The Shining is a classic horror story gone fantastically wrong (and
not just for Jack Torrance, the main character). The book offers a cohesive story line of a boy with an ability known as “the shining” set against his
abusive father possessed by an evil hotel. Stanely Kubrick takes this story and
makes it as subtle (pretentious) and mysterious (confusing) as possible; the
entire audience is left speechless (because they have no idea what happened).
I
won’t waste my time with an in depth summary. If you haven’t seen the movie yet
you probably hate America or live in a cave (or both. See Saddam Hussein). But
for a refresher, this is the iconic film where Jack Nicholson chops down a door
manically calling “Here’s Johnny.” This is the film that makes parents lean
across dinner tables and whisper, theatrically, “All work and no play makes
Jack a dull boy” (Dad, seriously, this doesn't make sense. Stop doing this. I’m trying to eat). This is the film which features
little Danny pedaling around a hotel seeing ghost girls and muttering “Red Rum!”
with no supervision.
They should really get him tested for dyslexia
At this point you've probably seen the film (if you haven’t
seen it yet, I’m begging you--read the book. Sure, Stephen King was strung out
on coke when he wrote it, but means to an end, right?).
The
entire film is just full of gaping holes. I present to you a condensed collection
of my thoughts: Why isn’t Danny’s Shining more useful? Why is Jack Nicholson in
a bar in the 1920s when Prohibition was in effect? Why is he in a picture on
the hotel wall in the ending? Who did Shelley Duvall sleep with to get this
role? And
where there are questions unanswered, there are conspiracy theorists. Thus, Room 237 was born.
Room 237 is a brilliant documentary that breaks down The Shining and all the theories
surrounding it—from “the movie is Nazi propaganda” to “the minotaur and
labyrinth”. I personally can’t begin to rationalize The Shining in this way, because I simply don’t have time to watch this movie 100 times (seriously, it’s a long film, and
I have stuff to do).
But
I have seen it more than once, and I can say it holds to the semblance of many
popular haunted methods. It was reminiscent of “Fall of the House of Usher” by
Poe; Jack Nicholson and the hotel seem connected and linked somehow, as Usher
is to his family’s manor. Also, Usher buried his sister alive and Jack
certainly tried to bury his family (but he was going to kill them with an axe
first, because he’s not a monster). So it certainly has the elements of classic
Gothic, but with a small pinch of 80s slasher.
I’m not saying I understand this film. It’s been
applauded and viewed for decades now and has an active cult following. I’m just
wondering if maybe the film actually has no answers, and Kubrick was just
trolling us all. But if you want to believe in fairy tales, check out Room 237. Either way, this film is not recommended.
The trailer has less mystery than the two hour movie
To me the Shining was all about atmosphere. The long wait and then quick precise action and then fading again. All this contributed to a sense of isolation and utter insanity for me not. Though this did bore me in places, I think it was intended to be a demanding of the viewer to be involved with the film. Well this was just one take from the film that I had!
ReplyDeleteI get that is had an atmosphere like that, but in the end I feel like Stanely Kubrick was presenting us with a film that has no answer.
ReplyDeleteDonnie Darko is very similar a cult film, but Donnie Darko can be reasoned out. The Shining is so subtle there's no certainty at the end what it actually all means, and I think Kubrick didn't even care if it made sense. It made me feel like it was pretentious.
What do you think it means?
I do agree that The Shining does not satisfy the viewer. Though I think to really understand what Kubrick was attempting to do is that the viewer must disregard some aspects about films and storytelling. I think that The Shining requires a lot from the viewer, more so than we are used to and they is why it awkward. It is awkward in the sense that we are left with no "yes" or "no" answer but instead it is "both" or "neither". The more I think about the movie the more my opinion changes about it. I love to hate it and hate to love it!
DeleteYou bring up a good point about the difference between the book and the movie. That's how it always is, isn't it? The movie is never as good. I'll have to check the book out sometime. And I also agree with your comment above ^^ about the movie not making sense, but it was as if that was how it was supposed to be. Those are the worst. I want to watch a movie and be told what to think!
ReplyDeleteHaha exactly! But if you're ever bored check out Room 237 on Amazon or something. It's a lot of crazy theories.
DeleteThis review makes my heart hurt just a little (The Shining is one of my personal favorite movies), but I enjoyed your interpretations. I would try to rationalize the movie's ambiguity as it being atmospheric, but I think I run the risk of sounding as pretentious as some (if not most) fans of this movie.
ReplyDeleteI would personally love to see a side-by-side review of Stephen King's novel to go along with this review. I enjoy both King's novel and the adaptations, they're two different animals for me. But I would be interested to see an objective stance on the debate.
Also, thanks for recommending "Room 237". I've heard about that documentary but have never gotten around to watching it.