The Shining is a classic alright, it’s one of the most iconic horror movies ever made. Based on the Novel by Stephen King and directed by Stanley Kubrick, this movie would go on to leave a horrific impact on critics and audience members alike. Although it is said that the author Stephen King did not like Kubrick’s interpretation, it still didn’t stop this film from becoming a legend in horror movie directing. However, I see this movie a little differently. While The Shining is no doubt great, I still think there are some things about this movie that were unintentionally campy and rather silly at times.
Jack Torrence (Jack Nicholson) is tasked with being the caretaker of the overlook hotel in Colorado with his wife Wendy (Shelley Duvall) and his son Danny (Danny Llyod). However, the family gets snowed in leaving them no chance of leaving or contacting for help which starts to take a toll on Jack as he starts to become more and more psychotic. Also, Danny starts to have unexplained visions that may prove that the Overlook Hotel may not be what it seems. With Jack on the brink of becoming a killer, Wendy and Danny must find a way to escape the hotel before they fall victim to the hotel's uncertainty.
This movie pulls out all the stuff to make a horror experience that was unlike a lot of other horror movies at the time. Many moments in the story are very iconic and have since then been referenced to death in many other movies and shows. It takes a rather basic idea of being trapped in a large hotel and uses its simplicity in the most effective ways possible to create a surreal event of uncertainty. There are only a handful of main characters we get to focus on, but their time on screen does not go unnoticed. However, I will argue that the main character/killer, played by Jack Nicholson, acts so over the top in his performance that it honestly makes me laugh at certain points. I know that wasn’t the intention of the filmmakers but I found his performance to be ironically funny when he starts to lose his mind such as when he starts saying cheesy one-liners to scare his wife. Still, that can’t take away the well-rounded storyline with interesting characters and a great sense of how to effectively creep out the audience.
Stanley Kubrick’s style of filmmaking is plastered all throughout this movie as there are many impressive camera tricks and visually appealing scenery that are most likely to be cemented in your mind long after seeing it. The violence and scary imagery are very effective and the use of lighting and color is great at showing how huge the Overlook Hotel is but also giving the feeling that something doesn’t seem right. Finally, the music is a duo effort with composers Wendy Carlos and Rachel Elkind. Wendy Carlos in particular has worked with Kubrick before when composing the music for A Clockwork Orange. She even was responsible for scoring the music for the original Tron movie in 1982. The scratching violin tunes and unpleasant music really bring out the horror of the situation and are guaranteed to leave you feeling goosebumps creeping up your body.
Although I understand why this movie is a masterclass in filmmaking, I love The Shining for many different reasons than how horrific it is. I still to this day find Jack Nicholson's performance so campy that it honestly makes this movie seem a bit unintentionally funny, which I have no problem with in the slightest. Also, the masterful cinematography, well-paced story and great music score still make this movie a classic in many respects and I can’t deny what an impact it has left on many moviegoers at the time. Horror movies have come a long way since The Shining, but it's most likely that any other horror classics that came afterwards have this movie to thank for showing filmmakers what is possible in the horror genre.
(Final Grade: A)