The Shining By Stanley Kubrick – My Favorite Film

My favorite film is the iconic and beloved horror film “The Shining,” directed by Stanley Kubrick in 1980. “The Shining” was based upon the best-selling novel written by Stephen King. In the movie, a family is isolated throughout the winter in Denver, Colo., as caregivers of the Overlook Hotel. Jack Torrance had been warned during his job interview that a past caregiver had committed a brutal murder by killing his family and then himself. Desperate for the job, he ignored the information and hid the details from his wife, Wendy, and son, Danny. During their stay, Danny experiences visions of past ominous events that occurred at the hotel. As the winter progresses and isolation sets in, Jack begins to lose him mind and tries to kill his wife and son.

I find this film interesting due to the way Kubrick used technology that was new to the time to create a smoother, more fluid way to record motion and action. His use of the Steadicam, a camera stabilizer mounted to the videographer’s body, was an excellent tool to carry viewers through the Overlook Hotel’s endless hallways and hedge maze. The eerie shots of Danny riding his Big Wheel throughout the hotel couldn’t have happened without Kubrick’s use of the Steadicam. While Kubrick has been accused of overusing the dissolve or fade transition between scenes too often in the movie, I found it to be an effective tool that helped set the mood, establish the tone, and move the story along.

Perhaps there is not a more memorable and terrifying visual scene as instantly horrifying as when the elevator doors at the Overlook Hotel open to reveal a river of blood rushing down the halls. This horrifying display was produced at a time when computer graphics did not exist yet, so it is impressive to watch the scene knowing that it was soot live and without repeated takes or computer enhancements.

Another vital element of “The Shining” was Kubrick’s use of mostly instrumental music and singular sound effects, such as a plucking violin string, to create a spectacular horror atmosphere. The music dramatically conveys the supernatural power of the hotel and the winter snowstorm, as well as Jack’s descent into madness.

Kubrick was known for being a perfectionist and often unnecessarily shot scenes dozens, if not hundreds, of times in search for the perfect take. I can relate to his desire to achieve perfection, as well as the insanity that can ensue when you’re never really happy with the final product. Yet, the organic and natural way that Kubrick creates terror without the use of special effect makes “The Shining” one of my favorite films.