The Best Horror Film Ever Made

Rating: 10/10 (30 November 2016)

The Shining Film Review
For many, The Shining is rightly considered the greatest horror movie ever made. The film has so much to offer as an overall viewing experience and goes to show that Stanley Kubrick could make a movie of any genre and execute it to perfection.Kubrick brought something different to every movie he made and the same goes for The Shining. Kubrick uses classic elements of horror such as archetypes but adds his own twist with memorable and iconic scenes, an ambiguous ending, and a story filled with characters that keep audiences on edge the entire time.
The Shining takes place in the 1980's during a cold, snowy winter in Colorado. Jack Torrance (Jack Nicholson) takes his family to the isolated Overlook Hotel where he has recently earned the job as off-season caretaker. There, he plans to finish the book he has been struggling to finish during his daily, suburbia-like lifestyle. Once they arrive and begin to settle in to the huge hotel, things start to change. Jack's son, Danny (Danny Lloyd), continues to be negatively affected by the visions in his head and his imaginary friend that goes by the name of Tony. As the snow piles up outside, Jack begins to discover the haunted secrets hidden within the lodge and a strong cabin-fever mentality kicks in. This leads Jack to slowly crack mentally until he becomes obsessed with harming his wife, Wendy (Shelley Duvall), and Danny.
The film does so many things right and certainly stands out in the horror genre. Artistically, Kubrick showcases single-point perspective, a shooting style that frames a shot so all elements within it point toward a single focal point. This shooting style is ironically used in The Shining because it creates a sense of order in a hotel that becomes increasingly filled with chaos as the film goes on. John Alcott creates establishing shots that look beautiful while also building tension by showing the growing amounts of snow that isolate the family from any form of civilization or help. Kubrick recruited Garrett Brown, creator of the Steadicam, to help film several scenes including the "maze scene" at the end of the film as well as all of the scenes with Danny on his tricycle. These are particularly special because of the tension. Since the Steadicam follows behind Danny, the viewer never gets to see what is around each corner of the hotel until Danny actually sees it for himself. The "haunted house" and "werewolf" archetypes are prominent throughout. Characters in the Overlook constantly try to leave their mark on Jack, staining him in various ways in order to transform Jack into the monster he becomes by the end of the film. Kubrick was always obsessed with the details and this can clearly be seen in the use of costuming as indirect characterization. Wendy is almost always dressed in bright, primary colors that make her seem innocent and worry-free. In one scene, Jack and the bartender, Lloyd, wear the exact same color coat during a conversation which creates a mirror-like effect, a connection between the two men, and a sense of duality. This is appropriate because the film establishes a mirror trope right from the beginning. Jack Nicholson delivers a standout performance, one that is required to play such a dynamic character. He starts off as a loving father and husband just trying to write a book but turns into a "nightmare come to life" for his family. Nicholson is able to put himself into Jack's twisted mental position and become a blood-thirsty psychopath by the end. His performance is enhanced by quality, supporting roles played by Duvall and Lloyd that create a believable family being torn apart by Jack. The movie has few if any flaws of significance and is critically- acclaimed for its brilliance. Even if their were minor problems, it would be almost impossible for them to outweigh the seemingly endless list of positives. This Kubrick adaptation should be considered a classic in an otherwise, boring genre where the same thing is seen over and over. If all directors in horror tried to create films up to the standard that Kubrick creates in The Shining, the genre would not be the laughing stock it is becoming in Hollywood today. Those that enjoy slow-burn horror filled with tension or are just fans of Kubrick's work should see this movie as soon as possible and really savor the masterpiece it is. People that like horror filled with pop-out scares or fast-paced action should not. The Shining deserves all of the praise it has received over the years and proves how unique and creative Stanley Kubrick really was. It earns a perfect 10 out of 10 rating.