Strange, bizarre, freaky stuff and... REDRUM = MURDER

Rating: 6/10 (4 February 2011)

This is typically Kubrick weirdness. Difficult to rate. Nowhere near as confusing as '2001' but some elements from that one can be found here. Then again, Kubrick's typical treats.
'The Shining' is a bit of a test to patience, being long and slow. But if you have no problem with that, that's not a reason why it shouldn't please you. If you like Kubrick's cinema and weird films, then this is one film for you.
It's interesting but hardly really good. There is some disturbing and gross content, as well as some takes which are too long and boring. When it comes to mystery, weirdness, suspense, tension and terror, it shines like its title.
After seeing this I finally understood what Richard Dreyfuss meant by saying that Jack Nicholson is too crazy. And he is particularly crazy on this one. Have you seen Jack Nicholson when he gets angry? Boy, he sure is scary when he gets mad! That's what happens with his character Jack Torrance, whose transformation is notorious with strange and even aggressive behaviors and other insanity symptoms. He goes as far as attempting to murder his own wife and child with an axe! More than simply playing the character, he becomes the character. And his face in the famous sequence when he sticks his face through the door he broke with his axe and yells «Here's Johnny!» is crazy! He almost looks like a werewolf in that particular scene, becoming almost unrecognizable. Jack Nicholson is formidable in this role.
Shelley Duvall is excellent as Wendy. She deserves all the praise from us. She worked really hard for this role and went through a lot of stress during filming. She successfully manages to stay away from her "Olive Oyl" image and honestly people should see her as a very capable actress and not just as "Olive Oyl".
And finally, the kid is cute and amazingly played by Danny Lloyd. His performance is so realistic and believable that it's as if he becomes the character himself. Such a difficult role for a child to play, but he is so good that he makes it seem so easy.
The ending is bad. After all of that, it simply shows pictures? That's it??