Stanley Kubrick’s name is often uttered with an air of smugness and superiority. His films tend to shy away from most contemporary audiences with their air of ambiguity, depth, and style, but promises to reward patient viewers with top-notch filmmaking. Of all Kubrick’s films, The Shining remains an inviting entry point that promises to lure audiences in with a memorable haunting, before succumbing to the cold grip of his camera work.
The Shining tells the story of Jack Torrance (Jack Nicholson), his wife Wendy (Shelley Duvall), and their son Danny (Danny Lloyd) who look over the isolated Overlook Hotel during the establishment’s off-season. As Winter sets in, isolation and madness take root and threaten to re-create a horrible tragedy that famously remains a blemish on the hotel’s history.
The films brings out wonderful performances from its cast. Nicholson’s similarities to Torrance allow us to believe his madness and unpredictable nature. Duvall’s motherly instinct and voice of reason start off strong and are slowly chipped away by the cold and isolation, turning her into a figure of desperation and preservation. The horrors of the hotel warp Danny’s innocence to the realization of pure and utter evil, culminating into his ability as a conduit that knocks the tension that Nicholson and Duvall set up, out of the park.
Horror has always had the astounding ability of drawing in audiences with its promises of chills and thrills, and as such, presents filmmakers with the opportunity to present something profound. Some horror films squander this opportunity, and others, like The Shining, grab hold of it and refuse to let go. After a viewing of The Shining, viewers will have a deeper appreciation for framing and editing, whether they know it or not.
You see, the beauty of The Shining is its use of camerawork and symmetry to subtly assault viewers with impossibilities, thus allowing a slow tension to build throughout the course of the film. The labyrinth-like Overlook Hotel subconsciously disturbs with its irregular architecture. Almost Lovecraftian, the hotel hallways and rooms are seemingly non-Euclidean in nature, walls replace empty hallways, doorways lead to rooms that previously led to dead ends, and windows are placed in locations that simply make no sense. How could doorways and walls disturb us?
Allow me to explain: You’ve no doubt seen a computer generated film or game that featured character models that try desperately to mimic real life. When these characters fail to convince us of their humanity, it repulses us. Things that pretend to be human, disturb us on a biological level. It is something that simply shouldn’t exist. Round back to the whole vanishing doors and hallways of the Overlook Hotel, the impossibility of the buildings architecture slowly repulses the more time we spend inside it. This repulsion builds and builds until the climax of the film where we enjoy the outcome of the built-up tension far more than the standard horror film.
The Shining was released in 1980 and remains a horror classic. It’s delightful style, pacing, and memorable performances promise to cements its place in the annals of horror classics and cinema in general for years to come. Those looking for a good thrill have no need to look further, but beware, once trapped in Kubrick’s mighty grip, few tend to escape.
Freshly Squeezed Limon 