nicholson was also incredible as he portrays this maniac who swings axes through walls which have made permanent indents into pop culture. the score is eery - and this is a fantastic story of a nuclear family eroding away, and isolations affect on a humans mentality. this movie is so significant through its sheer ambiguity - this movie can be quite confusing, as it offers no clear answers really. this is one of the most iconic movies ever, and i think any person on the earth would recall iconic moments such as the twins, the maze or the elevator of blood. balances style and dread in such a unique way, and i suddenly want to watch every kubrick film in existence now.