by Jake Hjort, Contributing Writer
Welcome back, fellow time travelers, to another edition of 20th Century Flicks! This month, in a continued effort to check classic cinema off of my list of shame, I’ve delved back to 1980 to watch Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining. With spooky season abound it seems the perfect time to knock out another horror classic, leading me Kubrick’s acclaimed adaptation of the Stephen King novel of the same name.
The Shining tells the story of the Overlook Hotel, a modest resort located deep in the mountains of Colorado, and of Jack Torrance (Jack Nicholson), the troubled, alcoholic author who has signed on as the hotel’s sole winter caretaker. As he moves his wife Wendy (Shelley Duvall) and psychically gifted son Danny (Danny Lloyd) to the property, the family begins to discover details of the hotel’s evil past and supernatural inclination. As the winter progresses and the Torrance’s become increasingly isolated, Danny has a series of haunted, prophetic visions and Jack becomes increasingly unraveled, guided by the ghost of a former caretaker (Philip Stone) who had murdered his family at the hotel a decade prior. Eventually, Jack snaps and goes on his own murderous rampage in an attempt to hunt down Wendy and Danny, who are able to escape leaving Jack to freeze to death out in the cold.
Across all of cinematic history I can think of few films that have had as much of an impact on popular culture as The Shining. This was my first time ever watching the film, but I was already familiar with so much of the imagery and famous lines due to how often the film has been parodied and referenced in other media. However, while I knew so many of these moments and was generally aware of the film’s high regard, I still found myself astounded by how much I enjoyed it. This isn’t just an iconic horror flick; it is a verifiable masterpiece that is amongst the best of any of the movies I have ever seen.
When it comes to my praises for The Shining, I have to start with the performances. I’ve seen Nicholson be great in a lot of other films, but his portrayal of Jack Torrance here is one of the best performances I’ve ever seen. There’s something a bit off about Jack at the beginning of the film, but as he descends into madness throughout the story he becomes increasingly more unhinged. This could easily fall into camp territory with a lesser performer (like many of the parodies versions I’m familiar with), but in the hands of Nicholson, Jack is a truly horrifying character. This horror is further sold by the sheer terror in Duvall’s performance (some of which was certainly real if the stories of Kubrick’s directorial style are true) and the eeriness of Lloyd portraying Danny as a child possessed.
Speaking of Kubrick’s direction, this is certainly a testament to his abilities as a filmmaker, namely in his perfectionist approach and in the quality that he was able to produce. While it may not have been the most enjoyable set to work on, particularly for Duvall, it is hard to argue with the resulting performances that Kubrick was able to coax out of his actors. The film is also beautiful to look at, with gorgeous mountain vistas and impeccably designed sets. The Overlook Hotel is as much of a character in this film as any of the humans; a testament to the way that it and its various denizens are written, designed, and shot. I also found myself impressed by how bright and colorful the sets are, especially for a horror film, which really helps to highlight much of the evil seen throughout.
I’ve never really been the biggest fan of the horror genre as a whole, as I’ve never quite understood the appeal of going out of my way to feel afraid. However, the past few years I’ve really tried to push myself and at least check out the Bonafide classics. I’m still not the biggest fan of jump scares or anything that delves too far into the paranormal, but I’ve really grown to appreciate the ways in which the great horror auteurs are able to wield tension like a rapier, expertly knowing how to build momentum, when to feign, and when to go in for the killing blow. Though this is the only traditional horror film that Kubrick ever directed, he certainly displays this level of mastery over the craft. In a movie where I was walking in aware of nearly every scare that was thrown at me due to cultural osmosis I still found myself surprised and startled by these familiar images when presented within the context of the film.
The Shining isn’t just one of the best horror films of all time, it’s one of the best movies of all time. Highlighted by some of the best performances and most iconic visuals that you’ll ever see, this is a movie that should be enjoyed by everyone, even those like me who tend to be a bit squeamish with big scares. I certainly enjoyed The Shining a lot more than I expected to on this watch, and I cannot wait to see what else I can uncover when I watch it again in the future.
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