One of the best horror films ever

Rating: 9/10 (5 October 2005)

The shining has to be one of the all time best horror films. And this is to be expected with Steven King as the original writer, Stanley Kubrick as the director and a cast including Jack Nicholson and Shelley Duvall. This point is emphasised even more by its theatrical trailer which is simple in appearance, although it took 9 days just to set up, and manages to get away with this by capitalizing on the names of the people involved in the film.
The story is about a man named Jack who takes his wife and son to a remote deserted hotel in order to look after it during the winter. This is the perfect setting for a film of the horror genre, as for a family of three this is an enormous hotel which coupled with the long winding corridors and the huge maze outside, is practically asking for horrifying things to happen. Also the character Jack is told that around 50 years ago a man murdered his wife and two children there, a blatant suggestion that they are not going to happily sit in the house for the winter! Moreover the fact that the film is based on a Steven King novel means that you expect that things will be uncertain and will jump out of nowhere when you are least expecting it.
From the start there are clear signals things are a bit mysterious, especially with the young son Danny, and interestingly enough he gives an outstanding performance whilst not actually being aware he is in a horror film, as Kubrick managed to shoot the film without revealing this to him. Danny's famous scenes on his tricycle are filmed excellently and are somewhat unnerving as the silence heightens the sound of the clunking as he moves from rug to hardwood flooring. The film is made even more unnerving as all the characters seem to have something mysterious and unsettling about them.
Another clever feature of the film is the visual portrayal of Jack's deterioration. Although he looks quite frightening even from the beginning, as the film progresses his appearance becomes more and more disturbing, and then when he is chasing his wife around the house it is utterly terrifying, not something to watch alone on a cold dark night. Furthermore the film in a clever as it does not bombard the audience with terribly horrifying, gruesome images, but instead uses the setting, outstanding acting, music and cinematography to its advantage. The film was and still is so influential that the catchphrase 'Heeers Johnny!' is known by people that have not even seen the film. Also the film manages to get away with not tying up all the loose ends and leaving a sense of mystery without disappointing the audience, a feat only accomplishable by a man of Kubrick's genius.