MPAA Rating: R/ Genre: Psychological Horror/Stars: Jack Nicholson, Shelley Duvall, Danny Lloyd, Scatman Crothers, Barry Nelson, Philip Stone, Joe Turkel, Anne Jackson, Tony Burton, Lia Beldam, Billie Gibson, Barry Dennen, Lisa Burns, Louise Burns/Runtime: 144 minutes (American release)
Well I must admit that I find myself in a quandary when it comes to the slice of cinema I am reviewing for you today dear readers. This isn’t because I hate 1980’s horror masterpiece The Shining. Far from it actually. In fact, I would say that The Shining was one of the first horror movies I saw growing up and that I still love to watch whenever I get the opportunity to do so. Rather, it’s because what exactly can I say about a slice of cinema that it literally feels like anyone and everyone has taken apart frame by frame, analyzed, and has literally developed their own interpretations on? Indeed a genuine cinematic maze in more ways than one, this slice of cinema may have been one that back in the day was slammed for not being like the other horror films at the time of its release, but since then has managed to buck the odds and time and time again draw so many people back to the creepy and ominous halls of the Overlook Hotel for further analysis and investigation. To that point, it should be noted that in my opinion what Kubrick gave us with this slice of cinema was a film that didn’t have a singular interpretation, but rather one that gave us a puzzle to solve albeit with a caveat attached. That being that it doesn’t give us the whole picture and instead merely provides us with the ability to interpret what the picture looks like for ourselves. In that regard, I think it can be safely said that The Shining is most assuredly not going to be one that everyone’s cinematic taste buds will find particularly appetizing. However, if you are the kind of viewer who can get onboard with a slow-burning yet downright chilling voyage into madness that also operates as a fantastic showcase for a collection of downright riveting performances in front of the camera and phenomenal work from a variety of departments behind the camera then trust me when I say not only are you at the right place, but luckily they also just so happen to have a vacancy…..
The plot is as follows: An adaptation of the novel by iconic horror writer Stephen King, The Shining gets underway by introducing us to our main character, a man by the name of Jack Torrance. A man who on the surface may seem affable enough to an extent, but internally is one who time and time again feels he has been denied the opportunities that life has given to countless others. However, we soon that this is about to change as Jack, when our story opens, is in the midst of his final interview for the position of off-season caretaker at a luxurious yet extremely isolated hotel known as The Overlook. Yet, despite the fact that the position doesn’t exactly have the most sterling reputation in the world due to the last guy who the hotel employed to do it committing quite the atrocious act whilst in the midst of his duties, we soon see that none of this fazes Jack. This is because for our long-suffering main character this position in his eyes should give him the extended peace and quiet he is so desperately craving to finish a novel that he has been trying to get off the ground and which he hopes will at long last give him the recognition he clearly craves. At any rate, we see that the interview actually goes fantastic and it isn’t long before Jack, with meek wife Wendy and rather unique son Danny in tow, heads back up to the Overlook in order to assume his responsibilities. Yet, it isn’t long into Jack’s tenure before we start to see unusual and creepy things start to occur. Things that aren’t just tied to the rather colorful past of the ol’ hotel, but which also have the potential to really cause quite the irreparable harm to a person’s psyche and transform them into someone who could do some truly chilling things. A fact incidentally that is about to make itself extremely apparent to the Torrances’ and change what was supposed to be a off-season temp job into no more and no less than the stuff that the most horrific nightmares imaginable are made of……
Now right off the bat I will say that it is nothing short of miraculous (or perhaps undivine intervention) that this film is one that has managed to steadily ascend to the status of no less than a masterpiece of horror cinema that it holds to this day. This is because, courtesy of a deliberately slow tempo as well as a vast degree of uncertainty in the story, this slice of cinema is very much one that seemingly takes great delight in completely screwing with its audience in terms of giving them the kind of movie they are expecting this to be. A claim that is further validated by the fact that, at the time of its initial release, both the film reviewing community as well as Stephen King himself were not thrilled to put it lightly with the finished product. Yet, King’s opinion notwithstanding, with the passage of time this film has managed to receive a much warmer critical reception. Perhaps the best example of this film’s longevity is how moments in the film like (of course) Here’s Johnny, Redrum, and even the two little girls to name but a few examples have become so engrained in the realm of pop culture that anytime you see them pop up somewhere else you know instantly where that originated from. Yet even with how noteworthy it is aside, it should be said that this slice of cinema is also a brilliantly designed engine of terror that is able to brilliantly utilize every trick up its sleeves in order to keep you chilled to the bone. This starts with the aforementioned baffling narrative which, if I’m being honest only inspired mixed responses from audiences and critics because I think at that time American horror cinema had the expectation attached to it of being relatively simplistic as well as routine both in their stories and how those stories were brought to life. Yet this film, due to being an analysis into a headspace that is clearly disturbed as well as how the fallout of violent and/or despicable acts can still stick to the place that they occurred in, isn’t willing to play by those rules. As a result, the themes it plays with are by no means simple to understand whilst the film also keeps things from you with particular regard to the third act where we are just shown terrifying imagery with no reason for doing so. Along with that, we as movie goers aren’t really given a lot of answers in regards to either why Jack is losing it as well and what amount that is playing out before us is actually happening. Yet for some these puzzles may drive them nuts, but for this reviewer they are a key reason why I love it as much as I do since there are so many different ways of looking at it that any viewer can take from it what they would like to. Of course, it should also be noted here that the technical components behind the camera are very much in peak form, but given that this IS a movie from Stanley Kubrick I would be lying if I said that was a total surprise. This starts with the brilliant job done by the cinematography department in making this slice of cinema feel both larger than life and yet as hopelessly confined and cut off as the characters. The film also proves to be one that manages to utilize Steadicam incredibly well with particular regard to the moments where we see Danny exploring the hotel on his tricycle. Indeed, it is these moments that really do a grand job of showcasing for us just how grand this hotel truly is which also manages to further showcase just how cut-off the Torrance family unit truly is. With that in mind though, my favorite component to this slice of cinema would be the work done by sound design. Indeed it might be both in short supply and chillingly blaring, but it is also the component that manages to elevate the horror consistently throughout. Also vital to that effort though would also be the music choices which all manage to do a wonderful job of adding to the vibe of ominous peril throughout.
As phenomenal as the work done behind the camera turns out to be, it is thankfully equaled by the work done in front of the camera by an immensely talented cast of players. This starts out, of course, with screen icon Jack Nicholson in the role of Jack Torrance and honestly, I am definitely convinced that this is one of the, if not the, best crazy man performances ever put to celluloid. Indeed the role of Jack Torrance is one that may seem easy to play, but the truth is that it’s not. This is because the character is one that is supposed to start out a decent and loving family man only to find himself slowly but surely succumbing to his vices and his demons as the story goes along. However, Kubrick and Nicholson have decided to go the complete opposite route and, given the more inherent unease and sinisterness present in this adaptation right from the start, it’s actually a fairly creative choice. As a result, we see that Nicholson gives us a look at a guy who is not the loving family man of the source material. Rather, it’s a slightly venomous and bitter man who life hasn’t given the breaks that others have received and who doesn’t view his wife and son with love, but rather as weights that are continually keeping him from living his life on his terms. Suffice it to say then that when the ghosts and other spooks present in the hotel begin wreaking havoc on the family, Jack finds himself susceptible to their influence and it isn’t long before he is transformed from a halfway decent guy into the stuff that true nightmares are made of. Thus it may not be a faithful portrayal of the character when compared to the literary source material, but if looked at based off its own merits it can be said without a doubt in my mind that Nicholson completely and totally knocks it out of the park. That last section incidentally could also describe the work done in this by Shelley Duvall in the role of Wendy Torrance. Indeed the character of Wendy in the film may be vastly different than the one in the novel, but Duvall does a great job at playing this very meek and sheltered woman who is in no way ready for the terrors that lay in wait for her family and finds herself literally dragged to the cusp of madness in her attempt to keep her and her son safe. Suffice it to say that I know Kubrick all but tortured this poor woman for unknown reasons, but it can’t be denied that he did manage to get one heck of a performance out of her. This then brings us to the third member of the Torrance family in the form of son Danny and here is he portrayed phenomenally well by Danny Lloyd. Indeed the character of Danny is one that proves to be a bit of an enigma because on one hand he knows more about what’s going on than he’s telling and he has powers that are truly remarkable, but on the other he can’t exactly talk about any of it because something within him is telling him not to since it would paint more of a target on his back for the ghosts within the hotel to hone in on. Suffice it to say that it might be a fairly difficult tight rope to traverse, but Lloyd manages to do so in a way that is truly admirable and in the process gives us one of the more iconic kids in a horror movie in the past 40 years. Finally, there is one last performance that I definitely feel is worth mentioning and that would be the vital role of Dick Halloran as played by the always fantastic Scatman Crothers. Indeed it may be a co-starring role, but Crothers does a fantastic job at portraying this decent and upstanding man who knows more than he’s telling, but who is just as willing to do whatever he can to protect young Danny due to both a fondness for the boy as well as a shared special talent the two have. Suffice it to say that the work done in front of the camera is no less than pure electric in every sense of the word.
All in all it may be 40+ years since it first was released and at least 18 years since I first saw it, but honestly I am proud and happy to say that The Shining is still just as chilling and spooky as ever. Yes, there may be a few miniscule issues to be had here with this slice of cinema. However, when your cast in front of the camera gives as riveting of performances as the cast assembled here led by acting legend Jack Nicholson in one of the defining performances of his legendary career manages to pull off and the work done by the various departments behind the camera truly is firing on all cylinders like it is here….I honestly think those miniscule issues can be overlooked in the grand scheme of things. Thus if you are in the mood for a slice of horror cinema where there is buckets of blood, booze or recreational substances a’plenty, dumb nubile teenagers, or where things happen at a fairly swift pace then I am sorry, but this is one slice of horror cinema that is most assuredly not going to be one that is up your alley. If on the other hand you are someone who has a fondness for horror cinema that not only has little to no blood and chooses to take its time to put its claws into you for maximum sinister impact to say nothing of the kind of ghost story that permits your imagination to fill in the gaps at times whilst also leaving you with more questions than answers then this is the film for you. Suffice it to say therefore that The Shining may not be the cinematic literary adaptation that Stephen King wanted it to be, but in terms of iconic ghost stories this is easily one of the finest cinema has seen fit to give us. Make of that what thou will dear reader. On a scale of 1-5 I give The Shining “80” a solid 4.5 out of 5.
