Kubrick's less than authentic take on a great novel

Rating: 5/10 (14 August 2008)

I was so looking forward to this film when it came out. The Shining was the first Stephen King novel I ever read and I thought it was brilliant. Sadly, the same can't be said for the film version. Whilst it does retain some aspects of the plot, there are so many changes (many of them unnecessary and confusing) that it ceases to be the story King was trying to tell.
There are some great set pieces - the bike riding down the hall, Jack Nicholson going bonkers, and of course the famous 'Heeeeere's Johnny!' scene, which is good but not actually terrifying, despite Shelley DuVall's very believable performance.
I was impressed by the fact that most of it is filmed in the light, so that Kubrick doesn't rely on dark corners and jumps to frighten you, but overall the film doesn't work for me. It's overlong for a start, the stuff with the barman and the photo is pointless and doesn't make sense; and poor old Halloran. He hears Danny's shining and travels halfway across America to help, only to be immediately hit with an axe! Kubrick is just cheating the audience.
So set pieces aside, this is really one for the Kubrick fans only in my opinion. Anyone looking for the authentic King story is going to be disappointed, and I defy anyone to tell me what the end to this film version actually means. I seem to remember that when interviewed even Kubrick wasn't quite sure.
So it's The Shining, but it doesn't shine.