8/3/2019 The Shining (1980) Review

1/2

StevenPayne

TheShining(1980)

Dir.StanleyKubrick

TheShiningisthestoryofJackTorrance,thenew

caretakeroftheOverlookHotel,andhisdescentinto

madnessthroughconfinement,isolationandfrustration.It

isbasedontheStephenKingnovelofthesamename,althoughtheplotofthefilmislargelydetachedfromthat

ofthebook.

Thefilmissetinahotelinthemountains.Closed

forthewinter,Jackisemployedasthecaretakerto

maintainthegrounds,livinginthehotelwithhiswifeand

sonforseveralmonths.Thesettingalonedeliversthe

uncannytonethathelpstosellthefeelingofinsanityasa

resultofconfinement.

Theeeriejuxtapositionofsnowboundisolation

withinavastarchitecturalagora,aplacewhereyoucan

hidebutyoucannotrun.(Henderson,2007) Thebreakdownofthewallsofinsanityisanaspect

ofthefilmthatappliestoallthreeoftheprimary

charactersinthefilm,althoughitisJacksbreakdownthat

actsasadrivingforcefortheblatanthorrorofthefilm.Throughoutthefilm,Jackis

attemptingtowriteinthesilent,quiet(yetnotoverlyinspiring)confinesofthehotel,buthis

frustrationfromwhatcanbeinterpretedasa creativeblockcombinedwithcabinfeveris

amplifiedintorelentlessfury.

JackTorranceisamanwhowantstocreateandcant.Sinceheisunableto

create,heregressesintohimselfandgiveshimselftohotel(Macklin,1981)

Hisonsetfrustrationandfuryiscasttowardshisonlytwocompanions(thatarent

conjurationsofhisowndegeneratementality),hiswifeWendyandsonDanny. Initially,Wendywasacaring,understandingwife,whowasincrediblytolerantofher

husbandsunpredictablenature.Herbreakdownappearsasalmostamentalbattlebetween

herdesiretoremainareliable,trustworthywifeagainsthernaturalsurvivalinstincts.This

mentalconflictleaveshermoredamagedthanifsheweretosimplychooseasideand

committoit,butherinabilitytoseeJackforwhathereallyiskeepsherfromdoingso.She

justcarestoomuch.

Danny,ontheotherhand,isseentobesomewhatunhingedfromtheoutset.Whilst

manychildrenofhisagearepronetohavingimaginaryfriends,DannysfriendTonyis

somethingmoresinister(atraitwhichapparentlyrunsinthefamily,withhisfather

discoveringsimilarsinisterfriendsintherecessesofhismind).Tonyactsasanoutletfor

Dannysgift.HisShine.WhilsthisShineisconsideredagift,itisadirectvesselofterrorforDanny,exposinghimtovisionsofbloodpouringfromelevatorsandthespiritsofthe

deceased.Thefactthatnotasingleprimarycharacterisinaparticularlyhealthymental

stateleadstheaudiencetofeeladistinctsenseofunease,leadingtheaudiencetobeunable

totrustasingleoneofthem.

Inasnowboundhotel,threepeopledescendintoversionsofmadnessorpsychic

terror,andwecannotdependonthemforanobjectiveviewofwhathappens.Itisthis

elusiveopen-endednessthatmakesKubricksfilmsostrangelydisturbing.(Ebert,2006)

TheShiningisamoviethatreallydrawstheaudienceintotheinsanityofboththe

charactersandtheeventswithintheplot.Whilstthefilmcanbedifficulttofollowatpoints,

thisonlyemphasizeshoweffectivethefilmisemulatingthebreakdownofapreviously

stablemind.

Fig1.TheShiningMoviePoster

8/3/2019 The Shining (1980) Review

2/2

StevenPayne

Bibliography

Quotes

Henderson,E.(2007)TheShining.In:slantmagazine.com20.11.07[online]

http://www.slantmagazine.com/film/review/the-shining/3264(Accessedon19/1/12)

Macklin,T.(1981)UnderstandingKubrick:TheShining.In:tonymacklin.net1.6.81[online]

http://tonymacklin.net/content.php?cID=166(Accessedon19/1/12)

Ebert,R.(2006)TheShining.In:rogerebert.suntimes.com18.6.06[online]

http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060618/REVIEWS08/606180302

(Accessedon19/1/12)

ListofIllustrations

Fig.1.TheShiningMoviePosterFrom:TheShiningDirectedby:StanleyKubrick.[filmposter]US:

WarnerBros.