Appreciate Nicholson, But Don't Try To Dissect

Rating: 4/10 (11 March 2017)

In terms of classic horror films, this one is a must-watch for its imagery and quality acting. However, don't expect to be satisfied with the plot no matter how many times you watch it.
For a basic plot summary, "The Shining" tells the story of the Torrence family, who are assigned to "house-sit" a large hotel for the winter. Jack Torrence (Jack Nicholson) begins to behave strangely, while his "special" son Danny (Danny Lloyd) and wife Wendy (Shelley Duvall) must reap the consequences of that trip down insanity road for their father/husband.
Easily the high point of this film is Nicholson's portrayal of a man slowly being driven completely insane. With the facial expressions and extreme physical moods/movements that Nicholson brings to every role, he provides the most chilling scenes of the entire experience.
The problem, however, is in trying to decipher the overall plot of the movie. Director Stanley Kubrick basically just bombards viewers with all kinds of different themes, but then steps back in the end to let those viewers draw their own conclusions as to what is really going on. Unfortunately, many of Kubrick's themes blatantly contradict each other, making it impossible to ever truly "figure it out". Some elements are borrowed from the Stephen King novel of the same name, while others are original to the Kubrick adaptation. The mix of the two is not conducive to an understandable plot.
Overall, I have now viewed this movie three times, and enjoyed it a little less each time. I always enjoy Nicholson's screen time, but just get too frustrated trying to piece the plot together. In fact, a 3.5-star rating would more accurately portray my feelings towards the film. In all honesty, I enjoyed the King novel more, and would recommend it (if not for the brilliant Nicholson) over this Kubrick version.