A legendary horror film, from a legendary director

Rating: 10/10 (15 October 2006)

'The Shining' is one of the finest horror films ever made, and one of Stanley Kubrick's most amazing achievements (however there was many more). It was the only horror movie Kubrick ever made, which may be positive on our part; because he was always motivated by a style that seldom had seen reproduction from other filmmakers, this allows one to look at the product from a neutral perspective, canceling out all standard comparisons to other horror movies, especially those that were also tailored from Stephen King novels (although King himself thinks Kubrick's adaptation of his novel was butchery, for some reason?). To say that the picture is one of a kind is accurate, but one in a million feels even more appropriate. It is in that small handful of the scariest horror movies ever made, and it distances itself from the typical 'slasher' genre, which is now very tiring, because no remake in made in the 2000s can beat out the original 1970s/1980s version.
Another equally amazing thing is, after all this time, is how well Kubrick used his actors, music and visuals to underscore the themes of the story itself. The technical details are prototypes in themselves, helping the story build massive tension; the long hallway shots, the eerie musical score, the use of words written backwards, the implication of a blizzard, and the tall, wide staircases establish a sense of uncertainty for both the audience and the individuals in the movie. Each of the characteristics are also evidence of the haunting craftsmanshipthe photography of the hotel, for instance, creates a portrait of breathtaking beauty long before the breakdown of the characters' lucidity chars our attraction to it.
The performances are just brilliant, but with the exception of Shelly Duvaull, while her performance as a caring mother is good, her mousy screams get very overacted, and tedious after a while. But Jack Nicholson was AMAZING in this film, his performance was strong, believable and terrifying. It is easily his best performance to date!
Overall, everything in The Shinning works brilliantly. Full of brilliant psychological scares and flawless imagery.
10/10