A well made film that does not make any sense.

Rating: 5/10 (5 September 2007)

Stanley Kubrick's 'The Shining', judging by its cult reputation over the years, and its high rating on this website, has become a classic. It has gained a notorious reputation among film lovers. It was horror movie made by Stanley Kubrick, a director who arguably has had greater polarization than any other filmmaker in history. It has a legendary performance by the legendary Jack Nicholson. It has several scenes that have scared the crap out of people, most notably the 'river of blood' sequence. Does 'The Shining' deserve the reputation that it gets, or is it yet another confusing Kubrick film that is overrated?
The story is loosely based on the Stephen King novel of the same name. It is about a family of three who have to take care of an expensive hotel for the winter. Jack Torrence (Nicholson) is a struggling writer who is the main caretaker. His wife and his son accompany him for the winter stay. What happens during their stay is a series of terrifying events that leads to a tragic conclusion. What is most interesting about 'The Shining' is that it horror film that not like most other horror films. It follows a formula of creating tension, rather that blood and gore. Although there is violence in the film, it is not as explicit or gory as other horror movies. This is a good thing and it is not surprising that Kubrick followed this formula.
Kubrick, once again, shows his masterful craftsmanship for film-making. The lighting, editing, and overall technique is unparalleled. It can be argued that no other filmmaker could shoot a film as well as Kubrick did. But at the same time, this mastery is his greatest flaw. What he mastered in the technical side, he gave up in storytelling, character, and logic. 'The Shining' is often goofy and silly, rather than tense and frightening. It is very slow and many scenes and unnecessarily long. Two superstars exist in the film. One is Stanley Kubrick.
The other is Jack Nicholson. Nicholson gives one of his most memorable performance as a writer who goes mad at his stay in the hotel. His acting is really over-the-top, but Nicholson is such a supreme actor, we do not care because it is Jack Nicholson. Actors do not get any larger than him. Near the end of the film, when he confronts his wife by his typewriter, is absolutely awesome film-making. Nicholson is at his most brilliant. The other people in the film are simply annoying. Shelly Duvall is so annoying playing his wife, it is no wonder Jack wants to "bash her brains in". Danny, Jack's son, is equally annoying. I believe child actors should play a very minimal role in adult films. Minimal meaning they should only say a few lines and take up no more than 10 minutes. I understand Danny is at the center of the film, but do most people really think children have the maturity and ability to be in films like these?
Another thing that is annoying about 'The Shining' is its change of subject matter. A film that begins exploring themes of alcoholism and child abuse, slowly turns into yet another silly horror movie. Yet another typical horror movie with the madman with the ax and the screaming woman. One major thing does not make any sense. When Wendy discovers what Jack has been writing for months on end, it has a logical flaw. It suggests Jack has been crazy since the first day he stepped into the hotel, and that he did not go insane over time. Why on Earth would he be crazy from the beginning and why did his family not notice? Should we be asking these deep questions because it is yet another horror movie, or should be ask them because it is a Kubrick film? This is the frustration many people feel after they have finished watching a Kubrick film. It isn't that they don't "get it", they just don't get what all the fuss was about.