The Shining - 70s Week

Continuing on with my 1970's week, let's talk about THE SHINING. Oh, and I know it was released in 1980, but the principle shooting and production wrapped in the 1970s, so that's why I roll it into that era. It’s about time I reviewed a film directed by the man who adorns the top of this blog. Probably my favorite Kubrick film by far – THE SHINING is pure amazing cinema. It follows the Torrance family as they remain the sole caretakers of the Overlook Hotel during the winter months in isolated Colorado. The father, Jack Torrance, played by Jack Nicholson then slowly falls into a state of psychosis and tries to kill his entire family. The boy Danny, played by Danny Lloyd, has a special ability called “the shining” whereby he can communicate through telekinesis. This comes in handy when he needs to send out an SOS signal to the cook who also can “shine.”

From the very opening shots of this film we are keenly aware that we are in for quite a fantastic journey. The flying aerial shots around Mount Hood are extraordinary. And as we come upon the Overlook Hotel we are strikingly aware of how isolated the locale truly is. During the first act this idea of isolation is reinforced over and over again as the final day at the Overlook Hotel comes to an end. “By 5:00 tonight, you’ll never know that anyone was even here.” It’s the perfect formula: a family staying alone atop a mountain, completely isolated from the rest of the world. Throw in a father who has a history of drinking and ‘losing it’ and you’ve got an excellent premise for a horror/suspense film.

The suspense buildup in this film is very slow and steady. Unlike ‘horror/suspense’ films of the current day, Kubrick knew how to build a fire. You don’t just throw gasoline on top, because then it will burn fast and go out quickly. You start with kindling and progressively add larger logs on top. But there are some solid payoff moments throughout the film. (The ax and girls scene, the woman in the bathtub, Dick Halibut’s ax scene, and my favorite: the awkward man in the bear costume scene – it’s so weird that we know something not right is going on.

I’ve watched this film far too many times, and I’ve watched it with all of the commentaries turned on was well, and I’ve also seen Stanley Kubrick’s daughters behind the scenes little documentary. Kubrick is among the best directors of all time. He’s so meticulous and deliberate with every shot in every one of his films. This one is no exception. There were stories that he sometimes did upwards of 70 takes on many of the scenes in this film. He had to get it exactly right in order to move on. There was a revolutionary camera device used in this film – it’s called the Steady Cam. This gave the camera team the ability to walk/run with a camera strapped to their waist throughout the various scenes/environments. It kept the camera ‘steady’ (imagine that) so that the final shot would not be shaky and distracting. This was key for scenes where they couldn’t lay tracks or use dolly’s – going up and down stairs, running through the backyard maze, and keeping pace while walking head on in front of the actors.

I also love the stylized look throughout this film. At the top is the blood rushing out of the elevator, spraying the walls as in flows towards the camera covering it completely. And the “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy” scene. Just think, someone actually had to type that entire script out with a typewriter. That’s the truly scary part of it all. That poor intern.

One final thing I’d like to discuss about this film is the beautiful sound design that propels the films essence. From the continuous ambient sounds that line the entire film, to the shrill strings that build during the perfect suspenseful moments, to the food cart being pushed through the great hall on the hardwood floor, to the heartbeats that speed up as Jack begins to fall into madness during the end of the second act; this film’s audio design is key to the suspense filled environment it creates. My favorite use of audio in this film is when Danny is driving the tricycle around the hotel. As he crosses over carpet and hardwood floor, and then carpet, and then hardwood floor – that audio is crafted so perfectly to create a sense of extreme realism. It’s like we are there with Danny as he is driving around the hotel exploring.

THE SHINING stands first among a long history of films where psychosis takes over in isolated environments. Some other films in that category are SESSION 9 (one of my favorites) and HOUSE ON HAUNTED HILL (Vincent Price’s original version). Watch this film late at night in a dark room.

Rating: 9.75/10