The Master.

Rating: 10/10 (7 June 1999)

As I write these comments about The Shining, I write them with the knowledge that this films director, Stanley Kubrick, passed away earlier this year. It is a shame that we will only get one more film from this cinematic genius, but at least we get one more. The Shining is one of the great horror films of all time and my personal favorite. This movie has so much atmosphere that you feel like your inside the hotel with the characters. The set design is amazing and the opening helicopter shot is unforgettable. The score to this film, by Bela Bartok, is simply hypnotic. There is also great cinematography from John Alcott. Kubricks' films are always hard to forget, but this film also has a hard to forget performance from Jack Nicholson. Nicholson holds the picture together in a lot of respects, as he goes crazy, the audience begins to see his dementia as well. I've heard Stephen King didn't really like this version of his novel. I think that is a shame because Kubricks' films are like novels in many ways. This film, like so many of Kubricks' films, is a masterpiece.