Stanley Kubrick's The Shining

The Shining: Warner Bros.
Rating: USA: R/ UK: 18/ Germany: 16/ Australia: M

Horror author Stephen King has had more than a few of his novels and short stories adapted to film—normally with disastrous results (Maximum Overdrive, anyone? How about Graveyard Shift?) However, the one that fans are most divided over is The Shining—which King purists dislike because of the liberties it takes with the novel’s plotline, and the rest of us cite as one of the rare examples of a film being better than the book it was based on. Now, before I start getting hate mail from the King contingent, allow me to interject a personal opinion. I like King’s book—in fact, it’s one of my favorite horror novels. I also like Kubrick’s film—which I find to be slightly more interesting than the novel. Personally, I’ve never seen the reason for the divisiveness. Both are finely crafted works that should be appreciated on their own merits, not linked to each other. End of editorial.

Released in 1980, The Shining stands as one of enigmatic director Stanley Kubrick’s (A Clockwork Orange, Full Metal Jacket, Eyes Wide Shut) most intriguing and confounding films. It tells the tale of Jack Torrance (Jack Nicholson: A Few Good Men, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest) a recovering alcoholic with some anger management issues in his past. He, along with wife Wendy (Shelley Duvall: Popeye, Home Fries) and son Danny (Danny Lloyd), accept a position as caretaker of the Overlook Hotel. The Overlook is a massive hotel nestled in the Rocky Mountains that becomes inaccessible during the winter. Jack and family will spend the winter at the hotel as its only residents—making sure the wicked weather doesn’t damage the hotel. The only problem is, the hotel’s got a past-one that involves murder, suicide, and madness. This wouldn’t be any big thing, except it turns out that young Danny is a powerful psychic with an ability called "the shine". The hotel wants Danny and his power and will stop at nothing to get it.

Unlike King’s book, which is establishes itself as a supernatural novel from the very early stages, Kubrick’s film is something a bit different. It’s not really apparent (until the last frame) whether Kubrick’s creating a supernatural thriller or a domestic tragedy-an effect that strengthens the film’s narrative. King’s novel shows us Jack Torrance’s slow descent into madness, but in Kubrick’s film, Nicholson looks a bit crazy from the very beginning—leading us to wonder later if he’s actually seeing the spectral members of the hotel’s past or simply imagining them as he falls further into the grips psychosis.

The film’s storyline diverges from the novel in several areas throughout the course of the script. King’s novel featured an elaborately cut topiary of animals that came alive and menaced characters, Kubrick’s film eschews that in favor of a massive hedge maze that figures prominently in the climax. The film also drops much of the information about the characters’ past, including Jack’s abusive father. Finally, the climax of the film itself varies drastically from the one King wrote—and Kubrick’s is infinitely superior. Evil lives at the end of the film—temporarily vanquished, but still there, waiting for another opportunity to rise up and strike again.

Despite the fact that the film features a very low body count and not much in the way of gore, it’s an atmospheric masterpiece. Kubrick’s use of the low angle steadicam shot is inspired—demonstrating that the director was a master of using spatial relations to heighten suspense. Whether it’s the looming shots of the hotel interior as Danny rides his tricycle through the empty halls, the wide helicopter shots of the hotel exterior, or the claustrophobic hedge maze, Kubrick uses the camera and lens to maximum effect. Nothing is average here—it’s either incredibly grand and menacing or extremely cramped.

Nicholson shines as Torrance, playing the role with a more manic over the top style as the film progresses. Jack gets all the good lines, but that’s a good thing because the performances of Duvall and Lloyd aren’t nearly as inspired. From most accounts, Kubrick was consistently displeased with Duvall’s performance and there was a definite tension between the two during the shoot. It’s not hard to imagine why from the finished product—Duvall’s never convincing as a woman strong enough to outsmart both Jack and the hotel’s evil—something the role requires her to do.

Basically, every frame of the film is filled with bad intent, which makes it all the more disturbing when something bad actually does happen (like the appearance of the twins or the woman in room 237 or the elevator full of blood). King was often quoted as saying that he thought Kubrick wanted to hurt people with The Shining, and I’d be inclined to agree. It’s an intense and menacing film that’s completely unrelenting. Kubrick piles on the tension, never allowing the audience a moment to breathe—doing exactly what any good horror film should do.

The Shining also boasts an impressive classical score featuring tracks by Bela Bartok, Hector Berlioz, Gyorgy Ligeti, and Krzysztof Penderecki. The music is nothing short of incredible, adding to the tension and overall mood of the film.

While most Kubrick fans view the film as one of the director’s lesser works, there’s no doubt that The Shining stands as one of the genre’s best, most effective films. If you’re looking for an intense, atmospheric movie guaranteed to give you the creeps, this film should be on your list of must see films.