The Shining (1980)

Rating: 10/10 (27 February 2017)

I've loved movies, and horror movies, and Kubrick movies all my life. I saw this for the first time over 35 years ago. I liked it then but somehow it left me bewildered and unsatisfied. After all, Kubrick should have made the 'perfect' horror film, right? But, he didn't. Or did he? Ah, too many things must have gone over my head as a teenager way back when. 'The Shining' watched again 35 years later is definitely a chilling experience (even the soundtrack is terrifying in headphones). 'Chilling' not least because now I'm down with what movie analysts call Kubrick's 'hidden socio-concerns', and the implications as to what The Shining could 'really' be about are what make it truly horrific.
As a curious 46-year-old film buff, the more I learn about and examine, not just this movie but, Kubrick's other works, the more I begin to notice and decipher mysterious symbols, obscure metaphor, partially hidden social and political criticisms, story-telling on different levels - the cryptic and esoteric messages sent out by Kubrick to be decoded by his audience. Always thought he was a genius, but after watching The Shining again I now believe he was a bona fide subversive who had discovered far too much about the darker side of life during his time as a privileged A-list artist (watch 'Eyes Wide Shut' if you're not convinced). No wonder he shunned Hollywood for a life of privacy and isolation. Finally, it's not just the obvious genre tropes and clichÃ©s that make 'The Shining' terrifying; it's all the other stuff as well.