1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die- The Shining

#688- The Shining (1980)
Starring: Jack Nicholson, Shelley Duvall, Danny Lloyd
Directed by: Stanley Kubrick


Plot Summary: Jack Torrance is a writer who applies to be the winter caretaker of the Overlook Hotel from the months of November to May, which he plans to use as a time of solitude to work on his writing. At his interview, he is told the story of Charles Grady, a previous caretaker who murdered his family at the hotel. Jack gets the job and brings his wife Wendy and his son Danny to stay with him. It is there at the hotel where Danny meets Dick Hallorann, a chef who informs Danny that they share a telepathic gift which he calls the "shining." Strange things start to occur at the hotel for all three members of the Torrance family, and with Jack continuing to struggle with his writings, he eventually begins to get hallucinations and descends into madness, ultimately arriving at only one conclusion: to murder his family.

Here we come to arguably Stanley Kubrick's most well-known film among casual moviegoers: The Shining. Based on a Stephen King novel (although, King hated this adaptation), most people know this Kubrick film thanks to so many iconic moments and quotes that have been preserved in the horror genre. This wasn't my first time watching it, however, as I had planned to review it when I did my first Horror month in 2013, but changed my mind in favor of a Kubrick retrospective. When I first watched it, I was very confused and bewildered, and my overall thoughts on the movie were that it was "ok." Now that I've seen it again (one of the only Kubrick movies I've watched twice besides 2001: A Space Odyssey), I'm still confused and bewildered, but I don't mind it, in fact I embrace it. Why? Because I really enjoyed watching this film again. And since I'm a big horror movie buff, I'd go as far as to say this horror film is creeping its way up my list of favorite horror movies (not the top, but still within a respectable spot). So let's carve into this one with an ax and break apart all the aspects of what made The Shining so memorable for me.

The Shining tells the story of the psychotic development in the mind of Jack Torrance, played by Jack Nicholson. First of all, it's Jack FREAKING Nicholson! You know when he goes psychotic it is going to be over the top and loads fun to watch, and he is. He absolutely hams it up as he goes crazy and you can tell he is going all out with the role. Having said that, there is one BIG problem with Nicholson's casting, and I believe King actually hit the nail on the head when speaking about his dislike for the film. Nicholson was fresh off One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (and would play the Joker at the end of the decade), so he was known for existing psychotic roles. Had a more "everyman" kind of actor (King suggested the likes of Jon Voight and Christopher Reeve) played Jack, his deterioration would have been more shocking, tragic, and empathetic. With Nicholson, he already looks scary and crazy and even in the beginning of the film when he's supposed to play the "normal" version of Jack, he comes off as creepy in his delivery. He should be a more warm and loving character at the beginning of the film (especially since he gave up alcohol and was trying to be a better father and husband). But instead, you're kinda freaked out by Nicholson 24/7 in this film. It's a minor gripe though, because at the end of the day, this is one of Nicholson's career defining roles. Look at that picture. When you think of Jack Nicholson, odds are a LOT of you thought about that very moment. 'Nuff said.

Jack's wife Wendy is played by Shelley Duvall. When most people criticize or analyze this film, a lot of fingers point at the Duvall's portrayal of Wendy and all the drama that surrounded her on the set during production of The Shining. It's well documented that she and Kubrick did NOT get along at all (then why would he cast her? C'mon Kubrick...) and that she was under so much pressure and stress to do well that she lost some of her hair and she became physically ill (DANG!!! Now that's some pressure). Whether or not either of them were more in the wrong (although in Duvall's defense, Kubrick does have a history of clashing with some of his actors), I don't think that should impact how we look at her character. As far as her character is concerned, I think she's very empathetic. Hearing all that that family has gone through, she's the glue that's trying to hold it together. It's very easy to see how she could lose her composure, and I feel bad for her character the most. Maybe I'm missing something, so feel free to let me know in the comments why you think she's so hated.

Their son Danny is played by Danny Lloyd. Danny is the character who has the shining, which translates out to having telepathic powers. Danny's biggest development is with the hotel's chef Dick Hallorann, played by Scattman Crothers, with whom he shares the psychic connection with. Other than that, Danny has 3 types of scenes he's in: reacting to scary stuff that happens in the hotel, talking with his finger to his imaginary friend Tony, and saying the phrase "redrum" in one of the most annoying ways possible. Danny is also involved in some of Kubrick's greatest camera work, as he is followed in many scenes riding his tricycle via a low Steadicam that was developed for this film. It's thanks to those shots we got one of the most iconic moments in the film, but I'll get to that soon.

From here, let's discuss what The Shining has to offer on a visual scale. With Kubrick, I begin to sound like a broken record when I say he had a talent for creating films with a grand scale and epic visuals, but this film may be my favorite of his. He takes a contained environment like a hotel and is still able to make it spectacle to behold. From the hallways, to the kitchen area, to the garden maze, every room soaks up the atmosphere and you can't help but look around as the characters are talking. Mix that in with Kubrick's lengthy camera shots, and you've got a combination to create some masterful cinematography that is sure to leave quite the impression with the audience.

Despite King's thoughts on the movie, it cannot be denied that The Shining is one of the most well-known horror movies in history and it's easy to see why. Just pick an iconic scene: *SPOILERS* Jack chopping down the door with the ax to say "Here's Johnny," Danny on the tricycle running into the twins, Jack chasing Danny in the snowy maze, the elevator raining down a river of blood, the naked woman rotting into a corpse, and that's just to name a few. The whole film has this eerie vibe to it, which if that's what Kubrick wanted to accomplish, I have to give him credit and say he did a darn good job with this one. Seriously, if you consider yourself a horror fan and haven't seen this movie yet, what on earth are you waiting for?


Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

The Shining has so many iconic moments and images that are sure to please any horror fan out there. And it retains Kubrick's unique camera work and grand scale while also diving into the deteriorating psyche of a main character played by the great Jack Nicholson. It is an absolute recommendation for all movie fans to own in their collections.

Comment below to share your thoughts on the movie or to discuss a topic that I left out of my review

The Shining and movie images are copyrighted by Warner Bros.