Film Review - The Shining

Figure 1. The Shinning (1980)

Stanley Kubrick's  The Shining (1980) is an iconic example of the true horror genre, with the shift in the Torrance family's mindset questioning the supernatural or their sanity; it's use of music and sound aiming to make you feel eerie at the slightest of things; and overall the plots pacing leaving you at quiet mundane moments which can turn hysteric any second. Making it's subtle cliche's work because of how Kubrick managed to merge his style into this adaptation from the Novel, sure parts are quite different from the original but Kubrick managed to make it his own version and not a carbon copy.

We are shown at the beginning of the film that Jack Torrance volunteers to be the Caretaker at the Overlook hotel, there it is revealed that the previous Caretaker ended up slaughtering his family due to the impact of isolation and Jack reassures them he is capable of the task as a suitable caretaker, with the help of his wife Wendy and son Danny the 3 prepare to inhabit the empty hotel for the next 5 months. Instantly we are shifted to things not going very well, ghost are appearing in front of Danny, Jack cannot focus on his new book and begins to also see things and Wendy stands by developing obedience and fear towards her Husband; as the plot goes on we are swirling in multiple conspiracies to the happenings behind the events and conclusion to Jack following in the same steps of the previous caretaker.

Figure 2.

In terms of the Horror, Kubricks style is rather different,"Kubrick, akin to his trippy treatment of the sci-fi genre, was elevating horror to a different plane, removing its camp wiggeries and bogeymen to infuriate and bedazzle with sinewy suggestion and sumptuous, awe-inspiring technique. Technically, there is no better film in the genre. Its chills are less direct - rather something that creeps under the skin to unsettle and disturb." (Nathan, 2012) It's all about slow build ups, even when characters aren't particularly doing anything, Jack for example in [Figure 2.] observes his Wife and Son play in the snow outside and the way he looks out at them can be quite discomforting especially when the shot grows closer to his expression: head tilted eyebrows arched and eyes looking upwards, implying he's either planning something or distracted, either way it's a rather chilling atmosphere especially with the colder colours that are present.

Figure 3.

In terms of characters, we see different experiences from all 3 family members: Danny experiencing the supernatural, seeing ghosts and parts of the future; Jack growing aggressive and unhinged and also beginning to interact with his hallucinations by visiting the Gold Room and being served by an imaginary bartender; but what really grounds the reality of the horror is Wendy's character "She is a companion and playmate for Danny, and tries to cheer Jack until he tells her, suddenly and obscenely, to stop interrupting his work. Much later, she discovers the reality of that work, in one of the movie's shocking revelations. She is reliable at that moment, I believe, and again toward the end when she bolts Jack into the food locker after he turns violent." (Ebert, 2006) In terms of her relationship with Jack she's quite obedient when he is openly irritated with her, she accepts this and continues her duty as a wife and mother but it isn't until a bit little after her experience with jacks threats she shows a bit of her heroism by knocking him out and locking him up, but whats very human about this is that she is still scared and she can only do so much as to lock either herself or jack behind a door. Wendy's character remains the most stable until jack finally breaks and it isn't until she is trying to find Danny that she also starts to see these hallucinations or rather ghosts that Danny and jack see and interact with.

This makes us question of whether or not the Hotel is haunted, if the family are being driven into madness out of isolation and fear, it shows us more that the movie can be looked at in many perspectives of a horror.

Figure 4.

The shots implemented into the film conveys the suggestion that the most harmless of things can become fearful, "Kubrick's genius for implying psychological purpose in setting: the hotel's tight, sinister labyrinth of corridors; its cold, sterile bathrooms; the lavish, illusionary ballroom. This was horror of the mind transposed to place." (Nathan, 2012) This hotel, that is temporally home to visitors warps into a claustrophobic maze the longer it's left empty and it's through the sound and shot design that communicates this. It's a possibility that it's stillness and enlarged room of space that causes the family to feel truly isolated, that there is too much room and it needs to be filled with people; another reason to why Jack experiences this massive party in the Gold room. In terms of sound when we follow Danny on his bike it's the lengthened sound of the wheels that make it intimidating and make us feel the expectation of something scary that's about to happen but it never does. Even in the scene where Wendy discovers Jacks work, the music intensifies and builds more hysteric the more pages she reveals and it's climax reaches when Jack appears, it conveys that emotion of shock to something so plain and it works so well since it's nothing scary but we expect it to be.

Bibliography:

Ebert, Roger (2006) - THE SHINNING At: https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-the-shining-1980 [Accessed 03/12/17]

Nathan, Ian (2012) - The Shinning Review At: https://www.empireonline.com/movies/shining-2/review/ [Accessed 03/12/17]

Nathan, Ian (2012) - The Shinning Review At: https://www.empireonline.com/movies/shining-2/review/ [Accessed 03/12/17]

Illustration:

Figure 1. - The Shinning Movie Poster (1980) - [Movie Poster]

Figure 2. - The Shinning - [Still]

Figure 3. - The Shinning - [Still]

Figure 4. - The Shinning - [Still]