The Shining (Film)

To say that The Shining is a classic of the horror masterpiece is to take away from its legacy. I have not found a top ten list of horror movies without it being included in the top five. Which is why as I’m learning more and more about the horror genre I finally sat down and watched it.

The first thing I will say is that I should have read the book going in, but I’m also glad that I did not. That allowed me to look at this movie as a separate work from the book and not have any preconceived notions about the movie. As a story just like so many other people I felt like there were many hanging threads that were not answered. The impression that I got was that Kubrick sacrificed visuals for story in this piece.

The characters lacked full development. Jack Nicholson’s character was at no point not off kilter, or likeable, aside from maybe the first five minutes before we find out that he dislocated his son’s arm because of his alcoholism. This took away from what should have been a slow decent into madness. The ending itself was marred with strange visuals that were most likely tributes to the book, but without film grounding they were just confusing.

There was also a fair amount of build-up for Dick Hallorann, I’m aware killing off the black man was a common trope in movies at the time, but it was rude if anything. It was a brushing aside of a character that had a critical presence up until that point.

Also the bloody elevator thing, I don’t get it. I want to see horrible things with a purpose, the hacked up girls in the hallway begging for Danny to play with them, had a purpose. The blood flooding out of the elevator seemed like Kubrick had a great idea and refused to not beat the viewer down with it.

Those are my primary gripes. I take into account that the horror game has been stepped up in movies significantly, to the point where very few movies now can make the cut. The Conjuring was probably the best one in the recent decade, combining visual, auditory elements with a great story.

Kubrick set a high bar with his off-putting cinematography that never allows the viewer to settle the camera shots that followed the characters through their movements in the hotel, or the wide shots centered on the characters themselves. Each individual always looked primal and animalistic in the pure and serene surroundings of the hotel. The use of patterns, and colors was incredible. Never falling into the dark and dingy but using bright colors and the diagonal lines to keep your eye drawn just where it was desired.

I never completely felt comfortable in this movie. There was always something just slightly wrong to keep me on edge. I see this far less often in modern cinema, which chooses to let the viewer settle before shocking them out of their seats again. There is no doubt in my mind that some of the scenes in this movie will always be referenced as some of the greatest horror scenes of all time. Jack confronting Wendy after she discovers his manuscript is incredible. It was long and kept tugging further and further until it was unbearable.

I can’t say enough incredible things about the “Here’s Johnny” scene. What started as a creepy moment of Danny/Tony growling out “Redrum” never let up. Finally leaving Wendy crying in the bathroom. I consider that a reasonable reaction to what had just happened.

The maze was meh.

Don’t get me wrong, I have my complaints but I still rate this a 4/5 star movie. It will continue to stand the test of time. I just wish Kubrick had not sacrificed story and character development for more cinematic elements.

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