Severely Flawed

Rating: 1/10 (18 January 2003)

The opening aerial shots of this movie are brilliant focusing on a small car driving on a bendy road with tense music playing spoilt only by the noise of the helicopter where the camera was obviously positioned (Some say this is Kuberick's mark I simply don't see the point). Jack Nicholson's performance is terrific but the script has severe holes in it for one what is the reason for his characters dramatic switch between sane and insane nothing happens to him to justify it. The man with the shining powers comes back to the hotel in the end only to be killed immediately what was the point. The flood of blood is never explained or is it a simplistic metaphor for the violence that is about to take place or that has taken place. The young boy putting on that voice was really annoying and there was no need for it although the voice is probably supposed to symbolize a invisible friend whom helps him make sense of his powers it simply doesn't work. What about that for an ending a silly looking Jack Nicholson frozen (whom was not all that difficult to defeat) then the camera zooms in to a picture of him on the wall which makes little sense before the film ends. What was the meeting with the ghost barman all about its just never explained and there is absolutely no content given so that the viewers can read between the lines. A final problem with the movie is it gets extremely boring half way through and this boredom lasts until near the end Kuberick tries to make the film to tense thus when the final does come it has little punch. However I do realise the film was well made, there was the possibility of a good storyline, Nicholson's performance was good and the music terrific but I simply feel that this does not save this movie and how it ever made number 82 on the poll I'll never know when the great masterpiece THE SEARCHERS is well below it. I give the shining a 3/10.