Fig 1 - poster
The Shining is a 1980 psychological horror film produced and
directed by Stanley Kubrick, co-written with novelist Diane Johnson, and
starring Jack Nicholson, Shelley Duvall, and Danny Lloyd. The film is based on
the novel of the same name by Stephen King.
A writer, Jack Torrance, takes a job as an off-season caretaker at
an isolated hotel. His young son possesses psychic abilities and is able to see
things from the past and future, such as the ghosts who inhabit the hotel. Soon
after settling in, the family is trapped in the hotel by a snowstorm, and Jack
gradually becomes influenced by a supernatural presence; he descends into
madness and attempts to murder his wife and son.
Directed by – Stanley Kurbrick
Written By – Stephen King, Kurbrick and Diane Johnson
Genre – Drama, Horror, Mystery and Suspense
Duration 146 mins
The shining starts off instantly
drawing you in with heart pounding music with high perspective views on a car
being driven by Jack Torrance on his way to an interview at the setting of the
film the Overlook hotel.
“The impact is extraordinary and even repeat
viewers of the movie will enjoy the added terror that the 5.1 now brings.” (Haflidason 2005)
The film has a strong sense of
spirituality throughout the film, starting straight away with Danny talking to
himself with his finger but the audience soon realise it isn’t a imaginary
friend but a good spirit talking to him telling him the future. There is also
negative spirits in the film dealing with Jack and helping him become insane,
telling him to do things. The iconic moment when Jack axes through the door to
get to his wife and says “Here’s Jonny”, when his name is Jack makes one think
that a spirit has over taken him and his called Jonny.
Fig 2 - "The Shining"
The audience is told about the “The
Shining” when the cook takes Danny to get some ice cream and tells him about
his power which lightens the audience that it’s not an imaginary friend but a
spirit.
Fig 3 - Jack.
To see jack character change from a
nice guy into a physic nut case, is an interesting perspective because first
off, he seems nice so you start to like him then slowly start to dislike
towards him, especially the scene where his wife Wendy stops him from written
work and he loses it with and becomes quite nasty is when the audience
completely dislikes him and after that scene is when he goes downhill which
makes the audience completely on the wife’s side and is scared for her and
their son Danny.
“Jack Torrance (Jack Nicholson), a
recovering alcoholic child-abuser, faces his demons again when he agrees to
become caretaker of an isolated hotel.” (Ebert
2006)
As Roger Ebert explain Jacks past it
seems he doesn’t go made, maybe he’s going back to him old self, which begs the
question does Wendy know of his past and if she did why would you take their
son with the child-abuser to an hotel which will be isolated for the winters.
Suspense in the shining grips the
audience immensely, main scenes such as when Wendy is getting her son out the
window from the bathroom to escape from jack and can’t get out or when Wendy
and Danny are in the maze walking about the fear of getting lost but once they
get to the centre one is reassured there will be ok, this scene is really
interesting thou because without the scene it would be a scene but with the
music playing it sets the mood of fear.
“Kubrick isn't out
for screams, but he manages to make his movie thoroughly unnerving by keeping
the horror so close to home.” (Maslin 2000)
Illustration
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Bibliography
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(Personally once Jack becomes insane and for a moment it seems he’s talking to the audience and asks the waiter for a drink and says Lloyd, was one of the weirdest moments I have had.)
Fig 4 - Drink Please...Lloyd
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