Film Review: The Shining

Director: Stanley Kubrick

*possible spoilers ahead*

The problem with writing my top ten movies of all time is that I'm prone to forgetting a film that I absolutely love because I haven't watched it that recently. The Shining falls into this category as I was reminded that Stephen King plans to write a sequel so decide the original adaptation by Stanley Kubrick needed to be revisited. The making of the film was a long arduous process due to Kubrick's meticulous directing style which lead to Shelley Duvall having a nervous breakdown (which actually added to her tired and scared look in the film).

The eerie Overlook Hotel

The hotel is incredibly eerie and unsettling in style as it has many large grand rooms that are now dark and defunct during the winter months. The snow that is piled up outside which virtually barricades them producing a foggy atmosphere outside adds to the claustrophobic nature of the movie. It gives the feel of no escape from Jack as he slowly descends into madness whilst working on his writing.

The Shining is a movie that has many scenes that are now renowned in cinema like Jack smashing his way through the bathroom door and saying "Heeeeeere's Johnny!"as well as the fact that all his writing on the typewriter later in the movie just says "all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy". This still doesn't detract from the fact that they are great scenes that continue to scare people today.

Jack Torrance (Jack Nicholson)

The film does get a bit bogged down early on in the movie with a slowly progressing plot but you can see why Kubrick did this to build the tension surrounding going to the hotel knowing they would be snowed in and that the previous caretaker got cabin fever and killed his family. You sense things will start to go wrong but are held in suspense for longer than you would like. Whilst the open ending to the movie makes you question exactly what happened before your eyes. Was Jack really there? Did the events actually happen that winter or back in 1921 when the photo was taken?

4/4 an absolute horror classic despite differing greatly from the original Stephen King book.