It took me a long time to see "The Shining". I had always wanted to see it, I had seen everything else Stanley Kubrick had made, but for some reason, this film always eluded me. I first saw it about two years ago, and like all of Kubrick's films in my opinion, I had to see it a second time to see if I really actually liked it.
Since "2001: A Space Odyssey", Kubrick's films seemed to go at some similar pace. His films became somewhat calculating in this way, which lead to much criticism of his films being rather cold and heartless. To these critics, Kubrick seemed to be more about showing off his technique rather than telling a story. This would also seem why he's more praised by directors even to this day.
Many people passed "The Shining" by in its first release, and Jack Nicholson's performance was deemed too over the top, but like many great films, it was soon given the appreciation it deserves over time. It is indeed a sight to behold, Kubrick is firing on all cylinders in creativity bringing this ghost story to live.
The story begins with Jack Torrance (Nicholson) a writer who takes a job as caretaker to the Overlook Hotel for the winter. The hotel is vacant for the winter which would leave only Jack, his wife Wendy (Shelley Duvall), and his young son Danny (Danny Lloyd). During the interview, Jack is told that the hotel has a bit of a shady history. It seems one of the former caretakers went mad during the winter, and murdered his family, we also find out that the hotel itself is buried on top of a sacred Indian ground (never a good sign). Jack of course believes he and his family will be fine and reassures his employer nothing with overcome him.
However, that isn't the only supernatural activity the film focuses on. We learn that little Danny has a special power known as The Shining. Danny's ability enables him to have telekinesis as he soon learns when he meets the hotel cook Mr. Holloran who also has this power and tells Danny what it is. However, with The Shining, Danny can also see things that others can't, such as ghosts. Holloran warns Danny to stay away from room 237 in the hotel which is the place where the caretaker's murders took place.
"The Shining" goes along in a unique way that isn't usual for regular horror films. It becomes evident that we are indeed in Kubrick territory. Kubrick sets up his horror piece in the beginning with many mundane scenes, almost too mundane. The job interview with Jack would be terribly boring if it were filmed straight. Much of the dialogue is everyday, and even the information about the hotel's past comes off as more of an aside. Kubrick instead focuses on atmosphere, and the actors take the cue by making these mundane lines into stylized performances.
The ghost story soon comes into play, as we Jack's mood change almost right away. The whole idea of Jack becoming possessed with the spirit of the hotel stems from his very real resentment toward his wife and child. The film never really shows Jack as a loving husband and father, and even in the few beginning scenes where he is "normal", Kubrick and Nicholson hint at the character's pure contempt at his family through some subtle sarcastic dialogue aimed at Wendy and Danny.
We learn Jack does have an alcohol problem, and there was an incident where he dislocated Danny's arm unintentionally. His descent into madness is true horror for his family who don't even recognize him. Stephen King who wrote the original novel actually used the story as an analogy of the horrors of alcoholism. King actually found redemption with Jack Torrance in the end, however Kubrick goes another direction, where the hotel completely engulfs Jack where there is no coming back. There is even a murder in the film of a major character that wasn't in the book just to show the audience there is no turning back for Jack.
The look of the film is eerily beautiful, as Kubrick and his creative team pull out all the stops in giving us a highly stylized horror film. The most famous shots are probably those used by steady cam, such as Danny rolling his tricycle down the never ending corridors of the hotel, or the climactic chase through the complex garden maze, it all adds to the atmosphere.
"The Shining" is the kind of film that demands your attention at the very first moment with the graceful helicopter shots. Kubrick keeps your interest with his deliberate pace, and his unique style. "The Shining" is a horror masterpiece, and makes you wish Kubrick made more of the genre.
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