Kubrick's Mastery of Moving Images

Rating: 8/10 (15 November 2008)

To me, 'The Shining' is more a memorabilia to Stanley Kubrick's majestic photography. The smooth transitions, the beautiful composition of symmetric screen settings, the marvel of the Steadicam, which enables us to follow Danny's tricycle, floating on the Overlook corridors. And the images which are imprinted on the mind of the viewer even more effectively than the story itself, telling a story of their own. These are the images you think of when you talk about 'The Shining'.
Moreover, there is always a mention of Stanley Kubrick's strict and demanding attitude towards Shelley Duvall during the making of this film in documentaries. It must be Kubrick's technique to get her in to the mood to play that particular part, and the kind of feeling she needs to be experiencing in order to respond according to that of the character. This is mere speculation, but you never know.