I originally created this article and video during the infancy of the illuminatiwatcher project. If it seems odd that a movie more than three decades old would now warrant a film documenting its most indepth theories, consider this. Kubricks adaptation of the original story makes some drastic changes, leaving the movies danny not necessarily bound to the same fate. The true story behind the legendary lost ending of the. Oct 09, 2016 the shining is a supernatural horror novel written by stephen king and published in 1977. Ultimately, the genius of the shining is that the ending can mean almost anything you want it to mean. A psychoanalytic interpretation of stanley kubricks 1980 film, the shining at. To watch my previous video analysis of the shining, based upon some of the concepts described in the text of the article, scroll to the bottom of this page.
However, the text version is a much more thorough breakdown of the film and includes video stills and other research sources. The shining is no exception in that thats how i made this analysis, but it is an exception in that i have seen lots of discussion on. What disappointed me about the movie was the fact that the breakdown of the family was not as clear prior to it happening. He decided to adapt stephen kings best selling novel, the shining. In the movie, dannys parents dont know about his supernatural ability but in the book they do. Stephen kings the shining, published in 1977, is a horror novel.
It certainly wasnt embraced by critics in 1980 when it first came out, but it hit a nerve with audiences, and over time has become massively appreciated for the masterpiece it is. The shining is a 1980 psychological horror film produced and directed by stanley kubrick and. Being able to shine means being able to communicate with others using the mind, and gives people the ability to see things. In the movie jack throws his yellow ball and in the novel danny plays with his red ball. After all, theres a ton of supernatural stuff in the movie that has nothing to do with dannys powercreepy twin girls, elevators full of. The film is based on stephen kings 1977 novel of the same name and stars jack nicholson, shelley duvall, scatman crothers, and danny lloyd the film s central character is jack torrance nicholson, an aspiring writer and recovering alcoholic who accepts a. This scene is one of the more important in the whole film, but is often overlooked on the first watch as being just for shock. May 31, 20 the documentary room 237 has been called a diy mashup of the many theories put forward over the years as interpretations of stanley kubrickss 1980 horror classic, the shining. The true story of the genius movie director duration. The shining wouldnt have been the same if kubrick didnt add the yellow green colour to film, which created a complete different atmosphere. On the surface, the movie unfolds as a straightforward ghost story, yet the ambiguous overtones of the narrative fail to confirm the. What does that famous final shot of stanley kubricks the shining really. The shining hidden meanings of the shining gradesaver.
Most importantly, they did not understand it in any way which allowed them to deal with it constructively. Kubrick, in one of his last films, completed only before full metal jacke t in 1987 and eyes wide shut in 1999, creates more than what many conceive. At the end of the shining, why is jack in the photo of. He wanted you to discuss the movie on the car ride home. As mentioned above, the film ends with wendy and danny. The audience is left wondering what the details mean, if anything, or if theyre simply coincidental. Stanley kubricks the shining has secured its place in popular culture as one of the most famed and influential horror films ever made.
This car belongs to jack torrance, who has driven three hours to the isolated overlook hotel for a job interview. The shining is a horror movie only in the sense that all kubricks mature work has been horror moviesfilms that constitute a swiftian vision of inscrutable cosmic order, and of the most pernicious race of little vermin that nature ever suffered to crawl upon the surface of the earth. Before the end of the 1980s, i wasnt the only one to do a 180degree turn and decide the shining was a great horror movie after all. The shining, more than any other of his films, has inspired hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of words devoted to finding the meaning behind the film, even though, or, especially because, kubrick himself was reluctant to discuss possible interpretations of his films, leaving it to the viewer to make up their own mind. Was it absorbed into the past, and does that explain jacks presence in that final photograph of a group of hotel partygoers in 1921. The shining novel and film work best as separate pieces, and each ending has a different meaning. All the symbols in the movie overlap in the superimposition backwardsforwards. Its interesting that stephen king and stanley kubrick decided to go with the shining as their titles, since this secret power of dannys isnt necessarily the most important detail of the whole movie. Currently, we are building the largest digital library of film and television inquiry and related. But kubricks original version of the film included another scene inserted between these two iconic. The relationship between the chess game in 2001, daves dinner in the room beyond the infinite, and danny on the reversed rug in the shining the possible dialogue between kubricks the shining and tarkovskys solaris on the rolling ball dorothy oxboroughs pastels of first nations children in the shining.
Stanley kubricks the shining has one hell of an ending. As the film develops, it becomes more mysterious, ambiguous, threatening, and hallucinatory. Even if youve seen the movie 100 times, theres still probably a lot you dont. It was his third published novel, after carrie and salems lot. The murdered twins are overlayed across jacks face.
The title of the novel was inspired by the john lennon song instant karma. The shining met the fate of several other stanley kubrick films when it came out. Nov 04, 2014 this is not the first time kings accused stanley kubricks movie of being misogynistic. The film is based on stephen kings 1977 novel of the same name and stars jack nicholson, shelley duvall, scatman crothers, and danny lloyd. When he imagines he drinks with the imaginary bartender, he is as drunk as if he. The shining is een amerikaansebritse horrorfilm uit 1980, geregisseerd door stanley kubrick. The shining study guide contains a biography of stanley kubrick, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis. The shining is a supernatural horror novel written by stephen king and published in 1977. One of the many mysteries of stanley kubricks the shining is why jack appears in the photo at the end, and it actually has a semisimple explanation. The documentary room 237 has been called a diy mashup of the many theories put forward over the years as interpretations of stanley kubrickss 1980 horror classic, the shining. Below, executive producer jan harlan and screenwriter diane. I recently found what is arguably the most exhaustive. Stanley kubricks the shining is regarded by many as one of the greatest films ever made, and one that to this day continues to be the subject of many analyses and discussions.
Supersummary, a modern alternative to sparknotes and cliffsnotes, offers highquality study guides that feature detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, quotes, and essay topics. The shining is one of those movies that most people dont really get on their first viewing. It is explained more in the book but since holloran has the shining as well, they are linked. It was adapted for the screen by directorproducer stanley kubrick and novelistacademic diane johnson. Oct 27, 2019 stanley kubricks version of the shining came out decades ago, and among the many details from the book that were changed for the big screen is the ending and theres an alternate ending that, sadly, will never be released.
The final shot of the shining, its ambiguity forever helping stanley kubricks most popular film hold its enduring legacy for nearly thirty years. The shining has lost its shine kubrick was slumming it. With the movies ambiguities, it is not known how kubrick felt about or if he agreed with this proclamation. All work and no play makes jack a dull boy or, rather, a homicidal boy in stanley kubricks eerie 1980 adaptation of stephen kings horror. Mar 30, 2017 the shining is a horror cinema masterpiece, and figuring out its haunting and iconic ending was no easy task for stanley kubrick. The popular interpretation is that the scene is a throwback to a subplot of stephen kings book, in which a party guest in a dog costume has a homosexual relationship with one of the hotels former owners. As is typical of kubrick, there is a lot of attention to detail in this movie. I was looking for a theory, a way to explain the shining to myself.
The most debated element of the shining s ending is the revelation in the final shot that jack is present in a photo of the overlooks fourth of july party in 1921. Seriously exhaustive analysis of the shining shows kubricks. The shining is about physical and sexual abuse perpetrated on young danny boy by his father jack torrance. A theory that will change how you watch the shining. The shining opens on an eagleeyes view of a car traveling up windy colorado mountain passes. The shining, starring jack nicholson as jack torrance, shelley duvall as his wife wendy and danny lloyd as their son danny, has become one of my favourite and most widely discussed films to date.
The shining has an alternate ending you will never see. Dick hallorann scatman crothers tells danny danny lloyd that shining is, at its core, a fusion of telepathy and clairvoyance. The shining is also explicitly about americas general inability to admit to the gravity of the genocide of the indians or, more exactly, its ability to overlook that genocide. In shining lore, the numeral 237 itself is of special significance, being as kubrick changed the room number from kings 217 for reasons that for many have never been satisfactorily explained. Interpretations, also known as theories or readings are fan based interpretations of the meanings of hidden themes found in the 1980 stanley kubrick film version of the 1977 stephen king novel the shining. Jan 29, 2019 the most debated element of the shining s ending is the revelation in the final shot that jack is present in a photo of the overlooks fourth of july party in 1921. Very similar, with native, manitou motifs and compromised father figure, wife, son, wise old guy who helps out, etc. The shining hidden meanings of the shining buy study guide given the legendary place that kubricks the shining occupies in cinema culture, it is perhaps unsurprising that it has been the subject of endless interpretation, including a few extreme readings. Jack is an alcoholic and child abuser who has reportedly not had a drink for five months but is anything but a recovering alcoholic. The shining 1980 by tim dirks the shining 1980 is creative director stanley kubricks intense, epic, gothic horror film masterpiece a beautiful, stylish work which distanced itself from the bloodletting and gore of most modern films in the horror genre. At first, it feels like a traditional horror setup a guy gets hired to spend the winter in an enormous hotel, secluded from civilization, where obviously something will go very wrong. Of the earlier king novels, pet semetary is almost polar opposite of the shining.
The shining tends to be opaque, even though its corridors are welllit. There was no internet when the shining was released and it. The movie is not about ghosts but about madness and the energies it sets loose in an isolated situation primed to magnify them. The shining is a horror cinema masterpiece, and figuring out its haunting and iconic ending was no easy task for stanley kubrick. The interpretation of the ending is going to depend a lot on your interpretation of the film. The true story behind the legendary lost ending of the shining. I just watch the movie, write notes, and share what i wrote. Filmmaker rodney ascher took on this subject in his 20 documentary, room 237 subtitled being an inquiry into the shining in 9 parts, in which he interviews five scholars about their various. In an interview with the new york times, nicholson explained, thats. And there is good reason for viewers to puzzle over the film 33 years after its release.
Stanley kubricks version of the shining came out decades ago, and among the many details from the book that were changed for the big screen is the. The 10 most outrageous theories about what the shining. Mar 10, 2016 stanley kubricks the shining has one hell of an ending. May 26, 2011 all work and no play makes jack a dull boy or, rather, a homicidal boy in stanley kubricks eerie 1980 adaptation of stephen kings horror novel. In the shining nothing but a mirrored lake is shown in the beginning and the iconic july 4th photo at the. It was made into a film by stanley kubrick in 1980. Theres the sense that a great talent has been wasted. The meaning and topics addressed in the novel are very different than those in the film, given kubricks many changes to the story in order to fit his vision. Kubrick decided to direct a comparatively crowd appealing film, maybe as a result of the financially poor performance of barry lyndon, which by many revered critics and filmmakers is considered to be his best film. In fact the shining is the exact opposite of citizen kane where the enigmatic word rosebud is given to us to ponder throughout the film, only to be explained at the end.
The 6 weirdest theories about the shining mother jones. At the end of the shining, why is jack in the photo of the. This onepage guide includes a plot summary and brief analysis of the shining by stephen king. One interpretation argues that when the artist wakes he will take up the crayon and use reason to encompass the irrational by portraying it. The shining is a tragedy, and wed be remiss to classify the ending otherwise. In september of 20, king made a similar complaint about kubricks interpretation of wendy torrance. May 25, 20 the shining is an amazing movie, one which is open to numerous interpretation. On the surface, the movie unfolds as a straightforward ghost story, yet the ambiguous overtones of the narrative fail to confirm the presence of dark spirits at the overlook hotel. How the shining movies ending differs from the book. Many of the interpretations of the shining, especially those on the room 237 documentary have been mistakenly labeled as conspiracy theories. Given the legendary place that kubricks the shining occupies in cinema culture, it is perhaps unsurprising that it has been the subject of endless interpretation, including a few extreme readings. Stanley kubrick didnt just change the colors, he inverted. The shining is a 1980 psychological horror film produced and directed by stanley kubrick and cowritten with novelist diane johnson. And learn which pixar movie is basically an ode to the shining in 6 mindblowing easter eggs hidden in famous movies.
Seriously exhaustive analysis of the shining shows. Was it absorbed into the past and does that explain jacks presence in that final photograph of a group of hotel. One of the most frequent questions ive received about the shining is what does the guy in the bear costume mean. Stephen king just went off about how much he hates the. This seems very much like what king is doing in the shining and what jack is trying to do in the novel he plans to write about the overlook. Kubrick deliberately left many things unexplained, including many details from the third act he did, however, explain why jack torrance appears in the photo at the end. The documentary room 237 explores various fan interpretations of the shining, which was directed by stanley kubrick and based on stephen kings novel.
Not only is the site called the overlook hotel with its overlook maze, but one of the key scenes takes place at the july 4th ball. The victim danny can be viewed as the inner child of jacks spouse, wendy torrance, which means that the abuse is a traumatic. Nov 15, 2016 i just watch the movie, write notes, and share what i wrote. The shining is stephen kings third published novel and the one that established his name in the horror genre. The movie came out in 1980, but my interconnect with the kubrickian kube. The most debated element of the shinings ending is the final shot. With jack nicholson, shelley duvall, danny lloyd, scatman crothers. Ullman, the hotels manager, is interviewing jack for a job as the hotels caretaker during the winter months, when the hotel closes due to the harsh weather and impassable roads. Stanley kubricks the shining is widely considered to be among the best. The 10 most outrageous theories about what the shining really.
The shining 1977 is a novel by american author stephen king. Seriously exhaustive analysis of the shining shows kubrick. Subscribe to our youtube channel to see the bloodcurdling lengths kubrick put his crew through in 7 movies that put insane amounts of work into small details, and watch other videos you wont see on the site. But in this one its all reversed, what happens to everyone. The shining is an amazing movie, one which is open to numerous interpretation. Jacks character lacked depth which would have been. This is not the first time kings accused stanley kubricks movie of being misogynistic. An alternate adaptation written by king himself, the. So when he shows up, jack goes after him knowing this fact instead of going after his wife.
The films source material from sciencefictionhorror author stephen kings 1977 bestselling novel his third novel under his own. My interpretation of the film has always been that the surreal or shocking imagery that the characters witness is all p. Its also very scary, a stunning exercise in atmosphere and dread, and earns its place as not just one of the best horror movies ever made, but also, one of the best movies ever made. A family heads to an isolated hotel for the winter where a sinister presence influences the father into violence, while his psychic son sees horrific forebodings from both past and future.
1638 585 357 1530 931 618 1409 547 651 1614 230 436 1054 617 693 1490 536 690 118 1629 987 1132 652 554 875 881 903 43 143 812 858