supernatural shining

Just as the maze outside the Overlook hotel is complex and bewildering this adaptation of a Stephen King novel is equally complex and bewildering.
Kubrick’s film appears to work on various levels – on one it’s simply a supernatural horror, and on an another, a metaphorical statement on America’s bloody history. This is suggested by the fact that the setting of the film, the Overlook hotel, represents America. It has its own personality within the film: Built on ‘Indian burial ground’ it has haunting powers and an ability to “shine” – a supernatural capability to condense all history and future into the present.
Into this setting steps Jack Torrance, his wife Wendy, and son Danny (who also has the ability to shine). Jack’s role is an awesome one, as he is responsible for looking after the hotel, and representing an entire history of American man.
The pace of the film begins at a slow stroll, as the mysteries of the hotel begin to have an effect. Kubrick creates an uneasy atmosphere, through the use of the hotel’s personality.
A steady-cam style filming technique is used to create the impression that the camera is floating around the corridors and rooms, as though it is the gaze of the hotel itself. The sound of the Overlook is also used to chilling effect, one of the most striking effects is when Danny, peddling on his tricycle, moves from the silence of carpet to the exaggerated noise of the floor. Finally, Kubrick also makes use of the memory of the hotel. While some seem to be just for building atmosphere, such as the strange woman in room 273, whose significance is never fully realised, some, for example, Mr Grady, are vital to suggesting why Jack goes mad. “I’m not gonna hurt ya, I’m just gonna bash your brains in”. These hallucinations are an important part of delivering what appears to be the message of the film, as unlike other films of the period such as Halloween, which suggested monsters can come from normal society, The Shining seems to suggest that monsters and violence are an inferential part of society, as the psychotic Jack has “always been the caretaker.” The power of the shining to condense time, removes any actual period the film is set in and instead places it in a timeless context – with Jack becoming the violence in the history of America.
This film is not just metaphorical however, as it builds up to a thrilling climax, with Jack intent on disposing of his wife and son. The Overlook itself also tries its hardest to aid Jack, allowing for some chilling special effects and tense moments.
The fact that Kubrick’s film concludes in the maze however is apt, as it contains a labyrinth of ideas and themes, allowing viewers to take different paths and take something unique from this unique film.