Cabin Fever Blues

Rating: 10/10 (27 May 2013)

What I love about Stanley Kubrick is how he can intensely captivate me like no other director. There is a certain intensity to his movies that is so hypnotic in that it holds my attention so much that I find myself trying not to blink in order to catch every detail. Within every shot, there is a lot of attention to detail and from the films I have seen from Kubrick, he seems very meticulous about the visual details and he is so clever how he can make little things add to that disturbing intensity. These little things make Kubrick's films feel otherworldly and grandiose, which is definitely a bit of how I would describe some details about 'The Shining.' I knew who Kubrick was, but during the time that I first randomly watched 'The Shining' on television as a teenager, I was completely unaware that he actually directed it. All I knew after having watched it for the first time was that I was mesmerized by it. I had a thing for horror flicks, but this was the first horror film that I truly loved and the more I watched it on AMC, the more I discovered more nuances that made the movie even more disturbing. What made me love this movie was the fact that for the first time ever, I was actually analyzing a horror film.
It made an impact on me in that it brought out my worst fears, and that would be the paranoid feeling of isolation. Where most horror today only manages to startle, The Shining manages to actually disturb and that to me feels more effective in making me feel a sense of dread, and how Kubrick executes that is astounding. Whether it be imagery that is just straight up odd, or its cold, lonely atmosphere, all these scenes are capable of evoking some type of reaction from anyone who would watch this film. What really resonated with me were the long drawn out scenes of dialogue between the characters and knowing from listening to their tone, that something did not quite feel right and this is executed so well by Kubrick. The decision to film close-ups of the actors' faces added an even greater emotional effect that adds to the disturbing anxiety permeating the film.
I don't know what else to say about The Shining, but after watching A Clockwork Orange and 2001, I have come to respect Stanley Kubrick as a director more than ever. He has a style that feels distinct, but at the same time he is versatile in ways I didn't even know of. I wouldn't be able to name my favorite director, but Kubrick is definitely one of the top contenders for that title. Mr. Kubrick not only a great horror film, but one that is memorable in ways that it manages to leave a disturbing impression on you permanently. I will never forget the first time I watched 'The Shining,' and although it probably might not scare me as much the next time I will put this on, I will always be able to enjoy being disturbed by it.