Kubrick Takes His Vision of the Horror Genre and Makes it Unforgettably His Own

Rating: Null/10 (19 June 2008)

Stanley Kubrick was far more of a visionary in every way of the word. Despite however avant-garde and controversial his movies may have been, they have always had an inexplicable touch, a true mark of a gracefulness and greatness of a devoted man's lifelong work. No matter what genre of movie he has delved into, he without exception has bought unforeseen creativity, thoughtfulness, and honesty into it, never bearing what others thought of his work and not moving just to please some demographic or publisher, and has become endlessly influential to ambitious film makers young and old.
It is without surprise then that Mr. Kubrick can easily make the horror genre his own with The Shining, and be able to do with only a single attempt something most NEVER could. What follows in the movie is 142 minutes of jaw-dropping imagery and truly terrifying and bewildering moments that have yet to be paralleled in their context and overall fear factor.
The story itself is loosely based off of Stephen King's novel of the same name, and concerns writer Jack Torrence (Jack Nicholson), who decides to take up a job as a caretaker in the massive and elegant Overlook Hotel during its off season, and also take his wife Wendy (Shelly Duvall), and his son Danny (Danny Lloyd) along while he tries to also get some time to relieve his writer's block and rest. The hotel is nice and cozy enough for more than the whole family, but it has a dark history. And Jack starts to soon find he might be as alone as he thinks , and he might not so new to this strange place...or is he? And as the happenings around the hotel grow all the more bizarre and creepy, what will befall him and his family? The story relentlessly keeps building up to its epic and ever famous climax, and is ending will keep you thinking for a long time after. The entire story may even be enough for you to wonder about for a very long time. Unlike Stephen King's story, nothing is explained and everything is only as we see it. Just the fact that you see so much and are never given an explanation, and you know you never will get one, is enough of a horror in its own. All 3 main characters, including the support character Dick Hallorann (Scatman Crothers)are all that are seen for the very large bulk of the film (that is besides the numerous happenings), and are all excellently portrayed by their respective actors. Kubrick really did know how to put his actors to work, and this is nowhere more true than with Jack Nicholson's performance. This is safely one of the very best of this industrious actor's career, and it is truly amazing what he does with his complex character. Jack seems to represent the sum of the darkness that is hidden deep within ourselves. What does he truly think under his vise? Where does he truly belong? What does he see? What is really there? Is there a difference? It is enough to drive anyone mad. It might be even more accurate to say that everything somehow resolves around Danny. What does he see? How does he know what he knows? Who is his Anthony, and what is he really? What do he and Hollorann share? What can it mean to truly Shine, and how is it different from the darkness? Between Danny and Jack, Wendy might seem very confused in the mix, and her confusion can be more than enough to make her feel like an unwilling prisoner of something much larger than herself, and of a struggle that she should never be a part of. And indeed, whether this is a pure haunted house story, or a psychological horror mix, the ride is not something I think you would want to take soon.
As usual, Kubrick's technical work in , his film is groundbreaking and beautiful. In typical style, any detail, scene, angle, name, number, or even background is very important, both obscurely and obviously, and especially for a film of this essence. Despite however obsessive Kubrick has been convicted of being, it is here where that obsessiveness truly works and is even necessary. The cinematography here is innovative, especially the lighting and set design, and they only add to the vast scope and isolation that the movie is meant to convey, and the subtle and unknowable horror that will leave your head spinning and still very wary on distant nights alone. The all punches camera shots are so flowing to every scene and, and the editing works so well with the horror aspect you may find yourself feeling everything the characters themselves feel: completely afraid, alone, and in the dark. As with the horror parts themselves, which are so out of the blue, and so inexplicable that you may never find an equal to what they can do to you. Just imagine a elevator opening to a massive river of blood, or a head splitting "encounter" in the bathroom. Kubrick will help you redefine what horror really means for you.
As what Psycho, The Exorcist, Jaws, and Halloween did for the horror genre, The Shining has helped very much shaped everything that it is thought of today. With all of its lurings, technical excellence, and unforgettable chain of events, it is no less deserving of all the publicity and acclaim this film has gotten over the years. Kubrick's films all too often are very obscure in the public eye, and with this being arguably his most ambitious and popular of his latter day work, I'm sure he would be very proud to be strongly remembered for this defining moment in the genre (nah, probably wouldn't). Don't be surprised if you have any doubts of ever wandering around a vacant hotel, or any building ever again.