8/3/2019 The Shining (1980) Review
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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
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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.
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