A classic, chilling film

Rating: 8/10 (30 October 2016)

Kubrick's "The Shining" is a classic and still one of my favorite horror movies of all time due to it's excellent direction. Kubrick has a very interesting direction style; he likes to delve into the inner workings of characters' minds in order to tell a story from a more psychological standpoint. This is especially apparent in "The Shining."
The film shows Jack's gradual descent into madness very well. Odd camera angles and lighting create a disorienting mood for viewers, allowing them to see that something is very wrong. The shots of the hotel itself also aid in creating an eerie mood, as wall hangings and room layouts sometimes change from shot to shot. The idea that the hotel is almost alive in a sense and is destroying Jack is very interesting.
While I love this film for it's amazing atmosphere, the adaptation of Stephen King's original novel leaves something to be desired. As a fan of King's work, I dislike how much Kubrick changed from the source material. He discarded a lot of the character development and certain (even some major) plot points. The film is still very well done, despite the many differences from the novel.
One of the differences in Kubrick's adaptation is Wendy's character. In the novel, Wendy is a strong woman who fights to maintain her composure and protect her son. In the movie, Shelley Duvall plays a very different woman; Wendy is very submissive and weak compared to her written counterpart. Duvall's performance is very good until her breakdown at the end of the film. Her terrified screaming just seems a little over the top to me.
Overall, "The Shining" is an excellent horror film that I still find frightening to this day. It creates a truly disorienting atmosphere that makes for an amazing cinematic experience. This is definitely a film that every horror movie fan should see.