The Shining Review

In Figuie 0ne, Stanley Kubiick's 'The Shining' (198u) is a

hoiiifying giipping tale that looks to moitify vieweis by
pulling them into a woilu of psychoanalysis anu
semiotics. Staiiing }ack Nicholson as a uementeu wiitei
anu fathei, he looks foi seclusion away fiom the woilu to
accomplish his task in finishing his book. Seeking iefuge,
he ventuies to the colu iegions of the noith to a
ienowneu S stai hotel. The owneis allow him to stay the
uuiation of 4-S months uuiing the wintei season; in
auuition to this he invites his family along foi the iiue.

Since its ielease even ovei Su yeais on, this cult classic is
ieveieu by ciitics anu haileu as one of the gieatest
hoiioi classics of all time. !Kubrick has made a movie
that will have to be reckoned with on the highest level.
Schickel,R(2010) Inferring what we can from this quote
the critics revel on this classic, because it is still cited
as a cult classic it needs to uphold certain regulations
in film to retain this position. In this review hopefully we
can shed further light onto its success.
Figuie 0ne: The Shining Theatiical Release
Postei
Figuie Two: Supeinatuial spaces
uiven the films supeinatuial elements it is
impoitant to showcase these using the
coiiect cinematogiaphy to excite the
auuience. The hotel in which the family aie
staying in has a uaik histoiy of muiueis
committeu yeais ago, 'Shining' is a
technique useu to sense these special
uistuibances. Banny the chilu of }ack is one
of these people anu once he is notifieu by
the cook of the limitations of these
supeinatuial poweis he begins immeising
us into the hoiioi. Seen in Figuie Two,
Banny is iiuing his tiike thioughout the vast
stiuctuie of the hotel; we chase him in a
one-point peispective but a low angleu shot.
Kubiick is hoping to make us expeiience a
haunteu house coweiing behinu a peison,
almost euging them into ceitain ueath.
It manages to traverse a complex world of incipient
madness, spectral murder and supernatural visions...
and also makes you jump.Nathan,I(2007) Continuing on
fiom my analysis this quote suggests that the film begins
to uiveise into the supeinatuial with the use of
cinematogiaphy. In Figuie Two, we aie 'holuing hanus'
with Banny as he ventuies into mauness. 0pon seeing
these twins the music alteis to intiouuce a new element to
the plot.


















The Shining is a piece of pop cult histoiy anu it shoulu be
aigueu that without }ack Nicholson's pait in the film, it
woulu not ieceive as much appiaisal fiom ciitics. }ack's
chaiactei becomes psychologically unstable towaiu the
films climax; he is seen as the ioot of all the stiange
happenings in the enviionment. Releaseu fiom captivity
within a meat lockei, he seaiches foi his wife anu chilu
looking to enact uominance in theii uemises. Pictuieu left in
Figuie Thiee is a still fiom the film in which }ack smashes
thiough a uooi with an axe anu gieets his wife with a
menacing look. This extieme close up mixeu with the builu
up of mise-en-scene piesenteu to us can allow us to finally
come to teims that }ack, a.k.a }ohnny has lost the plot.

!It's all in the build-up: Kubrick sets the scene for the
horror with meticulous care. Fox,K(2012) Stanley is
known for his steady yet seemingly consistent
presentation of scenes. A supernatural take is applied
early on as Danny speaks to the cook, this is carried
through effectively and is still applied in the opposite still.
In turn this could make us believe that Jacks character
maybe possessed by some unnatural force.
Figuie Thiee: Beie's }ohhny!
Thioughout the piece we aie given visions of a ueau enu hallway, with bloou ieu elevatoi uoois. It is once
}ack's tiue intentions foi his family come to life that the tiue symbolism foi the elevatois is ievealeu to us.
Fiom what we can ueiive fiom Figuie Foui, we can suggest that peihaps the use of an elevatoi is to
symbolize levels of emotion. Stages that woulu builu to the climatic enu we know that appioaches. 0nce
the uoois open anu ieveal the contents we iecognize this uense ieu liquiu to iesemble bloou. Neaning
that the bloou looks to fill the enviionment once a ceitain level is ieacheu. Again hinting towaius }acks
chaiactei, as he is the focus of the film, without his betiayal theie woulu be no plot.

!"#$"%&'()*+

Schickel,R(21.1u.1u) Time Nagazine At:
http:content.time.comtimemagazineaiticleu,9171,924179,uu.html
accesseu on u6.12.1S

Nathan,I(19.u9.u7) Empiie Nagazine At:
http:www.empiieonline.comieviewsieview.asp.FIB=1S27uu accesseu on
u6.12.1S


-$$./0'(0"%1 2"/0

Figuie 0ne: The Shining Theatiical Film Postei At: http:colliuei.comthe-
shining-piequel-glen-mazzaia-oveilook-hotel accesseu on u6.12.1S

Figuie Two: Supeinatuial spaces, The Shining film still At
http:auampolselli.com2uu8u1u6stanley-kubiicks-euiting-in-the-shining
accesseu on u6.12.1S

Figuie Thiee: Beie's }ohnny! The Shining film still At:
http:www.moviemail.comfilmS2641The-Shining-(Special-
Euition).vei=B&utm_expiu=29819u-7.PBINuouvSnS7-
sgC}PNB1A.1&utm_iefeiiei=http%SA%2F%2Fwww.google.co.uk%2Fuil%SFsa
%SBi%26ict%SBj%26q%SB%26esic%SBs%26souice%SBimages%26cu%SB
%26cau%SBija%26uociu%SBiaoqjFqAy_0z0N%26tbniu%SB19ivoQRuCn9NQ
N%SA%26veu%SBuCA0QjRw%26uil%SBhttp%2SSA%2S2F%2S2Fwww.movi
email.com%2S2Ffilm%2S2FS2641%2S2FThe-Shining-(Special-
Euition)%2S2F%26ei%SBhpCk0tmNCIiBuQX7lIBIBQ%26bvm%SBbv.S77S291
9%2Cu.Zu4%26psig%SBAFQjCNufjY-n}p0vZ91cBKm0E-
S0vm8Xpg%26ust%SB1S866uSuuS4627S2 accesseu on u6.12.1S

Figuie Foui: uushing bloou, The Shining film still At:
http:www.iheaitmoviesto.comthoughts-on-founu-footage-hoiioi-anu-the-
change-in-cinematic-appioach accesseu on u6.12.1S